Sapporo Snow Festival - Japan's largest snow and ice festival

The Sapporo Snow Festival is Japan's largest snow and ice festival, held annually in early February in Sapporo, Hokkaido. This event began in 1950 when local middle and high school students created six snow sculptures in Odori Park, and has since grown over more than 70 years into an international festival that attracts over 2 million domestic and international visitors annually as a winter tradition. The festival venues are divided into three areas in central Sapporo, each offering unique attractions. The main venue, Odori Site, features nearly 400 snow sculptures of various sizes stretching approximately 1.5 kilometers. The massive snow sculptures, reaching up to 15 meters in height, are particularly impressive, featuring meticulously recreated works of art ranging from World Heritage architecture to popular anime characters that captivate many visitors. When night falls, these snow sculptures are transformed into a fantastical world through colorful illumination and projection mapping, revealing completely different expressions from their daytime appearance. At the Susukino Site, beautiful ice sculptures harmonize with the neon lights of the entertainment district, creating a unique beauty that blends with the urban nightscape. The transparent quality of the ice combined with lighting effects creates a magical space that is a distinctive experience unique to the Sapporo Snow Festival. The Tsudome Site is popular with families, offering hands-on snow activities such as giant tube slides and snow rafting where visitors can interact with snow. One of the special attractions of the Sapporo Snow Festival is the International Snow Sculpture Contest featuring participants from around the world. This competition, which has continued since 1974, sees teams from Sapporo's sister cities and various locations worldwide compete in skill and creativity, also serving as an important venue for cultural exchange. Visitors can observe the creation process up close, witnessing moments of international exchange that transcend language barriers. The venues also offer Hokkaido's distinctive cuisine. Food stalls serving crab, Genghis Khan (grilled mutton), ramen, and seafood line the venues, allowing visitors to warm themselves with hot food and drinks while enjoying the snow festival atmosphere during the cold winter nights. All venues are accessible on foot or by bus from the nearest subway stations, making it efficient to visit all locations and combine the experience with other tourist spots in Sapporo. The Sapporo Snow Festival is a special event where visitors can experience the beauty of Japanese winter and Hokkaido's culture, truly a once-in-a-lifetime destination. In this world of art created by snow and ice, visitors can create unforgettable winter memories.