Snow Festival4

Amazing creatures carved in ice and snow will be on show for the seven day duration of the festival.

It's coming again this February! The Sapporo Snow Festival is on again and will celebrate its incredible 68th year. Why not make it part of your itinerary to Niseko and Hokkaido this coming winter season?

The festival attracts over two million visitors each year with hundreds of spectacular snow statues and ice sculptures lining Odori Park, the grounds at Tsudome and the main street in Susukino. As one of Japan’s largest winter events, the event will run from February 1st-12th and features around 300 impressive snow sculptures, turning Sapporo into a winter wonderland of crystal-like ice and snow.

Snow Festival5

Central Sapporo beautifully lit up for the annual Sapporo Snow Festival.

With three main festival areas, you can enjoy a variety of snow spectacles and activities around the city. At Odori Park (Nishi 1 chome~ Nishi 12 chome) enjoy the art of snow and ice created by the citizens of Sapporo together with the Ground Self-Defense Force. The Odori Park site will run from February 6th-12th with the illuminations turning off at 10pm, so why not have dinner then marvel at the icy creations afterward.

The community dome, Tsudome, will open from 9am-5pm from February 1st-12th and will feature fun snow slides and snowrafting where you can have a snow-ice experience the whole family can join in.

'Enjoy the Ice' is the theme for the Susukino site at the Ekimae-dori (Station Avenue), where you will wonder in the array of amazing ice sculptures including the Ice Sculpture Contest. This festival area will be illuminated until 11pm everyday night from February 6th-12th, except for the last night which will be until 10pm.

With the festival held in February, be sure to dress for some very chilly weather with temperatures averaging around -3 degrees Celsius at that time of year. So don't forget to put on your gloves, scarf and beanie and get ready to experience a magical winter wonderland like no other!

Access to the festival site is as follows:

Odori site: Hop off train at Odori Station on Subway Nanboku line, Tozai line or Toho line

Tsudome site: A 15 minute walk after getting off at Sakaemachi Station on Subway Toho line.

Susukino site: Hop off train at Susukino Station on Subway Nanboku line.

For more information on this event and how to get there, contact our Guest Services team via email at [email protected] or visit the official website.

Sofie Lahtinen

Posted on 05 January, 2017 by Sofie Lahtinen in Winter.