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Sapporo Snow Festival 2024 Yuki Matsuri

Sapporo Snow Festival 2024 Yuki Matsuri

I went to Sapporo snow festival in 2023 so I did not feel like visiting one held this year because I thought it would be same as previous year. But since my wife asked me to go together because it was a holiday, I decided to go there again. But it was unexpectedly great experience! This event stretched 11 blocks along Odori Park, and not only various snow sculptures, but also some merchandise shops, food stalls, and other many fun activities! Make sure to check photos from Susukino Ice Festival 2024 It was definitely different than one held the previous year! If you need help arranging private tour in Sapporo, you can use our trip planner!

  • Visit Date: 2024, February 11th
  • Entrance Fee: FREE
  • Address: 1 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042 ~ 11 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042
  • Access: Nishi 11-chome Station 

Sapporo Snow Festival 2024: Experience

1 chome ~ 3 chome: Sapporo TV Tower

This festival is held outdoor, so make sure you wear enough clothes to keep yourself warm in a freezing weather! We decided to start from 1 chome, which is area near the Sapporo TV Tower. There are some food stalls and even wine tasting kiosk; you can also try curling in this area! Make sure to check art installation in 2 chome and some snow sculptures in 3 chome areas!

Crowded place!
Want to try curling?
Wanna taste wine?
Labyrinth?
Great weather
Art installation
I think I have seen this somewhere
Cool castle, literally
Another mascot sculpture

4 chome: Free Beer samples and Golden Kamuy

Arriving in 4 chome area, there was a long line for free Asahi Beer samples! We got plenty of time so we decided to line up, the line moved quickly so in 10 minutes we got our free beers! You know, the best kind of beers is one that is cold and free!

Golden Kamuy Anime Sculpture
Free beer anyone
Long line
Got our beers!
Tamagotchi, anyone remember?
Designated Smoking place

5 chome: JRA Horse Race

5 chome area has a big JRA horse racing sculpture as well as various other fun activities. Make sure to check this area as well!

Want to play piano
Do you want to build a snowman?
JRA giant sculpture

6 chome

This area has some kiosks in which you can participate in answering survey questions to get some free merchandises like Korean herbal tea. Make sure to check every kiosk available!

Korean Herbal Tea
Blue Eyes White Dragon
Some other sculptures

7 chome – 10 chome

Along these areas, there are some more snow sculptures, either sculpted by some big companies for some promotions, or by some citizens. Make sure to check each of them! Here are pictures of some of them that caught my attention!

Made by a citizen
Super Mario! Citizen-made
Citizen-made sculptures
Nipponham (promotional)
Logisteed (promotional)
Nissin Cup Noodles (promotional)
Gundam! (Professional)
German Castle (Professional)
Old Sapporo Station (professional)
Projection Mapping
Projection Mapping
Projection Mapping

11 chome: World Competition:

11 chome is the last block in Sapporo Snow Festival 2024. In this area, there were competition being held among 8 countries (Other than Japan). Participating countries were: South Korea, USA (Portland and Hawaii), Indonesia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Poland, Singapore, and Thailand. Congratulations for Mongolia for winning 1st place!

Made by a citizen
1st place: Mongolia
2nd place: Thailand
3rd place: South Korea
4th place: Indonesia
5th place: Lithuania

Susukino Ice Festival 2024

After walking around Odori Park watching amazing snow sculptures, we proceeded to another festival held in Susukino Area, it was dark already so the ice sculptures looked more mesmerizing with all the lighting! Check some of the pictures here!

  • Visit Date: 2024, February 11th
  • Entrance Fee: FREE
  • Address: 〒064-0804 Hokkaido Sapporo-shi Chuo-ku Minami4Jonishi4−1
  • Access: Nishi 11-chome Station 
Entrance area to ice festival
Need more ice on your beer?
Shiroi Koibito
Nikka Whiskey
Fresh seafood
Wolt
Bird? Phoenix?
Boat race
Griffin
More sculptures
Lypo-C
More ice birds

Thank you for reading this short travel blog! Feel free to contact us if you need help arranging private tour in Sapporo! Make sure you enjoy your stay in Hokkaido!

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Sapporo Snow Festival 2023

sapporo snow festival

Sapporo Snow Festival 2023

It has been almost three years since the last Sapporo Snow Festival was held in 2020. There was no Snow Festival held the past three years due to covid-19 pandemic. Finally I got to visit the first Snow Festival after covid-19 pandemic! It was packed with people, as many as before the covid pandemic! If you need help arranging private tour in Sapporo, you can use our trip planner!

  • Date: 2023, February 4th ~ February 11th
  • Entrance Fee: FREE
  • Address: 2 Chome Odorinishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0042
  • Access: Nishi 11-chome Station 

Sapporo Snow Festival: Experience

10 chome – 7 chome

This festival is held outdoor, so make sure you wear enough clothes to keep yourself warm in a freezing weather! From 10 chome to 7 chome, there are a few roofed heated rest area in which you can take a break from the freezing weather!  There are a fixed path in which you need to follow; so please do not walk against the designated walking path! If you like Hatsune Miku, make sure to check some of the small merchandise shops along the path!

sapporo snow festival  10 chome
sapporo snow festival
Spy Family snow sculpture
Hatsune Miku Merchandise Shop

6 chome: JSDF

In this section you can enjoy some light projection show. The light simulation show is held twice every 10-minutes, make sure you line up to get a nice view on the show! Houhei Palace in the pictures below are built by Japanese Self-Defence Force (JSDF) themselves! There is also rest area belonged to JSDF in which you can keep yourself warm and watch video on how they built this amazing sculpture!

sapporo snow festival 6 chome
sapporo snow festival
First aid station
Inside rest area

5 chome: Horse Race

If you like horse racing, make sure to also watch light projection show on horse-racing sculpture built by Japan Racing Association (JRA). The light projection show is also held twice every 10-minutes!

Horse Race sculpture
Light up begins!
More holographic projection

4 chome: Dinosaurs!

If you like dinosaurs, make sure to see another giant dinosaur sculpture in this section. Also, if you are Hokkaido University Student, make sure to also check Hokkaido University shop/rest area!

sapporo snow festival dinosaur
sapporo snow festival dinosaur
Someone played piano inside!
Hokkaido University Stand

3 chome – 1 chome: Sapporo TV Tower!

This area is close to Sapporo TV Tower area, and if you are lucky, you can try curling and ice-skating around this area!

sapporo snow festival tv tower
How did they make this?
If you like, thumbs up please!
Looks nice!

Thank you for reading this short travel blog! Feel free to contact us if you need help arranging private tour in Sapporo! Make sure you enjoy your stay in Hokkaido!