Snowy White Romance: Japan’s Top 10 Dreamy Snow Festivals

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department
 
In the past decade, the strongest cold wave has just swept through, causing rare snowfall in many parts of Taiwan and sparking a nationwide craze for chasing snow. Similarly, Japan, which has recently experienced heavy snowfall, is no exception—it has launched a series of grand snow festivals to celebrate the best snowy conditions of winter. Here, we’ve also specially compiled a list of Japan’s top 10 must-visit snow festivals, inviting everyone to step into a dreamy world of white snow together!

● Akita Prefecture | Yokote Kamakura Festival
Dates and times: February 15, 16, 2016 (Festival hours: 18:00 - 21:00)
To worship the water deity, Akita Prefecture has been holding snow festivals for over 450 years. During the festival, more than 100 snow huts are built in the city, children chant local poetry, and visitors can enter the huts to worship the water deity while tasting Japanese sweet sake and rice cakes.

● Hokkaido | Sapporo Snow Festival
Dates and times:
Odori Site: February 5 - 11, 2016 (Open 24 hours; lighting until 22:00)
Tsudome Community Dome Site: February 5 - 8, 2016 (Hours: 9:00-17:00)
Susukino Site: February 5 - 11, 2016 (Open 24 hours; lighting until 23:00. Until 22:00 on the final day)
The Sapporo Snow Festival is world-renowned for its vivid and intricate ice sculptures, held at three bustling spots across the city and attracting over 2 million visitors annually. The artworks, crafted from ice and snow, feature famous landmark sculptures and mythological figures lining the streets—a spectacular winter event not to be missed in a lifetime.

● Yamagata Prefecture | Zao Onsen Ice Monster Festival
Dates and times: January 9, 10, 16, 17, and 23 - February 28, 2016 (Total of 50 days; light show from 17:00 - 21:00)
Due to the region’s unique climate, trees on Mount Zao in Yamagata Prefecture naturally freeze into stunning natural artworks known as “snow monsters,” attracting visitors from around the globe. Near the “Jizo Mountain Station” of the Zao Ropeway, you can enjoy an especially breathtaking view—shimmering silver-white in daylight and glowing with colorful lights at night, truly a wonder of the world.

● Fukushima Prefecture | Aizu Yuki Tōrō Festival (Aizu Candle Wax Lantern Festival)
Dates and times: February 11 - 13, 2016 (Hours: 17:30 - 21:00)
“Aizu Yuki Tōrō” (Aizu candle wax lanterns) are among Fukushima Prefecture’s most traditional crafts, with a history of 500 years. The three-day Aizu Yuki Tōrō Festival features 5,000 lit candles spread throughout Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle, accompanied by concerts to create a serene atmosphere.
 ● Tochigi Prefecture | Yudanaka Onsen Snow Hut Festival
Dates and times:
Heike no Sato Main Site: January 23 - March 6, 2016 (Hours: 9:00 - 21:00)
Yudanaka Mizu no Sato Snow Park: January 30 - February 29, 2016 (Hours: 10:00 - 15:00)
Tochigi Prefecture is home to the Yudanaka Onsen Snow Hut Festival. Each winter, snow-laden streets adorned with snow huts, snowmen, and snow lanterns create the area’s most picturesque scenery. Visitors can reserve in advance to enjoy BBQ, local cuisine, desserts, and Japanese amazake (sweet sake) inside snow huts at “Heike no Sato.”
 ● Fukushima Prefecture | Ohachimachi Snow Festival “Onishige Noroshi” (Sacred Fire Relay)
Dates and times: February 13, 2016 (Starts at 13:00) and February 14 (Hours: 10:00 - 15:00)
The "Ouchi-juku," designated as a national traditional architecture preservation district, will host a 2-day snow festival in Fukuoka Prefecture. The venue will feature countless snow lanterns, along with various events such as a costume contest and a soba noodle eating competition. The highlight of the event is the nightly "Onishiki Ogiyaki," where men dressed in traditional fundoshi loincloths will light up each snow lantern with fire, followed by a spectacular fireworks display.