STAY YAMAGATA

Check out the 28th Okura Yuki Monogatari, a winter tradition in Okura Village and Yamagata Prefecture's last snow festival of the year. 

Witness the "Fuyu Hanabi Uchiage" (Winter Fireworks Launch), the "Hijiori Genso Yuki Kairo" (Fantasy Snow Corridor), and the "Giant Snowman Okura-kun".

Okura Village, known for having one of the heaviest snowfalls in the prefecture, is home to the world's largest snowman, Okura-kun, who appears every winter.

The concept of Okura-kun was born of the local's desire to make the most of the incredible amount of snowfall. It takes two weeks to build the giant snowman, who towers over the village at a spectacular height of 29.43 meters, equivalent to an 8 to 9 story building. Okura-kun was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1995 as the world's largest snowman.

Okura-kun can be seen in front of Hijiori Ideyu Kan, the venue for the Okura Yuki Monogatari every March, making him an iconic winter symbol in Okura Village.