When: Late January Dates: 29 January 2017, 24 January 2016 City: Mt Tsurumi, Beppu City Website: Beppu Ropeway (Japanese) Description: The Gaman Taikai is a winter endurance competition that features events such as; a shaved ice eating competition, "snow darts", soumen eating competition, the needlework of hell (soaking your hands in ice water and then threading a needle), and the ice pillars (where the competitor holds on to a large block of ice with their bare hands and feet for as long as possible).