Sapporo Snow Festival

This signature event serves as a symbol of winter in Hokkaido, and will take place for the 70th time in 2019.
There are three exhibition sites in Sapporo City: Odori Park, Tsudome, and Susukino. The main site in Odori Park features over 200 sculptures made from snow and ice in different sizes. Visitors from both Japan and abroad flock here to experience Japan's largest snow festival, with a total of 2.5 million people visiting in 2018. Sculptors create this ice magic in different styles each year, with varying designs such as famous buildings from Japan and around the world, anime and manga characters, and a host of others.
Enjoy the illuminations with fantastic colors and projection mapping at night.
Small stalls set up in Odori Park serve food and drink, so why not savor Hokkaido specialties such as ramen and Mongolian mutton barbecue, as well as a variety of seafood dishes including crab, sea urchin, and scallop, or warm soups as you wander from one stall to the next.
Please remember that flying drones over the venue is prohibited.
* The above information is based on festivals held in the past.

Access Info
Odori Site and Susukino Site
Open from Mon, February 4, 2019 to Mon, February 11, 2019 (national holiday)
Illuminations are on until 10:00pm in the Odori site, and until 11:00pm in the Susukino site (until 10:00pm on the last day).
Tsudome Site
Open 9:00am–5:00pm from Thu, January 31, 2019 to Mon, February 11, 2019 (national holiday)
* Some attractions close at 4:00pm

Admission Fee
Free of charge. Some facilities are paid

The Three Sites Hosting the Sapporo Snow Festival
(1) Odori Site
A large park about 1.5 km across from east to west in the center of Sapporo. Small snow sculptures created by local citizens stand beside enormous snow and ice designs about 10 m tall. A skate rink is open in front of the Sapporo TV Tower. You'll also find stalls serving food and drink, a tourist information center, and a rest area. Be sure to follow the one-way path inside the site.
A short walk from Odori Subway Station.
(2) Tsudome Site (the Sapporo Community Dome, a sports exchange facility)
The outdoor site features ice slides, snow rafting, and tube sliders, providing great fun in the snow for children and adults alike. The indoor site invites you in to experience booths and stalls serving food and drinks, and hosts fun events on the stage.
Take a subway from Odori Station on the Toho Subway Line for 13 minutes and get off at Sakaemachi Station, followed by a 12-minute walk.
(3) Susukino Site
Ice sculptures line the city road along Nishi 4 Chome (Ekimae-dori) in Susukino, from Minami 4 Jo to Minami 7 Jo. There is an area where you can touch or even get on the ice sculptures here, as well as the Illumination Road and the Ice Bar serving hot drinks.
It is a short walk from Susukino Station on the Namboku Subway Line
* The above information is based on festivals held in the past.

Protect Yourself Against the Cold
The average winter temperature in Sapporo is -3.1 degrees C. There is often snowfall in February as well, so be sure to protect yourself from the cold. However, as indoor heating is set to high temperatures, it is advisable to wear layers that you can remove as needed. A good combination is to wear a long-sleeved undershirt beneath a long-sleeved T-shirt and a cardigan or fleece hoodie, with a down coat on top. It is best to bring gloves, a hat, a scarf, and a neck warmer as well. Wear tights and thick pants as well as thermal socks or thick socks, and having leg warmers on top will provide more warmth. Waterproof winter boots with non-slip soles are best for walking around in.