The Sapporo Snow Festival is famous as one of Japan's representative winter events! But you might have many questions, such as: What are the key points to enjoying the Sapporo Snow Festival? Is it easy to visit?

In recent years, snow festivals have attracted attention by using "projection mapping" to create a fantastical atmosphere around the main attraction, the "giant snow sculptures," and by incorporating characters from popular anime and games of the year, such as "Minions."

The annual street food stalls are also thriving, and the city of Sapporo becomes especially lively in early February when the Snow Festival is held.

This time, for those of you who want to make the most of the Sapporo Snow Festival, we'll introduce the highlights, answer common questions, and things you should know to enjoy the festival even more, from the perspective of a domestic tour planner. [Partially updated August 2, 2018]

<Contents>
1. What is the Sapporo Snow Festival?
2. Four tips for enjoying the Sapporo Snow Festival to the fullest
3. Points to keep in mind
4. How to choose a Sapporo Snow Festival tour
5. A must-read for those staying in Sapporo for the Snow Festival! How to choose your accommodation.
6. If you want to enjoy it in conjunction with the Sapporo Snow Festival! Sightseeing spots around Sapporo, categorized by situation
7. Let's have fun together! Popular Hokkaido events held around the same time

The Sapporo Snow Festival is famous as one of Hokkaido's representative winter festivals. Let's start with a brief introduction to its basic information.
The official name (and how it's written) is "Sapporo Snow Festival" (hereinafter referred to as "Sapporo Snow Festival").
The 2019 Sapporo Snow Festival (70th edition) will be held from February 4th (Mon) to 11th (Mon/National Holiday). It is held around the same time every year, but the dates may vary slightly from year to year.
*Please note that the event will only be held at the "Tsudome venue" from January 31st (Thu) to February 11th (Mon/Holiday).
The event will be held at three locations within Sapporo city, centered around the main venue, "Odori Park."
・The number of visitors reached an astonishing 264 million (2017 figures)! Numerous tourists from both within Japan and overseas visit the area.
For more detailed information and event details, please visit the official Sapporo Snow Festival website.
Sapporo Snow Festival Official Website
The highlight of the Sapporo Snow Festival is the beautiful illumination of snow sculptures, which brightens up the city!

2-1 I was impressed by the sheer power of the giant snow sculptures!

When you think of the Sapporo Snow Festival, you think of snow sculptures! But with limited time, which snow sculptures should you see? That's a perfectly valid question, considering there are approximately 200 snow sculptures in total across three venues, including ice sculptures.
So, here are some must-see snow sculptures and how to appreciate them!

The Self-Defense Forces and a group of citizens create a magnificent snow sculpture.
An indispensable element in the Sapporo Snow Festival is the 11th Brigade, a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force unit based in Hokkaido.
Going back to 1955, at the 6th Sapporo Snow Festival, the Self-Defense Forces took on the responsibility of creating the large snow sculptures that are central to the festival, starting with the creation of an 11-meter-tall snow sculpture (a statue of the Virgin Mary) in Odori Park.
These five magnificent snow sculptures, both impressive and meticulously detailed, are best viewed under the daytime blue sky!
Currently, the five large snow sculptures are being created by the Self-Defense Forces and snow sculpture volunteers.

The following five large snow sculptures were created in 2018!

Following 2017, from the popular game Final Fantasy
"Final Fantasy XIV: The Silver Showdown"

Bernstein, the composer famous for the music of West Side Story
"The Pacific Music Festival: A Musical Legacy of Bernstein"

Stockholm's oldest church recreated at approximately half scale!
Stockholm Cathedral

Visit a Nara temple, a World Heritage Site, in Sapporo.
"Nara, Yakushi-ji Temple, Great Lecture Hall"

Tezuka's works that everyone knows, such as Astro Boy and Princess Knight.
"Osamu Tezuka 90th Anniversary All-Stars"

(*The photo is an image of a snow sculpture from 2016 or earlier.)

2-2 I was moved by the nighttime illumination of the snow sculptures!

After enjoying the daytime snow sculptures, it's time for the nighttime illuminations!
The lights are on from dusk until 22:00 PM. Dusk at this time of year is just after 16:00 PM, so the best time to visit is from around that time until it gets completely dark.

Here are three things I highly recommend you see at the nighttime illuminated snow festival:

Light-up view from Sapporo TV Tower

The Sapporo TV Tower, a symbol of Sapporo's Odori Park, offers a must-see panoramic view of the Snow Festival grounds when viewed from the west! The ice skating rink directly below, the numerous snow sculptures stretching into the distance, and the illuminated streets create one of the best scenes at the Sapporo Snow Festival.
● Sapporo TV Tower Admission Fees: Adults: 720 yen, High school students: 600 yen, Junior high school students: 400 yen, Children: 300 yen
(While there are some free zones, you cannot see the entire Snow Festival venue without entering the paid zone.)

projection mapping

The popular projection mapping, which projects images onto illuminated snow sculptures, has been held since 2013. It was so popular that year that it became so crowded that some events had to be cancelled. In 2014, the venues were expanded to three locations. The beauty of the light and snow projected onto the white snow sculptures is a must-see!

*For more details, please refer to the official Sapporo Snow Festival website.
In addition to projection mapping, another event that has recently been attracting attention at night is "Snow Miku"! This popular event has been held continuously since 2010, and features the installation of a snow sculpture of Hatsune Miku, "Snow Miku Snow Sculpture," as well as a mini-show at night where Snow Miku's songs and lighting effects enhance the snow sculpture.

The "Susukino Ice Festival" at night

Up until now, we've been giving you a tour of the Odori venue, but at the third venue, Susukino, a "Festival of Ice" will be held, with rows of large and small ice sculptures lining the heart of Hokkaido's largest entertainment district.
And the real highlight of this venue is at night! The lights of Hokkaido's largest neon district shine through the transparent sculptures, creating a fantastical and beautiful sight. In addition, unique sculptures such as a delicious-looking crab frozen in ice will warm you up on a cold night.
Plus, you can enjoy the beautiful ice sculptures while also knowing you can easily head to a restaurant if you get cold! (Although it's a red-light district, there are plenty of regular restaurants as well!)

One more point: the second venue, "Tsudome Venue." Its main attraction is snow play! There are plenty of activities like ice slides and snowmobiles! The downsides are that it's a bit far from the Odori venue, about 15 to 25 minutes away by shuttle bus, and it closes at 17:00 PM.
This is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy playing in the snow with their children!

2-3 You'll find delicious food there that will make you forget the cold! "Hokkaido Food Plaza"

Now that you've enjoyed the snow sculptures to your heart's content, the next thing you're probably wondering about is your stomach! At the Sapporo Snow Festival, the popular "Hokkaido Food Plaza," which started in 2007, opens in the middle of the Odori Park, in Block 6!
This isn't just any festival food stall! It's an event that will thrill anyone who gets excited by department store "Hokkaido Product Fairs," where delicious foods from all over Hokkaido, selected through a public application process, are gathered in one place (it usually starts the day before the Sapporo Snow Festival (Odori Park venue))!

The menu ranges from classic Hokkaido dishes you'd want to try, such as grilled oysters and scallops, Jingisukan (grilled lamb), and Zangi (fried chicken), to more sophisticated options for connoisseurs, including sea urchin rice, charcoal-grilled snow crab served in its shell, and clam chowder.
Popular Hokkaido cafes and coffee stands will also be there, so you can find a considerable number of Hokkaido specialties just at the Snow Festival venue. Intrigued?

By the way, they have an official Facebook page, so if you're interested, please check it out!
Hokkaido Food Festival Facebook page

Additionally, a "Food International Exchange" corner will appear in Block 11, where the International Snow Sculpture Contest will be held!
Food stalls offering international cuisine from countries such as Türkiye, Russia, and Spain (as of 2016) will also be available, so be sure to check those out as well!

2-4 The day after the Snow Festival ends is unmissable!!! "Snow Sculpture Destruction"

The day after the Sapporo Snow Festival ends, one of the hidden attractions of the festival that is gaining more and more attention each year is "snow sculpture destruction"!

The numerous large snow sculptures, meticulously crafted over approximately one month, are mercilessly destroyed by excavators early the morning after the event ends. The sight of these magnificent snow sculptures quickly transforming into snow-covered mountains is extremely popular! Incidentally, most of them are gone by early afternoon, so be careful not to oversleep and miss them!
If you're planning a trip that includes destroying snow sculptures, I recommend an itinerary that is relatively cheaper than traveling during the Snow Festival itself. For example, you could depart on the last day of the festival, head to Sapporo, enjoy the festival until night, spend the next morning destroying snow sculptures, then travel to nearby tourist destinations such as Otaru, Noboribetsu, or Jozankei Onsen for an overnight stay, and return home the following day.

Next 3. Points to keep in mind

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