Japanese snowball fight game vying to be an Olympic sport

The competition of Japanese snowball fight game also known as "Yukigassen" is held every year in Sobetsu, a town on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Japan's Yukigassen federation emphasized the mental challenge posed by the game, in which players on both teams pelt their opponents while taking cover behind shelters. The idea of turning Yukigassen into an Olympic sport was born out of a crisis in Sobetsu. Yukigassen means snowball fight in Japanese and the first international tournament took place in 1989.