Sapporo Snow Festival 2026

While Tokyo itself is rich with winter activities, there are other incredible destinations worth exploring during a winter visit.

This 2026 winter season has been quite an eventful one. Starting last autumn with bizarre appearances by wild boars and wild bears coming dangerously close to humans (luckily the bears are in hibernation mode right now so you have nothing to fear!), and we've seen some record snowfall in the northern part of Japan. It's been a bit of a crazy season out there with the amount of picture perfect, fluffy, lovely snowfall. But, isn't that what most of us love about Japan? So here are some major highlights for anyone looking to have a fully-fledged winter experience:

One of the most famous seasonal events — the Sapporo Snow Festival — runs from February 4–11, 2026 in Hokkaido. Enormous snow and ice sculptures line multiple sites including Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome, with breathtaking art and illuminated sculptures after dark. Pictured below is the Pièce de Resistance of the 2025 season. You can enjoy warm drinks while walking around in the Sapporo Snow Village, surrounded by incredible artworks created entirely of snow, made specially for the Snow Festival. If you find yourself in Japan at the right time, the Sapporo Snow Festival is a real must-visit.

Sapporo Snow Festival (Feb 4th - 11th)

What started out as a display of six snow sculptures created by local junior and high school students in 1950 has become the Sapporo Snow Festival, the largest winter event in Sapporo that attracts more than two million visitors from both Japan and abroad every year. Snow sculptures of various sizes adorn the 1.5 kilometer stretch spanning from 1 to 12 chome in Odori Park. These sculptures are also lit up from sun down to 10:00pm.

The International Snow Sculpture Contest is hosted at 11-chome, drawing contestants from around the world. During the event, visitors can even catch a glimpse of the contestants at work here. At the Tsudomu Site, you will find attractions such as the giant slide and both indoor and outdoor events for visitors to enjoy the snow. At the Susukino Site, you will find the ice sculpture contest, illuminated ice sculptures, and an ice bar.

Be sure to book your car with GoRide so you can arrive comfortable and energized to fully enjoy this unique winter wonderland event!