Sapporo Snow Festival: A Magical Winter Experience

The famous Sapporo Snow Festival or Yuki Matsuri, is held annually during the coldest season of Japan. The event is held in three different locations and highlights various activities from day to night. Embrace the cold and join this mystical festival only in Sapporo, Hokkaido!

Table of Contents

1. The Beginning of Sapporo's Snow Festival
2. Your First Sapporo Snow Festival
3. Tips for Your First Yuki Matsuri
4. Summary

The Beginning of Sapporo's Snow Festival

The story of how this beloved festival came to be is truly intriguing. 

In 1950, a festival was held in Odori Park. People gathered to have snowball fights, play at a carnival, and a group of students sculpted 6 snow figures for an exhibition. This was the first ever Sapporo Snow Festival.

Due to the popularity of the first event, it continued to be held in winter each year. As each year passed, the snow sculptures became greater and grander. In 1953, a 15 meters tall snow sculpture was made, appropriately named “Ascension”. 2 years after that, the army participated and raised the bar of making simple snow sculptures by building large scale sculptures. At the festival’s 10th anniversary, it garnered media attention, making it onto television and newspapers which attracted tourists to visit the next year. 

Things escalated further in 1972 when Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympics. That year’s snow festival theme was “Welcome to Sapporo”. It gained tremendous interest from tourists all around the world. In 1974, the International Snow Sculpture Contest was added as one of the festival’s main events with participating countries all around the world, the rest as we know it is now history.

The small local festival has since transformed into a large international scale event and one of the biggest tourist attractions in Hokkaido. This seven decade long tradition of snow sculpturing has certainly made its mark in history.

※ Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website, "The History"

Cultural Significance

During the Sapporo Snow Festival, you can enjoy various recreations of pop culture, historical places, brand items, and more. 

Admire skilfully created snow sculptures from video games like Final Fantasy, movies like Star Wars, anime characters like All Might from Boku no Hero Academia, historical landmarks like the Egyptian Sphinx, the Beijing Imperial Palace, the Angkor Wat, and more. Companies and brands also take the opportunity to advertise, like the gigantic snow sculpture of Nissin Cup Noodles by Nissin. 

For a glance at prize-winning snow sculptures, visit the Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website or scroll to the bottom of this webpage.

Freezing Temperatures

During the Yuki Matsuri, the average temperature is -2 degrees Celsius. Just below the freezing point, as this is necessary for the snow sculptures to hold. So you can imagine that it’s VERY cold.

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Your First Sapporo Snow Festival

Interested in joining the Yuki Matsuri? Here’s a list of things you can do during the Sapporo Snow Festival.

When is the festival held?

The Sapporo Snow Festival is held annually in February with the participation of 37 countries. It is a week-long celebration that is open to all. The Odori Park and the Susukino Site are open all day while the Tsu Dome opens from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

※ Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website, "Q&A"

Where is it held?

The Sapporo Snow Festival has grown from just one place to three sites ever since its international expansion in 1974.

Odori Park

The main site of Sapporo Yuki Matsuri is Odori Park where the festival originated. Odori Park itself is huge, spanning approximately 1.5km with an area covering more than 78 thousand square meters. It is made up of 12 separate land blocks (1-chome to 12-chome), separated by roads. Each block has its own special attraction during the festival.

For example, skating rink blocks, gift shops blocks, dining & Hokkaido specialty food fair blocks, large snow sculptures blocks, Sapporo citizens snow sculptures blocks, medium and small snow sculptures blocks. 

There will also be dedicated areas to special events like daredevil stunts by Shiroi Koibito Park Air Jump, where skiing and snowboarding competitions were also held, the International Snow Sculpture Contest judging site, and advertising areas like Snow Miku, Nissin Cup Noodles and more.

You can also check out the entire area from the Sapporo Tower by purchasing a pass that costs 720 yen.

Access: 10-mins walk from Sapporo Station

※ Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website, "Odori Site"
※ Sapporo TV Tower, "Price guide"

Tsudome

Tsudome is a multi-purpose hall. Its official name is the Sapporo Community Dome but is commonly referred to as Tsudome. 

Whilst Odori Park is focused on snow sculptures, the Tsudome site is dedicated to snow activities, especially families. This festival site is separated into two main areas; an outdoor area perfect for snowball fights, building snowman, sledding, snow rafting, snow golf, and snow maze: and an indoor area with an inflatable park for children, hot drink cafes to keep warm, and more. 

There are also snow sculptures here so don’t feel too bad if you can’t make it to Odori Park. 

Access: 12-mins walk from Sakaemachi Station

※ Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website, "Tsudome Site"

Susukino

The third site of the Yuki Matsuri is set in the entertainment district of Susukino. What sets this site apart from the others are the beautiful ice sculptures in lieu of snow ones, you can even touch and climb them. The ice sculptures become even more beautiful at night when the area is brightly lit up. Grab a hot drink and stroll down Illumination Road, adorned with colorful lights makes it a perfect spot for more instagrammable pictures.

Access: 1-min walk from Susukino Station

※ Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website, "Susukino Site"

Sapporo Snow Festival at Night

The beauty of Sapporo Snow Festival at night speaks for itself; just have a look at photos online. Creative snow and ice sculpture builders use colourful lights to really bring a spark to their creations. With more colour and projection mapping, it is as if the sculptures have truly come to life. 

We recommend taking a stroll through the Odori Park and/or Susukino site from sunset till no later than 11:00 p.m. Despite the cold temperatures at these times, the warmth of the atmosphere around you as everyone enjoys the snow festival is part of the enjoyment that is the Sapporo Snow Festival.

Foods to Try

The cold itself will make you hungry, and with the added walking and snow activities you’ll be starving and exhausted. Lucky for you, there’s plenty of grub to be had at Sapporo Snow Festival. So what should you have?

Festival Basics

Classic festival foods available all around Japan but (probably) made with Hokkaido ingredients. Get yakitori (chicken skewers), takoyaki (octopus ball), okonomiyaki (savoury pancake), yakisoba (fried soba), chocolate banana, karaage (fried chicken), grilled seafood squid and more.

Hokkaido Specialties

Since you’ve come all the way to Hokkaido, there’s no way you can miss out on the local foods - grilled & steamed crab legs, Sapporo ramen & other Hokkaido ramen, genghis khan (barbecue lamb), sausages, zangi (fried chicken), grilled seafood (scallops, fish, etc.), jyaga bata (buttered potato), and more.

Also try local drinks like Sapporo beer, Nikka whiskey, hot sake, cocktails, and more. Since Hokkaido is famous for dairy products, have a go at the ice cream, hot chocolate, pudding, and milk.

Tips for Your First Yuki Matsuri

Remember that the Sapporo Snow Festival will be held not just during winter but at its peak cold. If you’re not ready for it, you’ll be suffering through the festival. So here’s some tips to keep you warm and happy.

Winter Wear at the Festival

With temperatures below zero, remember the three layer rule of winter clothing:

1. Inner thermal wear, both top and bottom. 

2. Warm wear, thick sweater and insulated pants. 

3. Waterproof and windproof outerwear, down jacket, winter overcoat, or ski jacket.

Footwear and Accessories:

1. Waterproof and strong grip shoes, winter boots or shoes. Avoid canvas water absorbing and airy shoes. 

2. Thick warm socks if your shoes are not heat insulated.

3. Head and ear protection, knitted hat, beanie, earmuffs. 

4. Hand protection, thick gloves. Waterproof if you will be playing with snow. 

5. Neck protection, warm muffler or scarf if your jacket does not cover your neck.

Skin Protection:

1. Lip balm.

2. Skin moisturizer for your face, neck, and other exposed skin.

Summary

​​​​​​​

The Sapporo Snow Festival or Yuki Matsuri is one of the biggest attractions in Sapporo, Hokkaido. With marvelous snow and ice sculptures and bright illumination, it transforms the city of Sapporo from a dreary snowscape to a winter wonderland. The freezing cold may seem unappealing to you, but with so much excitement getting your blood pumping, you won’t even feel it!

If you want to know what else to enjoy in Sapporo in Winter, check out our article!