Sapporo Snow Festival
Three Sites Featuring Snow Sculptures Large and Small
Visited by Tourists from Around the World
February 4 – 11, 2024
*Updated December 23, 2019
What started out as a display of six snow sculptures created by local junior and high school students in 1950 has become the Sapporo Snow Festival, the largest winter event in Sapporo that attracts more than two million visitors from both Japan and abroad every year. Snow sculptures of various sizes adorn the 1.5 kilometer stretch spanning from 1 to 12 chome in Odori Park. These sculptures are also lit up from sun down to 10:00pm. The International Snow Sculpture Contest is hosted at 11-chome, drawing contestants from around the world. During the event, visitors can even catch a glimpse of the contestants at work here. At the Tsudomu Site, you will find attractions such as the giant slide and both indoor and outdoor events for visitors to enjoy the snow. At the Susukino Site, you will find the ice sculpture contest, illuminated ice sculptures, and an ice bar. Be sure to visit each site to enjoy the unique attractions and make the most of this winter event.
Vote for your favorite sculpture from Citizen Snow Sculptures / Snow Object Contest!
Visit Odori and Tsudome sites lined with Citizen Snow Sculptures made by local residents and Snow Objects made by Art club students from local high schools. Vote for your favorite Snow sculpture using an app, “Sapporo Gourmet Coupon”, and 500 people win 1000 off coupon for our recommended restaurants!
■How to Vote
- Download Sapporo Snow Festival Official App “Sapporo Gourmet Coupon”.
- Download here
- Tap “Popularity Poll in Citizen Snow Sculptures / Snow Object Contest”
- Tap the image of your favorite sculpture
- Tap “Vote”
- After voting, tap “Lottery”, and the result show up right away.
■Voting Period
Snow Object: Feb.1 (Fri) – Feb.8 (Fri)
Citizen Snow Sculpture: Feb.4 (Mon) – Feb.8 (Fri)
Voting results will be announced on Feb.9 (Sat)
■Coupon expires on Feb. 28 (Thu)
Odori Site
The Odori Site will feature ice sculptures representing Snow Miku (Hatsune Miku), nationally beloved anime characters, historic buildings of foreign countries, Ainu culture, and more. There will also be a skating rink, a massive jump ramp for skis and snowboards, as well as booths where you can enjoy Hokkaido’s gourmet treats. In 2020, the festival will again feature the extremely popular projection mapping along with an AR (augmented reality) produced with the latest digital technology. On display there will also be snow sculptures created by city residents and as well as highly original small snow sculptures created by teams from around the world.
J:COM Square
Measuring 22 meters by 17.5 meters, the open-air skating rink is an attraction that the entire family can enjoy. During the festival, events will also be held on the stage.
Kamui Snow Square
HTB PARK AIR Square
Top class Japanese athletes will participate in snowboarding and free-style skiing events on the large jump hill.
STV Square
From among the many legends of the Ainu people, the large snow sculpture focuses on the legend of the birth of Aynurakkur (the Ainu god of human culture), as recorded by Elder Tasuke Yamamoto of Akan.
Doshin Snow Square
Hokkaido is a major producer of thoroughbred racehorses. A thoroughbred is shown in the center, and in the background is a large snow sculpture representing the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.
Citizen’s Square
Here are gathered menu selections representative of the winter tastes of Hokkaido.
HBC Poland Square
The large snow sculpture takes as its theme the Republic of Poland, with 2019 being the 100th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan.
Snow HTB Square
The large snow sculpture symbolizes the fresh launching of an “inclusive society” as represented by Upopoy (the National Ainu Museum and Park), which is set to open on April 24, 2020 on the shores of Lake Poroto in the town of Shiraoi, Hokkaido.
Citizen’s Square
These handmade snow sculptures were created by groups of citizens.
UHB Family Land
The nationally famous anime that celebrated the 50th anniversary of broadcasting in 2019, has appeared as a large snow sculpture. Take note of the details of each character that are expressed by the snow, such as facial expressions and gestures.
International Square
Twelve teams from various regions of the world will create snow sculptures for the International Snow Sculpture Contest. There will also be a small snow sculpture of Snow Miku (Hatsune Miku).
Citizen’s Square
As at 9 chome, there will be a variety of snow sculptures created by groups of citizens.
| Dates of Exhibition | ebruary 4th, 2020 (Tuesday) to February 11th, 2019 (Tuesday/Holiday) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Odori Park(Odori-nishi 1-chome to 12-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) |
| Light up | Sunset to 22:00 |
Susukino Site
Created based on the theme “enjoy the ice,” the Susukino Site features magical ice images, including medium- and large-sized ice sculptures and works from the ice sculpture contest.
| Dates of Exhibition | February 4th, 2020 (Tuesday) to February 11th, 2020 (Tuesday/Holiday) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Ekimae-dori from Minami 4-Jo to Minami 7-Jo, Chou-ku, Sapporo |
| Light up | Sunset to 23:00 (until 22:00 on the final day) |
Tsudome Site
At the Tsudome Site, both kids and adults can enjoy playing in the snow. Outside, you will find a snow slide, a “snow raft” pulled by a snowmobile, and attractions such as a snow maze. Inside, you can enjoy attractions such as Hokkaido gourmet booths, stage events, and inflatable playground equipment. As you may get wet playing in the snow at the Tsudome Site, we recommend that you wear a snowsuit that covers you from top to bottom.
| Dates of Exhibition | January 31st, 2020 (Friday) to February 11th, 2019 (Tuesday/Holiday) |
|---|---|
| Place | Sapporo Sports Facility “Tsudome” (Sakaemachi 885-1, Higashi-ku, Sapporo) |
| Hours | 9:00 to 17:00(Some attractions close at 16:00) |
| *Shuttle buses will operate between the Odori Site and the Tsudome Site, as well as between the Toho Subway Line Sakaemachi Station and the Tsudome Site (fare required). |
Yuki-Chika in Sapporo Snow Festival
Packed with tons of useful information on how to fully enjoy winter in Sapporo and Hokkaido! If you are going to see the Sapporo Snow Festival, be sure to go via Yuki-Chika!!
| Period | Feb. 4 (Tue) – 11 (Tue, holiday) |
|---|---|
| Place | Sapporo Ekimae-dori Underground Walkway (Chi-Ka-Ho) |
| Hours | 10:00-19:00 *Open until 17:00 on the 11th (Tue/holiday) |
011-281-6400 (Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee) / 011-518-2005 (Susukino Ice World)
