Spectacular snow sculpture festival in Japan

Sapporo: Japan's spectacular eight day snow festival opened in Sapporo on Monday. This time the festival is showcasing about 200 snow and ice sculptures.

Many tourists showed up on the first day of the festival and took photos in front of the big sculptures featuring Star Wars characters and other popular culture figures.

World number one female tennis player Naomi Osaka's sculpture was also one among them as Osaka's grandfather hails from Hokkaido where the Sapporo Snow Festival is being held.

The festival is held in three locations in Japan's northernmost island Hokkaido and more than two million people are expected to visit the fest.