In the Hijiori district of Okura Village, Yamagata Prefecture, which is a heavy snowfall area, a unique "grounding competition" was held on the 26th, digging up about 3 meters of snow until the ground was visible and competing for time.
This event has been held every year by a local regional revitalization organization to attract customers to the Hijiori area, which is a heavy snowfall area.
A record 41 teams with 210 players from Tokyo and Aichi participated in the grounds of the district where the venue was held.
In the competition, teams of 2 to 6 people ran on a 30-meter snowfield at the signal of a staff member, dug snow using shovels and other equipment at a predetermined location, and competed for the fastest time.
This year, there was about 3 meters of snow as usual, and when digging deep, people entered inside, and finally the snow with soil was dug out, which was confirmed by the judges.
As a result of the competition, the team from Shinjo City won the race with a time of 7 minutes and 37 seconds and received a gold scoop.
A player from the winning team said, "We were able to make the most of our daily efforts."
Also, a woman who participated from Taiwan enjoyed her first experience, saying, "I was tired, but it was a lot of fun."
Hisayoshi Koya, chairman of "Oh Kura SPORT," which hosted the event, said, "I want to deepen exchanges and let people know about Hijiori. I want people to know about the snow country."