The festival of snow that closes out winter.

67th Sapporo Snow Festival

There are three venues. The main one is the Odori venue, which runs east to west through the heart of Sapporo. Across roughly 1.5km, spanning Blocks 1 through 12, countless snow and ice sculptures line the park, ranging from massive works up to 17 meters tall down to small ones made by ordinary residents. In recent years, projection mapping — layering video onto the sculptures to create dynamic movement — has become a firmly established feature too. Beyond that, there's a huge variety on offer, from ski jumps and skating rinks to slides and mazes. Visitors of every age enjoyed themselves — savoring Hokkaido cuisine and international dishes while taking in the sights at a leisurely pace, or playing on the slides.

If the Odori venue is snow, the Susukino venue is ice. Under the name "Susukino Ice World 2016," 60 ice sculptures line the usually taxi-clogged street in front of the station, between Minami 4-jo and Minami 7-jo. True to its reputation as one of Japan's premier entertainment districts, an ice bar was set up as well — the deep, rich flavor of hot whisky is something only the depths of a Sapporo winter can truly deliver.
A bit further from central Sapporo, the "Tsu Dome" venue is a snow playground. Lined with large slides and tube sliders, plus snow park golf, bamboo skiing, and "snow rafting" — where a raft is towed by snowmobile across the snow — it offers plenty of snow activities for the whole family to enjoy.
A festival where everyone can find their own way to enjoy it. Whichever venue you visit, it's packed with the charm of winter — and the charm of Sapporo itself.