Tanukikoji 8-Chome - Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Shoppers and cars pass through the snowy streets of Tanukikoji 8-Chome (狸小路) in central Sapporo, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and this camera watches the street through the seasons, from summer evenings to heavy winter snowfall.

Tanukikoji is the oldest shopping street in Hokkaido. Shops and restaurants began opening here around 1869, and the main covered arcade now runs for about 2,950 feet (900 m) with around 200 shops. The 8-Chome block is its quieter, open-air end.

Sapporo gets about 15 feet (4.8 m) of snow a year. It hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first held in Asia, and its Snow Festival has drawn visitors every winter since 1950.

Did You Know? Tanukikoji's covered arcade was first built in stages from 1960, so shoppers can walk most of the street without stepping out into the snow.

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