Despite the controversy that arose over a Japanese amusement park using frozen fish in an ice skating rink last year, a new sculpture featuring some nine different kinds of frozen fish is now on display at Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival.
The festival, which dates back 68 years, has been including a display with blocks of ice encasing frozen fish for the last 33 years in Hokkaido.
Some thought the festival might get rid of the display this year, considering the backlash that the SpaceWorld amusement park faced after filling an ice rink with frozen fish from a seafood market. The controversy loomed so large, the park had to shut its doors only two weeks after opening.
But the tradition remains.
“The displays are art, and we would like to continue producing them in the future,” Seiichi Shinoda, chairman of the Susukino Tourist Association, told Rocket News 24.
This year's display features nine blocks of ice, each filled with a different Hokkaido sea creature, including salmon and snow crab.
In addition to the fish sculpture, the festival also includes large-scale snow sculptures that include everything from Final Fantasy VII scenes to Star Wars depictions.
The festival is currently open and runs until February 12.
