A northern city plans to promote Niigata Prefecture’s many local specialties–including its snow–at the Osaka Kansai Expo that opened on April 13.
The coolest showpiece from Minami-Uonuma will be a mountain of snow inside the Expo Exhibition Center at the venue from June 20 through June 23.
Two to 3 tons of snow will be piled up daily, allowing visitors from around the globe to touch and feel the coldness of the snow.
A sake and rice tasting corner will be set up nearby, with alcohol samples provided from bottles kept and matured in snow-filled storehouses in the city for flavor improvement.
Minami-Uonuma earmarked 17 million yen ($110,000) in its budget for the new fiscal year to cover the costs, including transporting the snow to the site by truck and train.
The snow to be used is being kept at a “snow bank” installed on a mountain in Minami-Uonuma. Snow was piled to a height of 8 meters there in mid-March.
“Given the heavy snowfall this year, most of the snow here is likely to remain unmelted until mid-June, even if we leave it as it is,” said a representative of the city’s commerce, industry and tourism division. “We keep its temperature low with insulation sheets, along with other measures, to prevent melting. We can secure a sufficient amount of snow with ease.”
The Osaka Kansai Expo will continue for six months until Oct. 13 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka’s Konohana Ward. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition projects that it will attract 28.2 million visitors, including 3.5 million from overseas.
Minami-Uonuma often receives more than 10 meters of snow a year.
It has been enhancing efforts not only for snow-related challenges, such as snow removal, but also to take advantage of this natural resource.
Private companies in the city are now promoting brand-name products processed in natural refrigerators full of snow.
An air-conditioning system based on snow was proposed for venues at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. But the plan was dropped because events were held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Minami-Uonuma, the Osaka Kansai Expo is the first large-scale international festivity since the Tokyo Olympics.
“Our hope is to give visitors–especially tourists from Southeast Asia–the chance to learn about the appeal of snow as well as Minami-Uonuma, as many of them see snow for the first time at the venue,” a city official said.
AloJapan.com