Sapporo Snow Festival: Snow Sculptures

The Sapporo Snow Festival stands as the crown jewel of Hokkaido’s cultural celebrations. Each winter, the enchanting sight of intricately crafted snow statues fills Odori Park, transforming it into a breathtaking winter wonderland. Visitors are greeted by a dazzling array of sculptures that showcase everything from castles to beloved characters, their details expertly carved from snow. This festival not only captivates the eyes but also warms the heart, making it one of Hokkaido’s most cherished and iconic experiences.

Sapporo Snow Festival 

About the Festival 

The Sapporo Snow Festival is the largest winter festival in Hokkaido, originating in 1950 when local students created snow sculptures. The festival takes place in early February and lasts for about a week. During this time, the average temperature is around -5 degrees Celsius, with approximately 60 cm of snowfall. For this trip, I bought my son a ski suit, which I believe was just right for the weather.

The main venue for the festival is Odori Park, located just one stop away from Sapporo Station. If you prefer, there is a long underground shopping mall leading from Sapporo Station, allowing you to walk there even on snowy days.

This year, likely due to global warming, Hokkaido experienced a lack of snow until just before the festival. However, since the beginning of February, it has started snowing heavily. Even with the initial snow shortage, the Snow Festival will not be canceled, as snow will be sourced from surrounding towns. 

In Japan, many festivals are being discontinued due to a decline in population, but I hope the Snow Festival continues for many years to come!

Sapporo Snow Festival 

The various snow sculptures for the year are lined up along a distance of about 1.5 kilometers from Odori 1-chome, where the Sapporo TV Tower is located, to Odori 11-chome. It is best to start your visit at the Sapporo TV Tower. Exploring all the sculptures takes approximately 3 to 4 hours, allowing time to enjoy food and attractions along the way.

Despite being a large festival that attracts more than 2 million visitors, we didn’t feel overcrowded during our visit on a weekday. The spacious venue provided a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy the festival.

It’s truly impressive that all these statues are created by the citizens of Hokkaido. For those of us coming from the snow-free Kansai region, it’s a wonder to see how such things are made.

I imagine there must be snow craftsmen all over Hokkaido!

Big Snow Statues

The large snow statues are exhibited after 4-chome. All those large statues are mainly reproductions of famous characters and landmarks, and of course, they are very detailed. The largest snow sculptures are as tall as 15 meters!

The last strip of the park is 11-chome, where an international snow sculpture competition was being held. Many teams from various countries made snow sculptures.

There are many vendors selling souvenirs, and some also offer local cuisines from Hokkaido, such as Zangi (fried chicken) and Jingisukan (a mutton dish). You might need a whole day to fully enjoy everything!

At night, the statues are illuminated until 10 p.m., creating a beautiful scene. However, be aware that nighttime temperatures can drop to -10℃, so it’s important to dress warmly.

In addition to Odori Park, there are two other snow festival venues: Susukino and Tsu-domu. Be sure to visit them if you have the chance!