THE JAPAN NEWS / FEB. 8
Visitors take photos with their dogs in front of snow sculptures of dogs and a shrine in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture.
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YUZAWA, Japan >> The Inukko Matsuri (Yuzawa Inukko Dog Festival), a traditional Lunar New Year festival in which people make snow sculptures of dogs, shrines and temples to solicit good health and other blessings, was recently held at a gymnasium in Yuzawa, Akita prefecture.
The festival is said to have originated about 400 years ago when a feudal lord who had fought off bandits installed small dog sculptures made of rice flour at the entrance and windows of his house to invoke protection from similar incidents.
During the event, held on Feb. 8 and 9, the gym was surrounded by 15 snow sculptures of shrines and temples flanked by dogs. Many visitors attended the festival with their dogs, and children enjoyed climbing on the dog sculptures.
“I was surprised there were so many people with their dogs,” said Yosuke Tanaka, 41, an Akita City resident who took part in the festival for the first time. “The snow sculptures were beautiful and magnificent.”
