As winter's grip takes hold in Japan, a number of events grace the calendar which add a dose of fun to the colder months. One of them is the Beppu Tsurumi-dake Cold Weather Competition at Beppu Ropeway, and it offers several unique ways to make the best of the season.
There will be shaved ice and somen noodle speed eating competitions, a shochu tasting challenge where participants need to guess the correct ingredient, and even an icicle cling contest! The latter requires participants to have bare hands and feet, and they'll be timed to see how long they can hold onto a two meter-long icicle for.
There is a participation fee of 1700 JPY to take part in the competitions, which includes the ropeway round trip fare, an insurance fee, and a souvenir.
Getting there
Beppu Ropeway can be accessed in 5 minutes from the Beppu Interchange on the Higashi Kyushu Expressway.
For those visiting the area via public transport, the ropeway can be accessed by bus from Beppu Station in around 20 minutes.
