Natural snow comes to Umina in midsummer!
The event, LaLaport Umina presents Play in the Snow, planned and operated by MoVe Co., Ltd., will bring natural snow from Yamakoshi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture to Umina, Kanagawa Prefecture, for children to play on. It has been decided that the event will be held on Saturday, July 2024, 7, and will be sponsored by Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Umina.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of this event, which has become a regular summer event in Umino City, where about 50 tons of natural snow is brought to the central square at the west exit of Umino Station, adjacent to LaLaport Umino, and children are allowed to touch and enjoy the snow. It provides a space where children can play on the snow in a cool and comfortable manner during the scorching heat of midsummer.
LaLaport Umina presents Yuki de Asobina Event Outline
Date: Saturday, July 2024, 7 *Cancelled in case of bad weather
10:00 ~ 16:00
Admission fee: Free
Venue: Kaiminami Station West Exit Central Plaza
Organizer: Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Umina
Supported by: Umino City, Umino City Board of Education, Umino Ogimachi Area Management Association
Cooperation: SnowBiz Co., Ltd., XGLOO, Nagaoka University of Technology Snow and Ice Engineering Laboratory, Katsumi Shokai Co., Ltd., Kenshodoken Co., Ltd., Shokaen Co., Ltd., Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc., Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd., influenza gogo, Groovy LLC.
Planning and management: MoVe Inc.
Where does natural snow come from?
The snow that will be brought to this event is snow that fell in the 2023-2024 season in Yamakoshi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, a region that receives heavy snowfall. Snow is collected in one place during the winter and stored using ancient wisdom and modern technology, which allows it to be stored for long periods of time without using electricity by covering it with an appropriate amount of wood chips. (Although the region experiences many days in the summer where temperatures exceed 30°C, it is possible to store the snow.) The snow is collected as it has just fallen, so it is stored in its pure form without any deicing agents mixed in, allowing people to play safely.
The snow that was stored using this method was packed and transported the day before the event, a distance of approximately 250km. Snow that was previously discarded in snowy regions is now preserved and used as a resource in midsummer to bring joy to many people. Yuki de Asobina has been working with the people of snowy regions for 10 years on eco-friendly and educational initiatives using Japan's resources. *Supervision: SnowBiz Co., Ltd.
<<Profile of Yuki's Supervisor, Chikanori Ito>>
Representative Director of SnowBiz Co., Ltd. Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1971. Completed doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Engineering at Muroran Institute of Technology. Doctor of Engineering. As a "snow engineer," he is working on "snow utilization" projects such as the world's first snow-air-conditioned school and snow-refrigerated warehouses for storing rice. His life's work is to utilize snow to revitalize snowy regions. Advisor to Minamiuma City and Niigata Snow Room Brand Business Cooperative (Echigo Yukimuroya) Author of "Treasures are falling from the sky! Opening up the future with the power of snow" <Recommended book by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Social Security Council>
The Yukidaruma Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation where he was previously employed, received the New Energy Award, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, and the Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention Activities in 16. In 25, he received the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award for Regional Development.
Event content *The content may be canceled or changed without notice.
1. Snow Square
Following on from last year, the biggest snow plaza in Asobina history will appear in front of Kaiten Station!
2. Sledding slope
When you think of playing in the snow, you think of sledding. A special slope has been set up so that even first-time children can enjoy sledding safely.
3. Installation of snow cooling system
With the cooperation of the Snow and Ice Engineering Laboratory of Nagaoka University of Technology and SnowBiz Co., Ltd., a snow cooling device called Yukikaze-kun BIG was installed in a special tent. Yukikaze-kun BIG is an air conditioner that uses snow to create cold air, and is an environmentally friendly cooling method that consumes less electricity. Tent provided by: XGLOO
4. Booth Area
The booth area will be lined with booths from sponsoring companies and LaLaport Kaitona's stores, and will feature product experience corners, workshops, winter resort promotions, raffles, and more.
What is Yuki de Asobina? ~We want to convey the joy of playing in the snow to many children~
Now in its 10th year, Yuki de Asobina is an event that aims to convey to active families the joy of having fun outdoors by giving them the extraordinary experience of "playing in the snow" in the summer, and to get more people interested in leisure activities, including winter sports.
From 2014 to 2018, it was one of the events of the Ebina Civic Festival, and since 1 it has been held at the west exit of Kaidona Station with the cooperation of Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Kaidona.
Japan is a snowy country, with over 50% of the country designated as a heavy snow area.
The snow that falls in Japan is of the perfect quality for winter sports, and is referred to as "JAPOW" by snow enthusiasts from overseas. Today, many foreign tourists visit Japan's snow resorts in pursuit of this snow.
Snow, which is also closely related to the Japanese people, has long been valued as an energy source and has been used throughout the year. The facilities that act as refrigerators for snow storage are called "snow rooms." The humidity and temperature inside snow rooms are stable, which not only helps with quality control, but also helps food to mature, enhancing its flavor, and is currently attracting a lot of attention.
Snow, an important resource that Japan is proud of around the world, used to fall regularly in the Tokyo metropolitan area until about 30 years ago. When it snowed, children would play outside in the snow, roll around, feel the joy of winter, and want to go to a winter resort. However, due to the effects of climate change and other factors, snowfall that accumulates has disappeared since 2014, and snow has become a rare sight for people in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The hope is that this event will help children experience the joy of playing in the snow and help them realize that they live just a few hours drive from a snow resort.
Play in natural snow in midsummer.
With Snow Asobina, you can experience things that you can't even get in snowy countries.
Held the day before
The 17th Snow Citizens' Conference in Umina
~ Learn about snow, and connect with snow ~
On the day before Snow Asobina, the 17th Snow Citizens' Conference in Umina was held.
This will be the first time the Snow Citizens Conference is held outside of snowy regions, except for the 7th and 14th ones held at Tokyo University of Agriculture. Why not come and listen to people who know the blessings that snow brings talk about the unknown possibilities that snow holds?
* Advance application required
Detail is:https://yukishimin.jimdofree.com
-What is the Snow Citizens' Conference?-
What is the Snow Citizens' Conference? The Snow Citizens' Conference is a conference where people living in snowy regions "consider the future of snowy regions" through various exchanges and activities. The first conference was held in July 18 in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and once a year, around summer, Snow Country citizens gather to exchange and disseminate information from various perspectives, such as "nature," "snow utilization," "education," "urban development," and "snow pride."
