Discoveries made along the way

The Otaru Snow Light Path - a human-made winter wonderland

JAPAN | Sunday, 6 November 2011 | Views [1249]

Magic Canal: Like the climax at the end of a symphony, Otaru's canal is often the finale to a magical evening, as most visitors arrive by train, then wind their way downhill from the station along paths leading to the warehouse district along the canal. After exploring several blocks of illuminated ice globes, log cabins, snow-hearts, jack-o-lanterns, and other creative displays, one can sip tea while enjoying an outdoor concert on a bridge looking back on a scene such as the one shown here.

Tags: snow light path, japan, otaru, canal, candles

Keeper of the Flame: One of the light keepers of the Snow Light Path patches a melted hole with snow from his dish. This annual winter event in the northern Japanese port town of Otaru features several miles of paths lined with decorated candles, slides for kids, and alter-like displays such as the one shown here. His reward for this work in the cold night air is the joyful squeals of children as they explore around each bend in the path.

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Snow Lovers: This cozy snow-couple is backlit from a small candle-filled cave, set into the deep snow drifts along the plowed paths. There are many love-themed nooks, some with benches for couples to pose for photographs of themselves, as this annual winter event is held around Valentine's Day. It's timed to coincide with the nearby Sapporo Snow Festival , which draws a large international crowd to Japan's northern-most island of Hokkaido.

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Discoveries made along the way

The Otaru Snow Light Path - a human-made winter wonderland

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