Sapporo Factory (Kita 2-jo Higashi 4-chome, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido) will hold its annual Jumbo Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2026 on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday).
About the Jumbo Christmas Tree
The Jumbo Christmas Tree, a winter tradition since the facility opened in 1993, is now in its 34th year.
This year's tree is a todo fir (Sakhalin fir) about 15 meters tall and roughly 30 years old, donated by Santa Land in Hiroo Town, Hiroo District, Hokkaido. It is decorated with about 50,000 LED lights, mainly in red, gold, pink, green, white and blue, along with about 1,500 ornaments.
Through the Jumbo Christmas Tree and the sparkling illuminations, this year's Christmas decorations are meant to mark the start of Sapporo's Christmas season and to express the anticipation and excitement for the festive season ahead.
At the lighting ceremony, 10 "Light-Up Kids" chosen from public applications, 3 "Hiroo Kids Santas," and others including Hiroo Town Mayor Yasuaki Tanaka will press the lighting switch together to a countdown. The Christmas arch in the Atrium and the draped ceiling lights will all switch on at once, followed by a show of light and music that brightens the winter evening.
Lighting Ceremony Details
Jumbo Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2026
- Date and time: Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM (scheduled). Times are subject to change.
- Venue: Atrium
- Admission: Free
- Organizer: Sapporo Factory
- Scheduled speakers:
- 10 Light-Up Kids (selected through advance public applications)
- 3 Hiroo Kids Santas (Hiroo Town)
- Yasuaki Tanaka, Mayor of Hiroo Town, Hokkaido
- Masakazu Higashide, General Manager of the SF Business Division, Sapporo Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
Illumination Details
Atrium
Centered on the Jumbo Christmas Tree, the Atrium will have a Christmas arch decorated with LED lights and ornaments on the 1st floor, along with a bright red carpet connecting the 1st floor and the basement level. About 400 poinsettias, a flower of the season, will also be planted in the flower bed beside the stairs, giving the building a more Christmassy feel.
Atrium: Box-Shaped Lanterns
About 150 box-shaped lanterns, made from larch and todo fir received from Hiroo Town, will be displayed beside the stairs leading from the 1st floor to the basement level, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
Frontier-kan 2nd Floor Walkway
Eight 1.8-meter mini trees, decorated with handmade ornaments by children from nursery schools and kindergartens in Sapporo, will be on display.
