what do you see?

We went up to Otaru last night to see the first night of "Snow Gleaming" (Yuki-akari-no-michi) - a smaller and quieter counterpart to Sapporo's festival. It was pleasant, with lots of candles decorating the streets; small ones in ice-domes and larger ones cradles in small sculpted branches.

Along the former railway line and banks of the canal there were various igloos and snow sculptures, and the canal had candles floating in it. Hoards of volunteers with small blowtorches had the job of keeping the candles lit.