Nitto Tire Sponsored Documentary "SNOW DREAM - ROOTS OF SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL" to Feature on All Nippon Airways (ANA) In-Flight Entertainment Sports Channels

CYPRESS, Calif., Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nitto Tire, a leading producer of high performance tires has once again partnered with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to bring another fascinating  documentary to both international and domestic passengers, called  "SNOW DREAM – ROOTS OF SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL." The 21-minute documentary, which discusses the origins of the Sapporo Snow Festival, will be available on ANA in-flight entertainment from January through February 2012.

"Snow Dream – Roots of Sapporo Snow Festival" takes a historical and entertaining look at one of the most beloved and popular winter festivals in Japan, the Sapporo Snow Festival. After World War II, the city of Sapporo was left in ruins and suffering. To lift the city's spirit, a group of inexperienced high school students took it upon themselves to rebuild the city by using the local climate and season as inspiration. As a result, they built the first snow statues that would eventually become known as the Sapporo Snow Festival.

For more than 60 years, the Sapporo Snow Festival has been a favorite destination for local Japanese communities, as well as international fans and participants. The event features the world's most beautiful, intricate and complex snow and ice sculptures created by local residents, students and international professional teams.

Nitto Tires worked with "Snow Dream" film makers to document and interview the festival's creators – who are now in their 90's – to ensure that the city's rich history would be preserved for generations to come. Impressed with the film and its interesting history, ANA's Los Angeles general manager, Mr. Hirotaka Hattori volunteered to feature the film in ANA's in-flight entertainment.

"Sapporo is a huge part of Nitto's culture, as our winter tire test track, Saroma Tire Proving Ground has been located in Hokkaido for 19 years," said Tomo Mizutani, president, Nitto Tire USA. "We are proud, active members of the community and wanted to support this film project and make sure that the city and the unique history of its local festival will never be forgotten." 

To view "Snow Dream – Roots of Sapporo Snow Festival," please visit : http://nittotire.com/Media#video=LWK84aolDWg

About ANA Group
All Nippon Airways (www.fly-ana.com) is the ninth largest airline in the world by revenues and the largest in Japan by passenger numbers. Founded in 1952, it flies today to 78 domestic and international cities in a fleet of 228 aircraft serving a network of 163 routes. ANA has 33,000 employees and operates more than 1,000 flights a day. In 2010, it carried 43 million passengers and generated revenues of $16 billion. ANA has been a core member of Star Alliance since 1999 and more than 20 million members belong to its frequent flyer program, ANA Mileage Club. ANA is the launch customer for the world's newest and most advanced passenger aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

About Nitto Tire
Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States - Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company's web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, CA 90630.

SOURCE Nitto Tire