【February Exclusive】Don’t Miss Hokkaido’s Four Must-See Snow Festivals

By: Little Traveler Kid

A snowfall in Hong Kong is a big deal, butHokkaidois the ultimate time to play in the snow. February is the highlight of the annual snow festivities in the region. Every city puts in serious effort to impress visitors, and if you're already itching to see pristine snowy scenery, you might need to request a whole month off work. The reason? The following four major snow festivals are absolutely spectacular—missing even one would be a pity.

1. Attack of the GiantsSapporo

SapporoThe Sapporo Snow Festival is the crown jewel of all snow events, with attendance recently surpassing 2 million visitors. This year’s Sapporo Snow Festival will once again be held at three main venues: Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome Community Dome. The Odori Park venue, known for its massive snow and ice sculptures, will feature the super-popular “Attack on Titan.” 15It's like stepping into a land of giants!

Photo by Meredith P.
Aside from Attack on Titan, there are also other cute character displays around the venue.

67thSapporoSnow Festival
Location:SapporoOdori Park West 1-12 Chome (Odori Site)
SapporoTokiwa 885-1, Higashi-ku (Tsudome Community Center Site)
SapporoMinami 4, Chuo-ku (Susukino Site)
Website:www.snowfes.com
Dates: February 5–11 (Tsudome until February 18)

2. Adorable Snow Sculptures for Kids and Adults Alike

Skip the violent Titans—check out these cute and charming ones.AsahikawaWinter Festival ! Known for its massive snow sculptures, this year features colossal free-standing creations like Ultraman and Transformers several stories high, as well as...

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第 57 届AsahikawaWinter Festival
Dates: February 5 to 18
Time: 9am–5pm
Address:HokkaidoAsahikawaAlong the Ishikari River near Asahibashi Bridge, at Miyashita-dori 7-chome-dori, Heiwa-dori, and the Biei Park Shopping Area
Transport: JR AsahikawaStation — a 20-minute walk
Website:www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp

3. OtaruSnow Light Pathway — a must-visit for couples

In terms of scale and grandeur,Otarucan’t compare withSapporoorAsahikawaand other major snow festivals, but it still has great appeal. With candles lit all over the city, centered around the canal venue and spread throughout streets and alleys, there are as many as 140,000 candles, creating an extremely romantic atmosphere. Couples can stroll along the 300-meter stretch of the canal to admire floating candles and handcrafted snow lanterns.

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The 18thOtaruSnow Light Pathway
Dates: February 5 to 14
Address:HokkaidoOtaruCity, 1-chome 21, Midori
Transport: JR Otaru8-minute walk from the station

4. Ice Sculpture Stalactites & Colorful Ice Falls

Seeing snow formations resembling stalactites, you might almost think the staff are like Elsa, right? These icy columns form in a frigid environment, but they actually take about three months to create. There’s also an ice castle, ice falls, and an ice bar, all set off by colorful lighting. No matter how cold it gets, you’ll be too busy taking photos of these stunning artworks to feel the chill.

SounkyoIce Fall Festival

Dates: January 23 – March 27
Address:HokkaidoKamikawa TownSounkyoHot Springs
Access: Take a bus from JR Kamikawa Station for about 30 minutes and get off atSounkyoThen walk 5 minutes
Website:www.sounkyo.net

HokkaidoWhat else is there to see and do? Fever Travel has rounded up nearly 60Hokkaidomust-visit attractions—check them out now!
http://www.dcfever.com/travel/world.php?id=2084