MNN - Mother Nature Network

Should the Northeast get walloped by yet another historic snowfall this weekend, we should all chip in and fly the amazing artists who put together this "Transformers" snow sculpture in Japan right on over. 

 

The absolutely massive installation is this year's highlight of the annual Asahikawa Winter Festival in Japan. Since 1947, the city has sponsored the week-long event as a way to enjoy the cold and snow during the coldest month of the long Hokkaido winter. Naturally, ice and snow sculptures have become a standard, with the festival currently holding the Guinness World Record for the largest snow sculpture — a nearly 100-foot high replica of a Korean fortress in 1994.

 

 

Commissioned by Japanese toymaker Takara Toy, the "Transformers More Than Meets The Eye" sculpture measures over 65 feet high, 426 feet across, and more than 131 feet deep. With the exception of the frame, the entire thing is made from snow — nearly 6,000 truckloads sourced from clearing roads around the city. It depicts a massive Optimus Prime holding the Matrix and other various Transformers insignia such as the Autobot and Decepticon symbols. Oh yeah — and there are also two awesome slides down the main structure, with one spanning nearly 328 feet. 

 

To see additional pictures of the sculpture, jump here.