The Winter Delight of the Sapporo Snow Festival

This year, more than two million visitors will flock to Sapporo to celebrate the annual Sapporo Snow Festival to be held February 5 to 11. This is the 64th year that this winter celebration will happen.

Where is Sapporo?

 

The city of Sapporo is located in the Hokkaido Prefecture. Sapporo is the fourth most populated city in Japan, home to more than 1.9 million residents. At the same time, it is the largest city in the Japanese island of Hokkaido, measuring more than 432 square miles, or 1,121 square kilometers.

Sapporo first came into international attention when it hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. This was the first time that an Asian city hosted the Olympics. Today, the Sapporo Snow Festival is an international event that fosters camaraderie among nations and is a top tourist draw of the country.

Yuki Matsuri

This much-awaited winter festival is known to the Japanese as Yuki Matsuri. The first Sapporo Snow Festival was held in 1950.

Since Sapporo receives an average snowfall of 248 inches a year, it is the perfect venue for a winter festival. The main location for this exciting annual event is held at Odori Park, while the Ice Festival can be found at Susukino. Another event site can be found at the Sapporo Satoland.

For a week in February, Sapporo’s landscape is transformed to a winter paradise, dotted with at least 400 snow sculptures or various shapes and sizes. The amazing snow and ice structures and sculptures are built by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), which is responsible for the internal security of the country.

History of the Sapporo Snow Festival

 

The very first Snow Festival in the city was in 1950. It only had six snow sculptures. Back then, only six students from local high schools made the snow sculptures. It was only five years later that the JGSDF became involved in the annual event and popularized the massive snow sculptures.

Over the years, each festival has a special theme, often revolving around popular cities from around the globe.

Snow Contest

One of the exciting aspects of the Snow Festival is the Snow Sculpture Contest wherein delegates from various countries also participate.

This year, there are 13 teams that will be showcasing their work at the 40th International Snow Statue Contest of the festival. Delegates from India, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Chile, Thailand, Daejeon (Korea), New Zealand, Hawaii, Portland, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will be joining. The contestants have three days to complete their snow statue.

Sapporo: Where Miso Ramen originated

The rest of the year, Sapporo is host to various annual events, such as the Pacific Music Festival, which was started in 1990. In 1992, the Yosakoi Soran Festival was initiated.

 

Other than these festivals, Sapporo is where miso ramen originated. In fact, as a tribute to this delicious cuisine, there is even a ramen-inspired theme park, The Sapporo Ramen Republic. For tourists who go to the Sapporo festival, a nice hot bowl of Sapporo ramen is the perfect fix after a day of sightseeing the amazing snow sculptures.