The Sapporo Snow Festival was held February 5-11 on the northern island of Hokkaido and I had the job of chronicling this in pictures for Reuters.

Capturing the Sapporo Snow Festival was not as easy or beautiful as the pictures would appear. On the opening day, snow fell continuously, while the bitter cold made roads and walkways treacherous.

I constantly had to wipe the camera lens, although everyone except the military crew charged with keeping the sculptures snow-free, appeared delighted with the conditions.

One couple from Hong Kong were taking a late Honeymoon, with pictures, in Sapporo, having married in November but waiting for a snowy wedding backdrop.

Kids would open their mouths to taste the snowfall, and mobile phone cameras snapped away to take memories of the Sapporo festival back home.

In the middle of the Snow Festival, the food court offered warm food and sake, Japanese rice wine, and the cold weather and heavy snowfall lured many, even a photographer eyeing his own warm refreshment from a day’s shooting.