Sand & Flower Festa in Minami-satsuma

The Fukiage-hama Sand Festival is an event created around Japan’s first sand sculpture competition.
This Festival has been hosted since 1987 as a competition that enriches the local area, taking advantage of the sand of one of Japan’s three largest sand dune areas, Fukiage-hama, as the medium for the sculptures.
Every year, the vast array of can’t-believe-it’s-only-sand sculptures awe and inspire the event’s more than 100,000 visitors. The sand sculptures – vivified by the sun and spring flowers in the daytime and lit-up at night – will fascinate viewers by collaborating with the surroundings and transforming into their respective subjects.
In 2006, Japan’s first International Sand Sculpture Competition was held here. The highly detailed and artistic works on display made a deep impression on many of the attendees. Since then, each year top artists from in and outside of Japan are invited to come and compete through their spectacular creations.
For the extent of the Festival, a wide variety of related events are held. In particular, the “Sound and Light Fantasy Show” invites viewers to a fantastical world using the lit-up sand sculptures as the stage for a choreographed music, light, and firework spectacle.

Fukiage-Hama Sand Festival 2010; Sand & Flower Festa in Minami-satsuma

• Dates:  May 1st (Saturday) - 5th (Wednesday)
• Time:   9 AM ~ 9 PM each day
• Location: Kaseda Dome & surrounding areas (Minami-satsuma City, Kagoshima)
• Sand Sculpture Theme:
    "World Heritage;  A Journey Through Civilization" ~ A Message for Tomorrow ~
• Sand Sculpture Numbers (Planned):
  Main Sand Sculpture Group    (8m Class)          1
  (2m~6m Class)    15
  Invitational Sculptors Group    (2m~6m Class)      4    
  Contest Group            (1.2m~3m Class)    65
• Admission Passport
  Adults: ￥800 (￥600 in adv.); Elementary Students: ￥400 (￥300 in adv.)
• Related Events
  Minami-satsuma Fresh Foods Market
  Hokkaido & Shinkamigoto, Nagasaki Product Display
  "Shitte-Q!!" World Heritage Exhibition
  Sound and Light Fantasy Show
  Cycling Festival
  Sand Sculpting Hands-On Experience Corner
  …and more!
• Contact Information
  Fukiage-hama Sand Festival Execution Board
  Phone: 0993-53-2111 Fax: 0993-52-0113
  E-mail: sand@sand-minamisatsuma.jp
  URL: http://www.sand-minamisatsuma.jp/