Sapporo Snow Festival Guide

2026 Sapporo Snow Festival Dates

The festival typically runs for 7 days in early February.

Estimated 2026 dates: February 5–11, 2026

Official dates are usually announced in autumn — check the official website (snowfes.com) for confirmation.

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Festival Venues

The festival spans three main sites across Sapporo:

Odori Site (Main Venue)

Odori Park stretches 1.5km through central Sapporo. The main site hosts the largest sculptures — massive reproductions of world landmarks, original designs, and international sculptures made by teams from dozens of countries. Illuminated beautifully at night. Free entry.

Susukino Site

The famous Ice Sculpture Festival. Dozens of intricate ice sculptures illuminated in Sapporo’s entertainment district. Free entry. Surrounded by restaurants and bars — perfect for an evening visit.

Tsu Dome Site (Community Dome)

Located slightly outside the center, this site focuses on snow activities — giant snow slides, activities for families, food stalls. A bus runs from Odori. Paid entry ¥600.

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Best Snow Sculptures

Odori Site has 10–15 large sculptures. Themes are announced in advance. Past years have featured:

• Full-scale reproductions of famous buildings (Sagrada Familia, Neuschwanstein Castle)
• Scenes from popular anime and manga
• Historical Japanese scenes
• International collaboration sculptures

The sculptures are extraordinary in scale and detail. Allow 2–3 hours to walk the full length of Odori Site.

Night viewing is particularly magical — colored lights transform the sculptures from impressive to extraordinary. Best time: 6–9pm.

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Getting to Sapporo

By air: New Chitose Airport (CTS) is 45 minutes from Sapporo by express train (¥1,150). Direct flights from Tokyo (Haneda/Narita), Osaka, and internationally from Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing.

From Tokyo: 90-minute flight or 8-hour Shinkansen (Hokkaido Shinkansen now runs to Sapporo — scenic but slow).

JR Pass: Covers Shinkansen and express train from airport. Hokkaido Rail Pass (available separately) covers regional trains within Hokkaido.

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Where to Stay

Book at least 6 months ahead. Festival period accommodation fills completely. Prices double or triple compared to regular February rates.

Recommended areas:

• Odori — walking distance to main site
• Susukino — walking distance to ice sculpture site, excellent food/nightlife
• Sapporo Station area — convenient for airport train

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What to Eat in Sapporo

Sapporo is one of Japan’s great food cities:

Sapporo Miso Ramen: Rich miso broth topped with corn and butter. The definitive Hokkaido ramen. Must-eat.

Jingisukan (Genghis Khan): Hokkaido’s most unique dish — grilled lamb on a domed cast iron grill. Try at Daruma (Susukino, queue expected).

Seafood: Hokkaido seafood is Japan’s finest. King crab, sea urchin (uni), scallops at Nijo Market.

Soup Curry: Sapporo invented this — thin, spiced curry soup with large chunks of vegetables and chicken. Deeply satisfying in winter.

Shiroi Koibito: Sapporo’s most famous souvenir — white chocolate sandwiched between langue de chat biscuits. Buy at Shiroi Koibito Park.

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Festival Tips

Dress warmly. Sapporo in February averages -7°C with wind chill making it feel -15°C or colder. Thermal layers, insulated boots, gloves, hat — not optional.

Weekdays are calmer. First weekend has the biggest crowds.

Arrive at Odori Site in the afternoon. Light fades around 4:30pm — you get daylight views, then stay for illuminations without queueing again.

Tsu Dome slide tickets sell out fast. Buy in advance if this is important to you.

Use the subway. Sapporo’s subway is warm, efficient and covers all three sites (Odori station, Susukino station). 1-day pass ¥830.

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