Image showing last year's exhibition
The Japan Doll Association (Location: Taito Ward, Tokyo; President: Tokubei Yamada) will present ice sculptures featuring hina doll motifs at the Sapporo Snow Festival taking place from February 4 (Wednesday) to February 11 (Wednesday, national holiday), 2026.
With the Peach Festival (Hinamatsuri) approaching approximately one month after the snow festival, this exhibition aims to allow many visitors to experience the meanings of "prayer" and "protection" embedded in Japanese seasonal festival culture through Hokkaido's unique materials of snow and ice.
Expressing "Prayers for Hina Dolls" Through Snow and Ice
Hina dolls symbolize Japan's seasonal festival culture, created as "substitutes" to take on misfortune while praying for children's healthy growth and happiness.
In this ice sculpture exhibition, by expressing these hina dolls in transparent ice, the feelings of "purity," "prayer," and "protection" that have been embedded in the dolls are visualized in the clear winter air. In February, as the season transitions from winter to spring, the exhibition aims to provide an opportunity to once again connect with the cultural significance of hina dolls before the upcoming Peach Festival.
Connection with the Snow Festival Continuing Since 1987
The Japan Doll Association's first participation in the Sapporo Snow Festival was in 1987,
and since then, they have continuously presented ice sculpture exhibitions themed around hina dolls and other aspects of seasonal festival culture.
This exhibition is not a one-time event but an extension of the Association's and its member companies' long-standing commitment to preserving doll culture.
Industry-Wide Initiative for Promoting Seasonal Festival Culture
This exhibition is organized by the Japan Doll Association with special sponsorship and cooperation from the following entities:
[Special Sponsors & Cooperation]
- Yoshitoku Co., Ltd.
- Kyugetsu Doll Sapporo Store
- Fukudaya Doll Shop
- Shibataya Chiyo - Sukiyo Doll Research Institute
- Kien Project
All are long-standing contributors to the preservation of doll and seasonal festival culture, and this project is an industry-wide collaborative cultural communication initiative based on cooperation among association members.
Comment from the Japan Doll Association
Hina dolls are a "form of prayer" for children's future that the Japanese people have cultivated throughout their long history.
By expressing them as ice sculptures at the Snow Festival, a venue where many people gather, we hope that visitors will feel the meaning of seasonal festival culture anew in an environment different from usual.
We hope this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to connect with the cultural value of Hinamatsuri and feel seasonal festival culture as something familiar.
[Exhibition Overview]
Exhibition Name: Ice Sculpture Exhibition Featuring Hina Doll Motifs
Period: February 4 (Wed) to February 11 (Wed, national holiday), 2026
Venue: Inside Sapporo Snow Festival grounds
Organizer: Japan Doll Association
Content: Ice sculpture display, sponsor signage
*This exhibition is for cultural enlightenment purposes and does not involve any sales activities.
