1 "CRAFTLAND", a new hands-on festival of music, food and crafts in Sapporo (Sapporo City)

Image credit: CRAFTLAND

A new outdoor event will be born in early summer in Sapporo. With the theme of "CRAFT," CRAFTLAND will offer a variety of experiences, including music, food and drink, and workshops that will make you fall in love with craftsmanship.

Image credit: CRAFTLAND

In addition to individual artists performing live, there will also be collaborations and guest artists performing live only at "CRAFTLAND," which cannot be seen at other events. If you stay at the "Auto Resort Takino" campground in the National Takino Suzuran Hillside Park, where the event will be held, you will be able to experience the real thrill of an outdoor event.

2 "2024 Shiraoi Beef Festival" (Shiraoi Town), an event to taste Shiraoi beef and other Japanese beef outdoors for the first time in five years

Image credit: Shiraoi Town

The popular festival where you can enjoy Shiraoi beef to your heart's content is back for the first time in five years. The festival's specialty is the powerful "whole grilled Japanese black beef" which is cooked right in front of you by a whole cow. One of the highlights of the festival is that visitors can purchase tickets in advance and grill the meat themselves on charcoal stoves set up in the festival hall.

Image credit: Shiraoi Town

Shiraoi beef-based dishes such as hamburgers and burgers will be sold at the event. In addition, gourmet foods such as "Matsuzaka Beef" and "Fukushima Beef" will be offered, so you can compare them with "Shiraoi Beef," which is the representative brand of beef in Hokkaido.

3 Port Town's Nish in and Scallop Festival "Otaru Shukatsu Nishin/Otate Festival" (Otaru City)

Image credit: Otaru Shukatsu Tanagekai

Shukatsu, Otaru City, is an area that retains the history of a fishing village community that prospered through herring fishing. The "Otaru Shukatsu Nishin Otate Festival" is held in such an area. You can enjoy delicious herring and scallops and scallops from Otaru as much as you like.

(Image credit: Otaru Shukatsu Tanagekai)

In addition to herring and scallops that you can enjoy grilled the way you like, you can also enjoy direct sales of fish and shellfish such as flounder, sea urchin, and giant clam, isogani fishing and scallop fishing, and other experiences unique to the port town.

4 Music festival in the forest "OTO TO TABI presents Shake Concert 2024" (Sapporo)

Image courtesy of minaco.

Launched in 2022, "Shake Concert" will be held again this year in Sapporo Geijutsu no Mori. The festival will be more powerful than last year, with live music as well as comedy and other live stages, and an expanded area for food, drink, and miscellaneous goods vendors.

Image courtesy of minaco.

The outdoor stage of Sapporo Geijutsu no Mori, the venue of the festival, is a grassy area surrounded by nature that is perfect for feeling the pleasant early summer. Visitors can enjoy the festival in a variety of ways, from relaxing on leisure sheets to standing up and having a good time.

5 Lake Shikotsu Lake Festival, an event to feel early summer by the beautiful lake (Chitose City)

Image credit: Chitose Tourism Federation

This is a summer festival held at Lake Shikotsu, which boasts the best water quality in Japan. From stage events such as street performances and taiko drum performances to exhibits and test-rides of eco-friendly vehicles, this festival is a festival that is unique to Lake Shikotsu's excellent natural environment.

(Image credit: Chitose Tourist Federation)

Lake Shikotsu chips (hime-masu), for which the fishing season opens in June every year, are grilled and sold. It is a very popular item and is often sold out quickly. Please enjoy the festival full of nature and Lake Shikotsu in the pleasant early summer weather.

6 The 57th Okito Summer Festival and the 47th Human Banma Tournament (Okito Town)

Image credit: Okito Town

The Oketo Summer Festival is one of the most popular summer events in Oketo. One of the must-see events is the "Human Banma Tournament," which is synonymous with Okito Town. Participants and spectators alike get into a heated competition in which teams pull iron sleds loaded with logs to the finish line.

(Image credit: Okito Town)

Other events include a stage show with dancing and performances, as well as a raffle with great prizes. At the end of the event, there will be a fireworks display to close out the festival.

7 Making early summer memories with the cityscape of Sapporo below you "Moiwa Mountain Day" (Sapporo )

Image credit: Sapporo Moiwayama Ropeway

This event is held on May 31, "Moiwa Mountain Day," in honor of the 531-meter-high Mt. Moiwa, which is located almost in the center of Sapporo City.

(Image credit: Sapporo Moiwa Ropeway)

In addition to a traveling zoo, insect exhibits, magic shows, and kitchen car exhibits, a photo contest will be held at the same time. You can enter with photos taken during the event, so leave your memories of beautiful scenery and wonderful smiles.

8 "Green Belt Festival" with work trucks and heavy equipment rides (Chitose City )

Image credit: Chitose City Environmental Improvement Cooperative Association

This festival is held at the Green Belt, a series of several plazas near Chitose Station. There are many attractions for children to enjoy, such as a ride on the Skymaster (a high-elevation work vehicle), which is popular every year and allows visitors to look over the venue, and a ride on mini heavy machinery.

(Image credit: Chitose City Environmental Maintenance Cooperative Association)

With performances on stage and more than 30 kitchen cars and food stalls at the venue, this event is recommended for a family weekend outing.

9 A variety of delicious gourmet foods lined up in front of the station "Gourmet! All Together in Hokuto 2024" (Hokuto City)

Image credit: Hokuto City

Delicacies from southern Hokkaido and Tohoku gather in Hokuto City. The street in front of Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station will be turned into a pedestrian paradise, lined with gourmet stalls from Hokuto City, the surrounding areas, and even Tohoku.

(Image credit: Hokuto City)

In addition to gourmet stalls, there will also be a stage performance by a brass band. The festival will be held in front of Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, making it possible for visitors to drop in on the Shinkansen bullet train to Hokkaido.

10 Workshops on theater will also be held "GENMAKU GRAPHIC BAND #39 1/2 "Dekkyo Anniversary"" (Sapporo )

Image credit: Genmaki Band

GENMARUKI GRAPHIC DANCE is a theater company from Sapporo that performs not only in Hokkaido but also throughout Japan. Since 2017, GENMARUKI GRAPHIC DANCE has been performing "Dekutei Kinenhi," a piece born in Okinawa and set in the local area. The highlight of the piece is a mysterious original stage production in which multiple actors play each character interchangeably, which is unique to the stage.

Image credit: Gemmaku Band

The performance will be presented as a satellite program of the Sapporo Theatre Season 2024, a festival in which plays will be performed daily at theaters throughout Sapporo, with a performance in Okinawa scheduled for June 29. A workshop using an actual stage set is also planned as a related event.