The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival lasts from
the
end of January all the way to the end of March.
The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival
(層雲峡氷瀑まつ
り,
Sounkyo Hyobaku Matsuri) first began in 1976 and
was
created under the guidance of Takenaka Toshihiro
who
was a sculptor from Eniwa, Hokkaido. This winter
event
takes place at the foot of Sounkyo Onsen along the
Ishikari River. The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival
covers
10,000 square meters and is made up of multi-story
buildings and structures that were created with ice
and
snow. The festival uses the water from the Ishikari
River
to make the sculptures and structures. There is an
entry
fee of 300 yen, but once you enter the grounds there
are multiple snow domes lined up. Inside the snow
domes are various ice sculptures either featuring
cartoon characters or some other well-known figure.
Even though the layout of the festival changes from
year
to year, the consistent attractions is the snow domes,
stage area, snow tubing (there is a rental fee for
tubes)
and ice sculptures. The main feature of the festival is
a
multi-story ice structure that has a maze inside with
meter long icicles hanging from the ceiling. From the
top
of the building you can get a 360° view of the festival
grounds. The Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival is great
to
go during the day, but you should really go when it is
night time. At night the whole area is illuminated in
different colors giving it a fantasy like feeling. This
happens every day for the two months of the festival.
For the 40th anniversary in 2015 they had a fireworks
show every night, but in the other years they reserve
the
spectacular for only Saturday and Sunday nights. It is
recommended that if you plan to attend this event to
dress warmly because it will reach negative degree
weather and to also know the bus schedule if you
plan
to commute instead of staying overnight.
Please see below for tours that include
Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival:
