Visit Japan Web Sapporo Snow Festival

Visit Japan Web invites you to explore the Sapporo Snow Festival. It takes place annually for one week in February in Sapporo. It originated in 1950 when high school students created a few snow statues in Odori Park. Over the years, it has evolved into a prominent and commercialized event, showcasing magnificent snow and ice sculptures that attract a large number of visitors.

The festival takes place across three main sites: the Odori Site, Susukino Site, and Tsu Dome Site. The central attraction is the Odori Site, located in the 1.5 kilometer long Odori Park, where the festival’s famous large snow sculptures, some exceeding 25 meters in width and 15 meters in height, are on display. These sculptures are illuminated daily until 22:00. In addition to the large sculptures, the Odori Site features over a hundred smaller snow statues and hosts numerous concerts and events, many of which incorporate the sculptures as part of their stage.

The Sapporo TV Tower provides a great view of the Odori Site from its eastern end. During the festival, the tower has extended hours, and admission to the top observatory costs 1000 yen. For a day visit and a night visit, a 1500 yen ticket is available.

The Susukino Site, situated in Sapporo’s largest entertainment district, features around one hundred ice sculptures. Susukino is just one subway stop south of Odori Park, and the ice sculptures are illuminated daily until 23:00.

The Tsu Dome Site, located in a less central area, caters to families with multiple snow slides, snow rafting, and various snow sculptures. Inside the dome, there is a playground and several food stands. The Tsu Dome Site is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00.