1,585 snowmen break Guinness record in Japan

IIYAMA, Japan, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Residents of a Japanese town built 1,585 in one hour at a high school field to set a Guinness World Record, organizers said.

The Iiyama Snow Festival Planning Committee said the "1,500 Snowmen Challenge," which was designed to commemorate the planned March 14 opening of Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, featured more than 500 people constructing a total 1,585 snowmen inside the 60-minute time limit imposed by Guinness World Records.

The Sunday event was confirmed by Guinness adjudicator Justin Patterson to have beat the previous record of 1,279 snowmen set in Utah in 2011.

"Despite Iiyama being buried in snow, it is wonderful that the residents came out to tackle the challenge together in a positive light," Patterson said.

Officials said each snowman had to be at least 36 inches tall and be composed of three snowballs with eyes, a nose and arms.

"We were able to achieve the record thanks to the cooperation of many people," committee member Jiro Kobayashi told the Asahi Shimbun. "We believe the feat will boost [the celebratory atmosphere of] the opening of the Shinkansen's Iiyama Station."