The annual Sapporo snow festival kicked off today, featuring ice sculptures of iconic locations, movie characters, celebrities, and even the US President Donald Trump.

One of the largest exhibits of the festival is Paris' famous monument, the Arc de Triomphe, measuring 17.5 metres in height and 24 metres in width - one-third the size of the original.

A short ceremony was held in front of the monument, where people gathered to watch the French flag hoisted at full mast.

Other recognizable figures included singer Pikotaro, who rose to fame when his song "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen" went viral on Youtube last year.

Locals also built a sculpture of Trump holding an apple and a pen - Pikotaro's iconic dance move.

The Sapporo Snow Festival, marking its 68th event this year, will be showcasing more than 200 sculptures until February 12, and is predicting a turnout of more than two million visitors.

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