In 1950, six students built six sculptures in Odori Park in Sapporo, which marked the beginning of the annual Snow Festival. The festival, in its 61st year, chose the Frauenkirche in Dresden to be replicated in snow for this year’s festival.

In October 2009, a delegation of officials visited Dresden to study the church’s architecture. After having built a wooden replica, the task force got started on their chore of working in subzero temperatures and long nights. The snow festival runs from 05 Feb – 11 Feb 2010, and on 12 February it will get demolished after having been viewed by 2 million visitors.

Nothing unusual so far, but when Japan uses its military to work on civil projects, it strikes a different tone in Germany. 150 members, male and female, part of the communication unit, are rebuilding the Frauenkirche in snow, which has attracted the attention of the German media.

The Japanese military commander calls working in icy temperatures Abhärtungstraining (inurement practice).  In Japanese terms, this kind of work requiring endurance, is always greeted with がんばってね ! (Try hard!) and when we lived in Japan, we heard this on many occasions.

The German Tagesschau has a three minute video clip and photo gallery on its website about the Japanese soldiers rebuilding a 28-meter German church out of snow.

Germany’s surprise reaction is twofold; Germans have a hard time imagining using soldiers for civic art and subjecting its people to so-called inhumane working conditions.

The Japanese are very good in regards to thinking out-of-the box. Where else could you get married with three different religious ceremonies all performed in one day? Some Japanese women replace their long desired family addition with a puppy and parade it around in a stroller. Some grown women wear girly socks and braids, young women like to do cosplay, or last year’s trend of some men wearing bras for comfort. Others are shy and reserved in regular life, but a real talent on stage or a hit at the Karaoke bar.

The Japanese know how to reinvent themselves. In spite of spatial boundaries, the Japanese mind knows few limits when it comes to accepting new trends and modifying traditions in new ways.

Perception of good and bad working conditions differ greatly in both countries. This shows in the number of days and hours most Japanese are supposed to be at their workplace (work efficiency is be another story). Endurance is a valuable trait and needs to be taught early on.

When we lived in Japan, we had to get accustomed to seeing kindergartners walking around in shirts and shorts on cold winter mornings. The first time I saw this parade of half-naked little kids, the overcuddled German part of me was shocked at first. But I have come to see its benefits, especially since having returned to the land of the Strumpfhosenpolizei, which is at the opposite end of the cold endurance spectrum.