Hokkaido Winter: SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL (“Yuki Matsuri”)

1:30 AM

68th SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL (“Yuki Matsuri”)

The largest Winter Festival in Japan, the Sapporo Snow Festival attracts about 2 million visitors each year.  

 

This year there is 109 total snow sculptures . There are 5 large snow sculptures, 5 medium and 99 small. A total of 7 ice sculptures are also in display - 2 of which are large and 5 are small. 

 

Lighting test 10 PM the day before. Special Sapporo Post office at temporary post office in Odori Park during the festival located in the middle of Odori Park in 9-chome. 

 



There is also a festival stamp collection 10 commemorative stamps Y1080 or you can get an postcard and stamp set Y300 (Y52 - you'll need to add postage if you will be sending it outside Japan). You can either buy a Y20 stamp or pay Y18 for postage at the festival post office. 

 
Sites
Odori Park is the main site of the Sapporo Snow Festival there are a mixture of large and medium size snow and ice sculptures made by professional, corporate, and amateurs.  

The large snow sculptures can take up to 30 days to complete and measures about 18 meters high. 

 

 
There is a designated direction for walking on the sides of Odori PArk. If starting from the TV Tower, walk on the right side of the park to go to the other chomes. There are signages to remind you of the direction of traffic.

 


There are many food stalls around the the park for the festival which feature many Hokkaido specialties like corn, potatoes, crab and other seafood.

 

 

 



 
  Enjoy some hot cocoa, hot wine, or any of the many festival drinks. 



 





SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL: ODORI SITE:
1 CHOME: (near TV TOWER) JCOM Square – Skating Rink

Admission fee is Y1000 (adult) Y500 (child) for 1 hr. It is open from 9am to 9pm

 

 

2 CHOME: Doshin Ice Square – Large Ice Sculpture: “The Whale House”

 

3 CHOME: HTB PARK AIR Square – watch snowboarders and freestyle skiers

 

4 CHOME: STV Square – Large Snow Sculpture – “Decisive Battle! The Snow Final Fantasy” with surround sound.

 
 

5 CHOME EAST: Enviroment Square –Large Snow Sculpture: “Totto Shopping Square” (Totto Shotengai)

5 CHOME WEST: Mainichiice Square – Large Ice Sculpture – “Taiwan – Taipei Guest House”

 
 

6 CHOME: Citizen’s Square: “Welcome to Sapporo! 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games “ & Hokkaido Food Square (Feb 5 – 12:00NN-10:00PM / Feb 6-12 – 9:00 AM-10:00 PM

 

 

7 CHOME: HBC France Square – Large Snow Sculpture – “The Arc de Triomphe “– 1/3 it’s actual size. 17.5 meters high and 18m depth. It took 30 days to complete.

 

 



8 CHOME: Snow HTB Square – Large Snow Sculpture – “The Chu-kondo (The Central Golden Hall) of Kofuku-Temple in Nara” – 13 meters high, 22 meters wide, & 21 meter in depth; 3000 tons = 600 5 ton trucks – uses ice block method; 31 days to complete

 
 


9 CHOME: Citizen’s Square – Medium Sized Snow Sculpture – “Snow Statue of Yabee Bear” (local mascot promote Hokkaido dialect) & “Osakana Uohzu"

 

 


10 CHOME: UHB Family Land – Large Snow Sculpture – “White Star Wars: the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars” – includes C-3PO, R2-D2, BB-8 & Kylo Ren

 
Medium Sized Snow Sculpture : Cup Noodles Slide


11 CHOME: International Square – 44th International Snow Sculpture Contest – 12 teams (Feb 5 opening ceremony; February 8 – deadline of statues;)

The participants have 4 days to complete their sculptures. There are many participants including countries like Poland and USA. 

 

 
12 CHOME: Citizen’s Square – Snow Sculptures made by Sapporo Citizens

There are many snow sculptures made by the citizens at the end of Odori Park near the old Court of Appeals building. Among the popular themes are Pikachu & Pokemon and PPAP & pineapple pen.

 
 
 

 

The Tsudome site features activities for having fun in the snow. It features a giant slide you can slide down. 


 
Make sure to come early as there are limited slots. They give out numbered coupons for the activities with long lines. We arrived after lunch and there had already ran out of slots for the tubing. Opening Ceremony: 11:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. on February 1 , 2017. 

 
You can play with snow in the play area where there are shovels, pails, and other toys. 

 

There are a variety of slides for all ages. There are smaller slides for little kids. You can also try your aim at throwing snowballs or try snow rafting. 

 
 



There are also many medium sized snow sculptures like a Maneki Neko, Super Mario and many other. 

 

 
There is food and other activities inside the community dome. 

As you exit Sakaemachi station, follow arrows with snow man towards the bus shuttle. 

 

 

 


There is a bus shuttle (Y100 cash only. Pay when you board bus) from Sakaemachi station to the Tsudome site. Leaves about every 20 mins. 

Susukino features ice sculptures and begins around 3 days before. 

 

 

 

 



While here you can stop by and try enjoy a bowl from one of the ramen restaurants in the nearby Ramen Alley. It's behind Lotteria. 

 
 
For more details you can visit on the displays in each block: http://www.snowfes.com/english/odorisite.html

While in Sapporo you can enjoy tube sledding from February 1-12, 2017 in Nakajima Park. You can enjoy the snow by having snow ball fights and making your own snow man.

Dates: Feb 1 – 12, 2017 (Tsudome Site); Feb 6-12 (Odori Park Site) ; Susukino Site
Hours of Operation:  9:00PM  -5:00 PM (Tsudome Site)
Illumination/Light Up:  Sunset (around 4:30 PM) to 10:00 PM / Susukino Site Sunset until 11 PM
Sites:  Odori Park (Main Site)  Tsudome Park, Susukino area
Access:   Odori Park (Odori Station); Tsudome Park (Sakaemachi Station of Toho Subway Line) or take bus from Odori Site ; Susukino Site (Susukino Station of Namboku line or street car stop) street car flat rate of Y170 enter in the middle door and pay as you exit the front door. You can pay with your IC card or with cash. Flag down taxi Y620.

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