Over 120 teams participated in a snowball fight tournament held in a mountainous Japanese city. The local weather bureau noted it was the coldest air of the winter in the country’s northern snow belt.

The event, known as the 35th annual Koide International Snowball Fight, took place in Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, approximately 112 miles northwest of Tokyo. The head judge of the tournament, 29-year-old Takuya Kitsu, mentioned that it was the largest event of its kind in Japan.

The competition involved teams of five players engaging in quick two-minute matches on a field similar in size to a tennis court. Points were scored for hitting opponents with snowballs accurately.

“Put simply, you make snowballs, throw them, score hits and the (team with the) most points wins,” said Kitsu.

In Japan, standardized snowball fighting, known as “Sports Yukigassen,” has players across the country’s heavy-snow areas and boasts an official body that has campaigned to take the sport to the Winter Olympics.

According to the rules published by the Japan Yukigassen Federation, which was not involved in organizing Uonuma’s event, players are counted out when hit by a snowball, and a team wins once all opponents are out.

“Snowball fighting is originally just a game, so I like that when you give it a competitive side, it becomes a high-tension sport you can enjoy,” said 26-year-old Masaki Nakakubo, who traveled from Tokyo to take part in the tournament.

“I think it’s that kind of event where you can feel like a kid again,” said fellow competitor, 28-year-old Chizuru Ofuchi.

Uonuma is deep in Japan’s so-called “Snow Country,” a region that has seen hefty amounts of snowfall every winter.

More than nine feet of snow had accumulated in the city by Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

“When you look at it from a local’s point of view, the snow can be a nuisance, it’s a hassle,” said Kitsu, an Uonuma native.

“So we hoped we could turn it into something fun by starting these snowball fights.”

The winner of the tournament was awarded 66 pounds of rice, an Uonuma speciality.