Hokkaido · Sapporo
Sapporo Snow Festival
さっぽろ雪まつり
Monumental snow sculpture along Ōdōri Park — a postwar winter invention.
Next
4–11 February 2027
104 days away
Every year, 4 February, for 8 days
Future dates: 4 February 2027 · 4 February 2028 · 4 February 2029
Origin
It began in 1950 with snow statues built by local students. There is no religious root: it came from a change of mind about snow, from burden to material. The scale changed entirely once the Self-Defense Forces began building the largest sculptures.
What to look for
The large sculptures are demolished within days, so the festival is formally different every year. Lit and projected on at night, and showing its tool marks by day, it reads as two different events.
How to watch
Do not touch the sculptures — they fail. The pavement is ice, so your footwear genuinely matters. The three sites — Ōdōri, Susukino and Tsudome — share the same dates, but their daily opening hours differ.
Where
Ōdōri Park and other sites
Sapporo, Hokkaido
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