Event: Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan

Every February, Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, hosts the week-long Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri). This festival is celebrated as one of Japan's largest winter events, drawing over two million attendees from Japan and around the world to witness the magnificent snow and ice sculptures that have become its signature attractions.

History of Sapporo Snow Festival

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The inception of the snow festival began in 1950 when local middle and high school students crafted six snow sculptures in Odori Park. The inaugural event featured snowball fights, snow sculpture displays, and a carnival atmosphere, attracting over 50,000 attendees despite initial low expectations. Following this, residents organized a snow celebration every winter.

During the 10th anniversary in 1959, around 2,500 individuals created snow sculptures. The event garnered significant media attention, leading to a remarkably successful festival the following year, with visitors traveling from Honshu to partake in the festivities.

Sapporo Snow Festival: Dates, Location, and What to Anticipate

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The festival takes place at three main venues: Odori, Susukino, and Tsudome. Odori Park, spanning 1.5 kilometers in central Sapporo, serves as the primary site, showcasing the festival's iconic massive snow sculptures, some reaching widths of over 25 meters and heights of 15 meters. These sculptures remain illuminated until midnight each night.

In addition to the large sculptures at the Odori site, visitors can admire over a hundred smaller snow creations and enjoy various concerts and events, many utilizing the sculptures as their backdrop. The nearby Sapporo TV Tower offers an excellent viewpoint for taking in the entire festival site from above.

During the event, the tower extends its hours, operating from 20:30 to 22:30. The admission fee for adults to access the upper observation deck is 720 yen, while a combined ticket priced at 1100 yen allows entry both during the day and at night.

The Susukino site, known as Sapporo’s vibrant nightlife district, features over a hundred stunning ice sculptures. It is located just one subway stop south of Odori Park.

The Tsudome site, situated further from the main event area, is designed with families in mind, offering three types of snow slides, snow rafting, and more snow sculptures. The illuminated ice sculptures shine nightly until 23:00, with the final day ending at 22:00.

Inside the dome, visitors can find numerous food stalls and a performance area. The Tsudome site operates daily from 9:00 to 17:00. Additionally, it will open to the public a few days before the festival officially begins, starting February 1, 2023.

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Getting to the Sapporo Snow Festival

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Unlike the Odori and Susukino sites located in the city center, the Tsudome site is situated on the outskirts of Sapporo. You can reach it by taking a shuttle bus from Sakaemachi Station, the last stop on the Toho Subway Line, for 100 yen one way (departures every 5–15 minutes), or by walking in approximately 15 minutes (10 minutes and 250 yen from Sapporo Station).

Shuttle buses are available from both the Odori site and Sapporo Station to transport you to the Tsudome site for 300 yen one way, with departures every 20–30 minutes. Be aware that parking is not available near the Tsudome site.

If you're considering a holiday in Japan this year, don't miss the Sapporo Snow Festival. There are numerous exciting attractions and welcoming tourist spots to explore. Enhance your travel experience by booking flights and accommodations through Mytour!