千歳・支笏湖氷濤まつりLake Shikotsu Ice Festival
© City of Chitose
The Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival, one of the most popular events as well as Sapporo Snow Festival in winter in Sapporo, took place for approximately 2 weeks in the depth of winter毎年１月下旬から２月上旬の厳冬の中、約２週間に渡り開催される「千歳・支笏湖氷檮まつり」。さっぽろ雪まつりとならび北海道の代表的な冬のイベントの１つとなっている。
会場には、支笏湖の湖水をスプリンクラーで凍らせた大小さまざまな氷のオブジェが立ち並び、昼は「支笏湖ブルー」と呼ばれるナチュラルブルーに輝き、夜は色とりどりのライトに照らされ、幻想に満ちた世界が演出される。
丁寧に水を吹きかけることによって作られたオブジェは、それぞれがまるで何万年もの年月をかけて作られる鍾乳洞のよう。しかし、氷という性質上時間が経てばやはり溶けてしまう。そんな「この時間この場所でしか有り得ない瞬間」を体感する。
多くのオブジェは、大人でも十分入れるくらいの大きさがあり、内部も様々な色のライトアップが施されている。ライトアップされた氷、ひんやりとした空気…オブジェの中のあらゆる要素が一つとなり、光と影が織り成す幻想的な別世界を作り上げる。
千歳・支笏湖氷濤まつり
会期：1月下旬〜2月上旬
会場：北海道千歳市支笏湖温泉
http://www.shikotsuko.com
Text: Tatsuhiko Akutsu
Photo: Hiroshi Kotake, from the end of January to the beginning of February.
The sculptures, created by sprinkling and congealing water from Lake Shikotsu, were gleamed in natural blue in the daytime, and were beautifully illuminated with different colors of lights at night. The scrupulously finished iced objects were like limestones which were formed over millions of years.
However, according to the nature of ice, they would undeniably melt away in the course of time. All the more, there you can experience the brief moment of nowhere else. The illusory sight of this festival reminds us of “the beauty in fragility”, which all of us might have at the bottom of our heart.
Illuminated with the colorful lights, most of the ice sculptures had enough space inside for us to enter. The elements inside the object, such as illuminated ice and cold air, were all creating another world amidst the weaving lights and shadows.
Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival
Date: End of January – Beginning of February
Place: Lake Shikotsu, Chitose, Hokkaido
http://www.shikotsuko.com
Text: Tatsuhiko Akutsu
Photo: Hiroshi Kotake
