Sand sculptor Zhang Weikang of China works on the Chinese section of a large sand sculpture at the site of Yokohama Sand Art Exhibition – Culture City of East Asia 2014 in Yokohama, Japan.

Large sand sculptures, the longest around 16m long and 3m high, are located on a large site between JR Sakuragicho Station and Minatomirai Line Bashamichi Station. Sand sculptors from around the world are creating works that express World Heritage and historical buildings in China, Japan and South Korea.

Sand sculptures are created by packing sand into a pyramid-shaped block that is then carved in a dynamic manner. The sand is compacted with only water. The sculptures use sand from the Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan’s largest coastal dunes. An onsite “mini” Tottori Sand Dune is used as the sand source for workshops in which participants create sand sculptures with the artists.