Made to Melt

Miko! The Snow Festival starts the day after tomorrow! (>=\=)

…I know, nya. The one where they line up snow sculptures in Odori Park, nya.

Yep yep! The 76th one! February 4th through the 11th, eight whole days~!

…Hmm, nya.

Hey, that’s a pretty weak reaction!

…Snow sculptures aren’t my area of expertise, nya.

But listen, this year’s lineup of large snow sculptures is SO cool!

The Mandalorian & Grogu, a national treasure Jomon-era clay figure, Tsuruga Castle from Aizu, Snow Miku, Chiikawa… five massive sculptures in total!

…They’re making a Jomon clay figure out of snow, nya?

And it’s 13 meters tall! (>=\=)

It’s a national treasure from Hokkaido. A culture from over 10,000 years ago, brought back to life in snow~!

…Something 10,000 years old, destroyed after 8 days, nya?

…Oh.

Miko, remember when we talked about how snow can fall but not stick?

…The thing about snowfall and snow depth being totally different, nya. It melts when the temperature’s too high, nya.

Right! Back then I kept wondering what happens with the Snow Festival’s snow. So I looked it up and…

…

They gather about 6,000 five-ton truckloads of snow!

…6,000 trucks, nya? That’s some serious bulk purchasing, nya.

And here’s the thing, the snow for sculptures has to be pure white with zero impurities. Snow that’s been dirtied by exhaust fumes? Can’t use it.

…Insisting on quality ingredients is only natural, nya. Same as cooking, nya.

They collect it from places around Sapporo like Satoland, Moerenuma Park, Hoheikyo Dam… but in years when snow is scarce, they gotta go all the way out to Shiribeshi and Sorachi.

…Like when your local supermarket runs out of ingredients and you have to drive to the next town, nya.

During the record snow shortage of 2007, military helicopters were actually deployed to scout for snow collection sites from the air!

…Helicopters, nya!?

Also, do you know who actually builds the large snow sculptures?

…Sculptors, nya.

Actually… it’s the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

…The military makes art, nya?

This year’s Tsuruga Castle sculpture? 3,800 soldiers working for 30 days. They’ve been doing this since 1955, so that’s over 70 years of tradition!

…70 years, nya. That’s quite an accumulation of skill, nya.

Plus, they have this special technique called the “Ice Block Method” where they combine blocks of ice to create super detailed features that snow alone can’t pull off.

…

…In cooking terms, that’s like decorative knife work, nya. Daikon katsuramuki, carrot plum blossoms. Adding precision through handcraft to basic ingredients, nya.

Ohhh, that’s exactly it! (>=\=)

The rough shape gets carved out with cranes and chainsaws, but the fine details are all done by hand with chisels and shovels. Then for the finishing touch, they apply “cosmetic snow,” a slush made from snow mixed with water, to make the surface pure white.

…A final touch of makeup to complete it, nya. Same as plating a dish, nya. Presentation signals completion, nya.

But y’know, Miko. There’s something that’s been bugging me.

…What, nya.

Something that 3,800 people spent 30 days building… after the 8-day festival ends, it gets demolished by heavy machinery.

…

Isn’t that such a waste? (>_<)

All that effort and time, building with a material that melts, and then tearing it all down when it’s over.

…That’s not how it works, nya.

Huh?

Miko cooks every day, nya. Spending hours on prep, taking stock, balancing flavors.

Yeah.

…Once someone eats it, it’s gone, nya.

…!

But I don’t think “what a waste,” nya. If the person who ate it says “that was delicious,” that’s enough, nya.

…

Snow sculptures are the same, nya. Someone saw it and thought “wow.” That moment is the value, nya.

…Miko, do you know how the Snow Festival started?

…No idea, nya.

1950. In the post-war era when there was barely any entertainment, local middle and high school students made just six snow sculptures in Odori Park.

…Six, nya.

And get this, Odori Park was basically the city’s snow dump back then. They took snow that everyone treated as a nuisance and turned it into something fun.

…They turned snow meant for the garbage into art, nya?

Yep. And it drew 50,000 people. Fast forward 76 years, and now it’s a world-class event bringing in over 2 million visitors every year.

…Like when a dish made from leftovers becomes the signature menu item, nya.

Miko… I super love that analogy (>=\=)

But here’s the thing that really got me thinking.

…What, nya.

Snow is usually a total pain. It stops traffic, shoveling is exhausting, roofs can collapse.

…Nya.

But during the Snow Festival, that same snow becomes a treasure. They collect it with 6,000 trucks, the military turns it into art, and people come from all over the world to see it.

…

And like we talked about before, global warming means less snow every year. The less snow there is, the harder it gets to gather enough for the festival.

…When the nuisance disappears, the treasure vanishes too, nya.

Exactly. Something you thought was just in the way might actually be irreplaceable, and by the time you realize it, it could be too late.

…

…There were things like that where Miko comes from too, nya.

Wait, really?

…It’s nothing, nya. Not a big deal, nya.

So anyway! The 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, February 4th to 11th!

…

Five large sculptures, and a total of 210 snow and ice sculptures across all venues~!

…The Susukino venue’s ice sculptures are lit up until 11 PM, nya.

Wait, Miko, you know your stuff!

Didn’t you say you weren’t interested?

…That’s about the ice, nya. Not the snow, nya. Ice falls under Miko’s jurisdiction, nya.

What kinda distinction is that…

…By the way, Netsuki.

Hm?

…Those soldiers spent 30 days building that sculpture. How many minutes are you gonna spend looking at it, nya?

…

…Probably about five minutes (>_<)

…Same as when you finish Miko’s cooking in three minutes, nya.

I-I’m sorry…

But y’know, those five minutes? They’re gonna be five minutes I’ll never forget~!

…

…Well, even if it’s three minutes, as long as you say “that was delicious,” that’s enough, nya.