When it comes to festivals and winter sightseeing events that represent Hokkaido’s winter season, the Sapporo Snow Festival is a name that comes to the top of most people’s minds. It is a popular event that attracts not only residents of Hokkaido, but also many tourists from Japan and abroad. Expectations are high for the quality of the event, which is improving year by year. Also, if you go all the way to Hokkaido, you want to enjoy it to the fullest! If you are planning to visit Hokkaido in winter for the first time, this is a must-see! Here are some recommended winter spots and activities in and around Sapporo, as well as some essentials.
- Sapporo Snow Festival 2025 Information
- Chitose and Lake Shikotsu Hyobaku Festival 2025
- North Safari Sapporo Business Information
- A must for first-time travelers!Essentials for the Snow Festival
- Summary
Information on the Sapporo Snow Festival 2025
The year 2025 will be the 75th, and since the year before last, the festival has resumed after the Corona’s self-restraint ended. The festival is held every year in February, and each venue offers a free viewing of the spectacular ice sculptures!
For your information, here is the information on the 2025 event.
→2025.02.04(Tue)02.11(Tue)
Three different venues planned as in previous years
⚫︎ Odori venue A line of powerful large snow statues!
→Nishi 1-chome to Nishi 11-chome in Odori Park in the heart of Sapporo
⚫︎ Susukino venue Fantastic ice sculptures!
→Nishi 3/4 chome from Minami 4 to Minami 6 (Sapporo Ekimae Dori)
This area is lined with ice sculptures of familiar characters, so even young children can enjoy this area.
⚫︎Tsudomu venue where you can enjoy activities!
→Sapporo Sports Exchange Facility Community Dome (nickname: Tsudomu)
885-1 Sakae-cho, Higashi-ku, Sapporo
15 min. walk from Sakae-machi Station on the Toho Line
How is the ideal way to get around?How long does it take?
Fatigue timeSo, there are three venues,
The TSUDOMU venue is the main venue for activities, so if you want to enjoy mainly seeing snow and ice sculptures, go to the Odori and Susukino venues first.
If you want to enjoy mainly viewing snow and ice sculptures, go to the Odori and Susukino venues first,
I thought I could visit them in an hour.
I thought I could go around in an hour,
I couldn’t go around slowly at all and ended up walking too fast throughout the tour.
It is also important to consider that tourists who are not residents of Hokkaido are not accustomed to snow-covered paths, so it may take them longer to get to the site because they may not be able to keep their footing.
The snow statues should also be seen lit up, so please be sure to visit the ice sculptures when they are lit up.
The best time, in my opinion, is to see the ice sculptures at Susukino lit up by the setting sun from around 4:00 p.m., and the snow sculptures at the Odori venue lit up from around 6:00 p.m.!
Each one has a different flavor, so if you are not sure where to start, be sure to check them out before going to see them!
2025 Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Hyobaku Festival Ice Art Museum
This is another annual ice festival. Parking is free! There is an admission fee for junior high school students and older, but the high quality is well worth it and can be enjoyed day and night! There are also good hot springs of different qualities in the vicinity of the venue, so you can warm up your cold body after having fun.
Information 2025.02.01(Sat) – 2025.02.24(Mon)
Venue Time 10:00〜20:00
(architectural) floodlighting 16:30〜20:00
Access場料 Secondary school students and above 1000yen
入場料 中学生以上 1000円
Be careful about visiting hours!
If you want to avoid the crowds, visit first thing in the morning!
Although not as crowded as the Sapporo Snow Festival, the only way to get there is by car or bus, so if you make a mistake, you may get stuck in a traffic jam, ruining your plans.
If you want to enjoy both the beauty of the ice illuminated by sunlight and the fantastic world lit up by lights, it is recommended to arrive around 3:30 p.m!
Re-entry is possible after completing the necessary procedures, so you can enjoy the view of Lake Shikotsu, take a walk around the area, or enjoy a hot meal at one of the food stands….The time will fly by in no time.
The venue is most crowded during the start of the venue lighting up. It is crowded even on weekdays, so it is not recommended for those who have other plans. It is important to go there with an undecided mindset about what to do afterwards.
Lots of photo spots!
You can take many fantastic photos as if you were in a foreign country, making it a perfect place to create memories.
Time passed quickly when I was taking many pictures like this!
North Safari Sapporo
A theme park for both adults and children in Sapporo’s Minami Ward, known for its interactive zoo! It is only about an hour’s drive from Sapporo, making it easily accessible. There are many winter-only activities that can be enjoyed only in Hokkaido.
Address: 469-1 Toyotaki, Minami-ku, Sapporo 061-2273
Inquiries: 0570005600
Winter operating period: 2025.01.05 – 3.23
Winter fee: Junior high school students and older (1,300 yen) Elementary school students and younger (600 yen) Children under 2 years old (free)
Parking fee Motorcycle (100 yen) Passenger car (500 yen)
No. 1 popular dog sledding experience
This is an experience that can only be had in snow country! Energetic huskies will pull you along on a sled! You will love the exhilaration of the surprisingly fast speed.
(Only available with snowmobile packages)
The huskies pull you around in turn, so it’s fun to see which one will win! We were also able to take pictures with the dogs resting at home.
Snowmobile
The 2.3-kilometer snow field course running through the mountains is for those who want to challenge even the most difficult obstacles.
The course is quite bumpy, so it is dangerous to take pictures while riding, but we were able to take commemorative photos after the course was over!
Small children can also enjoy themselves with their parents.
In addition, there is a free snow park and a food court, making this an experience facility where children and adults can play all day long! This is especially recommended for those who want to taste the snow of Hokkaido!
A must for first-time travelers!Snow Festival Essentials
February in Hokkaido is the coldest month of the year, with lots of snow. It is so cold that even during the daytime there are days with minus temperatures.
First, the essential items to bring are
- Gloves
- Scarf
- Coat or down
must be worn.
Walking through the Snow Festival, I saw several gloves with only one glove that fell on the snow…I cried
I would like to take a lot of pictures.
There are many types that can be hung from the shoulder or that are compatible with smartphones these days.
![[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]](https://hbb.afl.rakuten.co.jp/hgb/433b6f20.eaca16fc.433b6f21.aa140b9f/?me_id=1268543&item_id=10108013&pc=https%3A%2F%2Fthumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp%2F%400_mall%2Fhobbyone%2Fcabinet%2Fzakka_etc%2Fimport01%2Fglobe-01-2.jpg%3F_ex%3D240x240&s=240x240&t=picttext "[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]")
One more thing!The most common item that tourists tend to overlook…It is…
Quite simply!Measures to protect your feet!
A big event that attracts over 2 million people over 8 days.
Naturally, there are snow days, sunny days, and rainy days.
Since so many people walk on the path, the footing is often quite poor…
If you slip and hurt yourself just as your eyes are caught by the beautiful snow sculptures, it will ruin your happy memories of the festival.
Slip-resistant shoes or boots are strongly recommended!
I went to the Snow Festival in my regular athletic shoes.
I saw a person who was soaked to the socks and later got frostbite.LOL.
Wearing boots of a little longer length, if possible, is a good idea.
It is also a good idea to wear boots that are a little longer than usual to prevent snow from melting and splashing into your feet.
It is said that cold starts from the feet up,
If you have come all this way, be sure to take precautions so that you can relax and enjoy your visit!
![[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]](https://hbb.afl.rakuten.co.jp/hgb/4363f360.72290efe.4363f361.0c39ad31/?me_id=1407826&item_id=10000029&pc=https%3A%2F%2Fthumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp%2F%400_mall%2Fesl-shop2%2Fcabinet%2F09262631%2F09263231%2F09434893%2F1811-2.jpg%3F_ex%3D240x240&s=240x240&t=picttext "[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]")
summary
This time, we have reported on two winter festivals and recommended winter sightseeing spots! Which one did you like the most?
Hokkaido is full of winter activities! Hokkaido is a bit far away ….If you are not sure if you want to go to Hokkaido, please take a look at the “Winter Activities” section here!
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