Welcome to the Sapporo Snow Festival, called Sapporo Yuki Matsuri in Japanese. Imagine yourself strolling through a winter wonderland. Snow blankets the ground, painting the city a shining white, while the scent of delicious food fills the air.
Trees are decked with twinkling lights, and statues crafted of ice and snow tower over the mingling crowds. At night, the sculptures are illuminated by entrancing, moving colored lights that give the park an enchanted atmosphere.
This unique snow festival is held for one week each February in Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.
What wonders does the Snow Festival have to offer? Should you make it a part of your next Japan adventure? Read on to learn about the Festival’s history, locations, and things to do.
Table of Contents
- 1 History and facts
- 2 Sapporo Snow Festival dates
- 3 Sapporo Snow Festival venues
- 3.1 Odori Site
- 3.2 Tsudome Site
- 3.3 Susukino Site
- 3.4 Venues map
- 4 How to get to Sapporo Snow Festival
- 5 Things to do
History and facts
The first Sapporo Snow Festival was held in 1950. High school students built 6 snow statues in Odori Park. Unexpectedly, the creations attracted fifty thousand visitors.
By 1955, the Self Defense Force was enlisted to build a massive snow sculpture. In 1959, 2,500 people participated in the snow sculpting process. It was in that year that the Snow Festival garnered national media attention for the first time.
When Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1972, the Snow Festival’s fame reached international proportions.
Each year, the Snow Festival attracts more than two million visitors, both from Japan and from around the world. It is one of the nation’s premier winter festivals, as well as one of its foremost admission-free events.
Below, you’ll find a guide to each of the Festival’s 3 locations, the activities offered at each, and how to get there.
Sapporo Snow Festival dates
The Sapporo Snow Festival takes place in the stretch of the first 2 weeks of February. In 2024, the 75th edition will take place from February 4-11.
Sapporo Snow Festival venues
The Snow Festival usually takes place at not one but 3different locations in and around Sapporo.
Odori Site
The Odori Site, Sapporo’s Odori Park, is the historic home of the Snow Festival. The 1-mile wide park remains the primary venue.
It is the staging ground for the Festival’s largest statues made of snow. Some of these span 50 to 80 feet in the air.
In addition to a dozen or more large sculptures, the park is littered with hundreds of smaller snow statues. The statues are illuminated until 10 pm each day.
The spectacular projection mapping shows are also not to be missed. Food and souvenir stalls are located street side, and an ice skating rink can be found in front of Sapporo Tower.
If you’d like to view the park from above, this can be done from the Sapporo TV Tower at the eastern end. The tower is open from 9 am until 9:50 pm. Admission to the observation deck costs ¥1000 for a single visit or ¥1500 for a day and night pass.
Tsudome Site
Tsudome Site (Community Site), is a family-friendly playground. As well as additional snow sculpture, the outdoor section boasts:
- 3 unique snow slides
- A snow rafting slope
- A snow maze
- A snowman building area
- Indoor attractions
- Snow rafting
Inside the dome, you’ll find food stands and an event stage. The Tsudome Site typically opens a few days prior to the official start of the Festival. It’s open daily from 10 am to 4 pm.
Susukino Site
The Susukino Site is located in the city’s entertainment district. About 60 ice sculptures are exhibited, some of which have fish frozen inside! They are illuminated until 11 pm daily.
Susukino also hosts the highly anticipated ice sculpture contest, where you can watch the artists craft the pieces in real time! The on-site Ice Bar is also a great place to grab a hot drink.
Venues map
Buy your JR Pass
How to get to Sapporo Snow Festival
To reach Sapporo from Tokyo, take the JR Tohoku / Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. Then, transfer to the Hokuto limited express to Sapporo.
The entire trip takes about 7 and a half hours and is covered under the Japan Rail Pass. Reserved seating may be required on some trains.
- Odori Park is a 10-minute walk from the JR Sapporo Station.
- Susukino is located one subway stop to the south of Sapporo Station (on the Namboku line).
- The Tsudome Site is located outside the city center. It can be reached using shuttle buses, which depart from the Odori Site and from Sapporo Station every five to 10 minutes.
- The Tsudome is also a 15-minute walk from Sakaemachi Station. This station can be reached by taking the Toho Subway Line from Sapporo Station.
Things to do
There is always plenty to do at the Sapporo Snow Festival. Here are our top 5 suggestions on what to do:
- View and photograph the snow and ice statues by day.
- Sample delicious Japanese cuisine at numerous food stalls.
- View live concerts and events.
- Play on the slides and snow slopes of the Tsudome Site.
- Enjoy the nighttime illumination of the statues, up close or from the observation deck of the Sapporo TV Tower.
The Sapporo Snow Festival is a must-see on any traveler’s bucket list. Start planning your trip today!
