Japanese made of the white stuff as snowman-building world record shattered

A small Japanese city has claimed a new snowman-building world record, after a winter storm dumped tonnes of the white stuff. More than 600 people in Iiyama raced to complete a whopping 1,585 snowmen - each at least three-feet (90 centimetres) tall - in an hour, smashing the previous Guinness World Record.

It was tough because the snow crumbled, but I had fun, I am very happy that we were able to set a record.

Ichika Oguchi, 8, Iiyama resident

Young and old joined in the fun, using only their gloved hands, to better the previous record, achieved in the United States in 2011, by 306. Much of northern Japan has endured heavy snowfall this winter, with one place in Hokkaido getting 180 centimetres in one day earlier this month.Last month, four people died in avalanches that struck some of the country’s many ski resorts, while in December, a bitter winter storm claimed at least 11 lives nationwide.

Odd News Snowmen