Japan has many winter festivals, which bring warmth
and fun to the cold season. On our Japan winter
festival tours you will have an opportunity to
experience them yourself. In Hokkaido the notable
winter festivals are the Sapporo Snow Festival, Otaru
Snow Light Path, Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival,
Asahikawa Winter Festival, and the Sounkyo Ice
Waterfall Festival. These annual events bring in
millions of visitors to the festivities happening in the
coldest part of the year. For one week in February in
Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo, a winter event is held
called Sapporo Snow Festival also known as Sapporo
Yuki Matsuri. Odori Park is the main site of the
Sapporo Snow Festival. There you can enjoy snow
and ice sculptures of various sizes. Nearby Sapporo
around the same time frame is the Otaru Snow Light
Path. While in the city you can walk along the various
paths surrounded by snow lanterns.
The Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival happens in mid-
February and uses the water from the lake to make
the festival grounds. It boasts the clearest water in
Japan and when it freezes it has a unique color that is
commonly called Shikotsu blue. At night all the ice
sculptures are illuminated in different colors. The
Asahikawa Winter Festival is best known for having
the largest snow sculptures and is held in early
February. To help with making the main snow
sculpture the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s
Second Division provides the necessary assistance.
The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival is a long
celebration that lasts from the end of January to the
end of March. Both the sculptures and structures were
created using the water from the Ishikari River.
In other parts of Japan you can enjoy other winter
events like the Hirosaki Castle Yuki Doro Festival,
Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival, and Zao Snow
Monster Festival. The Hirosaki Castle Yuki Doro
Festival features 150 large and small Japanese
lanterns are made with artwork of famous historical,
mythical or popular figures. In Hirosaki park 300 mini
igloos are made and illuminated with candles. The
Yokote Kamakura Festival is a tradition that is over
400 years old. The word kamakura translates to snow
houses, which are a form of igloos. This festival
happens every year on February 15 and 16. The Zao
Snow Monster Festival is held every first week of
February and at night the snow monsters are
illuminated. Zao Snow Monsters refers to snow
encased fir trees that give the illusion of giant beings
roaming the slopes of Mount Zao.
