Held every February in Hijiori Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture, a unique snow shoveling race challenges participants to dig through snow up to four meters deep and reach the ground as quickly as possible.
Originally a junior high school sports day event, the "Ground Dumping Competition World Cup in Hijiori” has since become a full on community event. From locals to international travelers, teams of three to four members are encouraged to participate. Registration begins in January and remains open until all 40 spots are filled. The document is available on their website, but it is in Japanese only.
The rules of the race are simple—run to your team’s designated spot and get to digging! Once your team reaches the ground, you must present a clump of snow-dirt to a judge.
The designated spots are determined by a very serious sled competition. The team that slides the furthest secures the closest digging spot on the field, while teams with shorter sledding distances are assigned spots further away.
Once it’s race time, teams line up at the start line. When the whistle blows, they begin their trek through the knee deep snow. It’s no easy feat, but some teams can finish digging in less than 90 seconds!
The three fastest teams are awarded gold, silver, and bronze shovels. There are other fun prizes as well, including the best dressed and the last place team.
For amateur shovelers to those with some serious arm strength, have fun at this contest with some of your best friends at Hijiori Onsen.
If you’re in it for the show, spectators are encouraged to watch and cheer everyone on!
