One of the main reasons for me being in Japan is the Sapporo Snow Festival. This is something that’s been on my list ever since I first came to Japan in 2017. Being someone who prefers the colder climates, the Snow festival has my name written all over it! As with most things, the Snow festival has been cancelled during the pandemic. But I’m here now and I’m excited to explore!
The Snow festival takes place in two locations: The Odori Site and the Susukino Site.
Odori Site
Leaving my hotel I make my way to the Odori Site first. It takes place in Sapporo’s Odori Park which is a long narrow park that stretches over several city blocks. This is the largest site and is probably considered the main site of the Sapporo Snow Festival. Most of the festivities take place here and is home to all the snow sculptures. Attendees walk through the site in a counter clockwise direction. So depending on where you enter, everyone moves in one direction and eventually circles back to where you started.
I enter around the “Art Square” and make my way towards the Sapporo TV Tower. As I near the park, I get pretty excited seeing some of the sculptures come into view.
Underneath the TV Tower is where there are several stands setup to sell all manner of food. This is also probably the most crowded part as everyone is scrambling to get their hands on some very delicious treats! While there are tons of items on offer, I end up picking up a skewer of Hokkaido Beef, some Hokkaido Asahikawa Hot Sake, and a freshly grilled Scallop.
The Snow Sculptures
There are a variety of different sculptures throughout the park. Most sculptures are small and made by different groups or individuals. It would be too much to upload photos of all of them, so hopefully these few will show some of the creativity and awesomeness of them!
Scattered throughout the park are a few large sculptures that are the size of buildings! They’re massive in scale and in some cases they are used as stages for various performances or shows!
As I circle around the path, I get back to one of the central areas, only to see a crowd forming. When I get closer I hear music and notice that its coming from this glass dome with someone inside it. Low and behold, there is a concert going on! The pianist sitting inside the dome is playing some sort of synthesizer and it is being projected to the immediate area. It had a very musical recital-esque feel since after each performance another young artist comes up to play his/her piece.
McDonald’s
After spending a good chunk of the morning and early afternoon at the Odori Site, I start heading south towards the Susukino site. On the way I stop by a McDonald’s for a snack and to pick up some uniquely Japanese menu items. On offer are the Ebi Burger, the Shaka Shaka Chicken and a Oreo Swirl pie. One of the great things about visiting McDonald’s in different countries is seeing how different some of their menu items are. All three of these items really hit the spot! Who’s to say McDonald’s isn’t a destination itself while travelling!
Susukino Site
After leaving McDonald’s I wander over to the Susukino Site. This site is the home to all the Sapporo Snow Festival Ice Sculptures. There are some fairly elaborate sculptures on display here. There are also some that raise an eyebrow or two as well! I think what’s cool about visiting the Susukino site, is that you still see some of the sculptures being worked on. So you get to see some of the carvers exercise their craft for all to see!
Since the Susukino Site is smaller, I only needed to spend an hour or two walking through it before I arrive at the end. From there, I decide to head back to my hotel to rest a little.
Sapporo Snow Festival at Night
By the time I wake up and make my way out into the cold again its fully evening. I know that the festival also runs into the evening so I’m eager to not only see what everything looks like at night, I’m also curious to see what entertainment is available too! As I approach the Odori site, I can see that many of the sculptures have their own lighting and its almost like its a completely different park!
I’m also impressed to see that what looks like a regular sculpture during the day has turned into the focal point of an anime themed “party”!
In fact, I soon discover that every large sculpture is also the site of some media entertainment at night. I really like this because it gives the sculptures a whole different avenue for them to be enjoyed!
I think its super cool that what is an already super impressive massive snow sculpture. Turns into a backdrop for a multimedia show at night. What is also cool is that the organizers have staggered the “show’s” start times. So when one completes, you have enough time to walk to the next sculpture before it starts. If you can find the right Cadence, you can see all the shows without missing out of anything.
Ramen Alley
After walking the full loop around the Odori Site, I start to think about food. I make my way towards Ramen Alley. This is a famous alley in Sapporo that is home to over 15 Ramen shops in a very small space. What’s crazy is that almost all of them have fairly long lines to get in. Not having done much research about which specific store to go into. I line up for one that looks to have a reasonable line.
After getting a seat. I order some Gyozas along with what I believe to be a Sapporo specialty: Miso butter ramen. It’s a miso ramen but with a stick of butter in it! I can safely say that after waiting out in freezing temperatures for a while. Nothing is more satisfying than a hot bowl of ramen. No wonder this spot is SO popular!
Susukino Site at Night
After existing Ramen Alley, I am only a block away from the Susukino Site again. So I decide to pop over and check out what the ice sculptures look like at night. I’d like to say it is as impressive as the snow sculptures but I can’t. While it’s still nice to see, I think it lacks some of the showmanship that the snow sculptures have. Nonetheless it is still a very nice brisk stroll through a snowy Sapporo!
I eventually make my way back to my hotel, ready to turn in. But not before I hop across the street from my hotel to have the first of many Hokkaido milk ice creams! This is something I was introduced to on my first trip to Japan. And now that I am here at the source, how could I not have some?!
After my quick dessert, I finally return to my room. Tomorrow I will be heading to the home of Sapporo Beer!
Amazing sculptures and multimedia touch! Thanks for sharing!
nice information and good article thank you