The 75th Sapporo Snow Festival第75回さっぽろ雪まつり
The Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950 as a one-day event with six snow statues built by local high school students in Odori Park. In 1955, the Japan Self-Defense Forces from the Makomanai base joined in, creating the first massive snow sculptures for which the festival is now famous. Prior to the Sapporo Snow Festival, there were other snow festivals in Sapporo but they were suspended during WWII.
When snowfall is low, the Self-Defense Force brings in snow from outside Sapporo as participation is considered a training exercise. The Makomanai base was the largest site for sculptures and provided play space for children from 1965, until it was moved to the Sapporo Satoland site in 2006 and then to the Tsudome site in 2009.
Nakajima Park was a festival site from 1990 to 1992 and the third site, the Susukino Ice Festival, is located in the night-life district of Susukino and features primarily ice carvings. The site was approved as a festival site in 1983 and every year the Susukino Queen of Ice beauty contest is held there.
In 2012, a snow sculpture of Snow Miku (Hatsune Miku) collapsed at Odori Park 6th Venue, causing injury to a tourist. This was the first accident in the festival's history. The design of the sculpture was large with thin legs and poor balance, believed to be the result of brittleness caused by high temperatures. In response, the executive committee demolished some of the heavy and all of the civilian snow sculptures due to the risk of collapse.
Highlights
Susukino Site
From February 4th to February 11th, 2024, come and embrace the theme of "Enjoy the Ice" at the festival. Discover an ice sculpture show and compete in the Ice Sculpture Contest. Explore the "Fureai Hiroba" plaza where you can interact with and ride on the ice sculptures, take stunning photos in the Illumination Street, and warm up with hot drinks at the Ice Bar. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to experience a world of ice and snow!
Odori Site
Immerse yourself in a magical world of snow and ice at Odori Park, located in the heart of Sapporo from February 4th to February 11th, 2024. The festival spans 1.5 kilometers and offers a variety of attractions, including towering snow sculptures, projection mapping shows, snow slides, and curling. You won't want to miss the chance to witness the large, medium, and small snow sculptures, or the popular projection mapping displays. Come and explore all the sights the festival has to offer!
Tsudome Site
In 2024, the event will not take place at the Tsudome site.
Opening Hours
~07:00 - 22:00
Venue
- Odori Park ⎯ 大通公園
Address
Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0042
Getting There
- 1 minutes walk from Ōdōri Station (大通駅)
- Susukino ⎯ すすきの
Address
Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Getting There
- Susukino Station (すすきの駅)
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