Japanese pay Olympic tribute in sand sculptures

Japanese pays Olympic tribute to the best of Blighty The artists look proud of their work - and it's under-sand-able. These stunning sand sculptures have been created by a Japanese attraction that's gone against the grain to celebrate the best of British for the Olympics. Using some of our most famous figures and landmarks, a team 15 artists from around the world created everything from the Tower of London to the inside of a Great British pub at the world's first museum dedicated to sand in Tottori.
The sculptures go on show on April 14 until January next year and are inspired by the 2012 Games in London.
Other creations include a rainy London street scene with a black cab, Queen Elizabeth I, the present Queen, William Shakespeare, the Palace of Westminster and Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton.
Italian artist Leonardo Ugolini worked on sculptures of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster using around 3,000 tons of sand.
He said: 'This is my first time creating a sand sculpture indoors, and it's rather nice not have to worry about the weather.'
Dan Belcher, from the U.S., sculpted the scene of happy sailors drinking at a pub.
He added: 'I hope the visitors can enjoy the sand sculptures as if they’ve travelled to England.'
The sand museum, based near Tottori's spectacular dunes, has previously produced sand replicas of Italian Renaissance icons as well as Asian UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Great Wall of China.
Organisers say the art pieces appear even more spectacular when lit up in the evening.