Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan

The annual Sapporo Snow Festival is the most famous winter festival in Japan and attracts many people from all over the world. This festival is held in early February and lasts about a week. More than 300 ice
sculptures and snow statues are exhibited in three sites in Sapporo-city, Hokkaido: Odori Park, Satoland, and Susukino areas. At night those ice statues are illuminated, and the views are incredible.


Sapporo-city is he capital of Hokkaido prefecture, and the population is about 1.75 million. It is located in the south of Hokkaido island.

Many travel agencies sells tours to visit the Sapporo Snow Festival, and those tours usually include transportation and accommodations. Joining the tour could be cheaper and easier than planning your own tour. Please check the local travel agencies if you are in Japan.


It is very cold in Sapporo in February, so you need to dress warm when going to see the festival. You should wear thermal underwear and a sweater and then an overcoat like a ski jacket. Also, you should bring a hat or ear-warmer and gloves. The sidewalks are icy, so you need to walk very carefully. When you get very cold, it might be a good idea to stop at a ramen noodle shop. Sapporo is famous for tasty ramen noodles, and there are many ramen noodle shops around the city.