Snow Festival 2001
The heavy snow this winter was perfect for this year's snow festival.  There are various snow festivals held around northern Japan usually during the month of February.  At this year's snow festival the 250th birthday of Uesugi Yozan was celebrated.  Uesugi was one of the founding fathers of Yonezawa and a man who was respected and spoken of by President Kennedy.  The festival included snow lanterns, ice sculpture, fireworks, and very large snow sculptures.

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Audrey is dressed warm for the chilly evening.  The snowfall makes for a perfect scene.

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All along the frozen moat of the Uesugi Shrine, the food vendor's booths glow as the sun sets.

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Mmmmm...delicious (?) fish on a stick.  That blue bucket behind the man contains very fresh fish.

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At the shrine the crowds begin to gather.  Here a family poses for a photo in front of the snow lanterns.  A couple hundred thousand people attend the snow festival during the two day weekend from all over Japan.

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Audrey got busted!?  No....she just stands for a picture with our friendly neighborhood police.

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This was a ceremony praying for the souls of the soldiers who died in World War II.

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As night falls, the lanterns are lit and it really is a pretty sight!

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Click here to see more of the Snow Festival!!

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