Sapporo Snow Festival: How Six Snow Statues Became a Winter Spectacle

Updated October 15, 2026 | By Tokyo Paul

The story begins with a pile of snow that nobody wanted. In Sapporo, residents once hauled the snow they shoveled from streets and yards to Odori Park, a long green strip through the middle of the city, and left it there. In 1950, middle and high school students looked at the mounds and saw material. They built six snow sculptures, and that small act became the first Sapporo Snow Festival. About 50,000 people came to see the statues, far more than anyone expected.

Today the festival is held every February and ranks among the best-known winter events in Japan. Giant sculptures rise above the park, ice figures glow in the nightlife district, and families slide down snow hills at a dome on the edge of town. Visitor numbers have reached more than two and a half million in a single year. This guide explains how the festival grew, what each venue offers, and how to plan a trip that works in deep winter.

From Six Statues to a National Event

The early festivals were a student project. In 1953, a sculpture of 15 meters titled Shoten (ascension), built by a Sapporo high school, broke the old limit of 7 meters and showed how big snow art could become. Sapporo citizens added their own work by the fifth festival, and the Ground Self-Defense Force joined in at the sixth, in 1955. By 1959, about 2,500 people were taking part in building sculptures.

That military support is still central. Self-Defense Force personnel lead the construction of many of the largest pieces, and in winters with little snow they bring it in from outside the city. Around 2,000 people, including volunteers, help run the festival each year. An International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held since 1974, adding teams from other countries and making the event a place where snow art is judged as an international craft.

A Festival That Kept Moving

The festival has not always been a three-site event. A ski ground called Araiyama hosted a second site for a single year in 1956, and from 1965 a second site operated at Makomanai, which closed in 2005. From 2006 the event moved to a site called Sato-Land until it closed in 2008, and then Tsudome took over in 2009. A fourth site was added at Nakajima Park from 1990 for a number of years, and the Susukino site arrived in 1983.

The scale has changed along the way. Today the festival displays about 200 sculptures across its three sites, while the record of 366 was set at the 43rd festival. The 69th festival, held in 2018, drew about 2.54 million visitors, a sign of how far the idea had traveled from its first 50,000 guests. Hokkaido's capital now treats the event as a signature of its winter identity. What has not changed is the basic idea that began in 1950: ordinary residents and a little snow, shaped into something that gives a long winter a reason to be outdoors.

Odori Park, Home of the Giants

Odori is the main site and the one people picture first. The park stretches from Nishi 1-chome to Nishi 11-chome, and the 77th festival lists five large snow sculptures planned for the 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10-chome blocks. Teams often choose famous buildings, characters and landmarks, and the biggest pieces are several stories tall. Snow has to be packed hard into wooden frames before carving starts, which is why the work begins well before the opening day. Sculptors can add fine details, such as carved windows, columns and rooftop ornaments, that show how far the craft has developed.

The scale is easier to appreciate on the ground, where each sculpture towers over the crowd. Between the giants you will find smaller works made by citizens, along with food stalls selling hot drinks and local snacks. After dark, the sculptures are lit with colored light, which changes the mood of the park completely. The park also holds the Sapporo TV Tower, which offers a view over the whole length of the festival grounds from the observation deck.

Susukino and Its Ice Sculptures

The Susukino site joined the festival in 1983 as its third location. It is known for ice sculptures, carved from clear blocks and displayed along the street in the entertainment district, a short stretch from the main park. Ice behaves differently from snow, and it catches the light in a different way, so the figures can look like glass when lit from within. Competitions at this site honor the ice carvers' skill and often have a theme.

Because Susukino is Sapporo's famous nightlife area, it makes an easy evening stop after Odori. Odori and Susukino are one subway stop apart. The ice sculptures are typically lit until about 11 p.m. on most days, with an earlier finish on the final night, so check the schedule each year. Afterward, the neighborhood offers the dishes that Sapporo is famous for, including miso ramen, soup curry and grilled lamb.

Tsudome, the Family Venue

The Tsudome site opened in 2009 in place of the earlier Sato-Land site, and it has a different personality from the other two. It is built around play. Visitors can ride snow slides and try a snow rafting area, and it suits children and families who want to touch the snow rather than only look at it. It has historically run for longer than the Odori and Susukino sites, and it is open in the daytime.

Tsudome is a little farther out. From Sakaemachi Station on the Toho subway line it is about a 15-minute walk, and frequent shuttle buses run between the station and the dome for 200 yen one way. From Sapporo Station the trip takes around 10 minutes by train. There is no parking near the dome, so public transport is the practical choice. Hours and attractions at Tsudome can change, so check the official site before heading out.

Plan Your Visit

The 77th festival is scheduled for 4 to 11 February 2027. These dates are based on current listings, so confirm them on the official festival site before booking. Rooms in Sapporo fill early for the festival, and prices climb, so book flights and accommodation as soon as you can. New Chitose Airport connects to central Sapporo by train in roughly 40 minutes. Odori and Susukino have traditionally been free to walk through, while some Tsudome attractions and tower views may carry a fee.

Sapporo in February is cold. Wear insulated boots with good grip, layers, gloves and a hat, and add pocket warmers if you tend to feel the cold. Sculptures are most dramatic after sunset, but daytime visits let you see the carving detail. Avoid flying drones over the venues, which is prohibited. An audio translation app has been offered in several languages, and you can ask at the tourist information center at JR Sapporo Station about what is available.