1 The 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival: Hokkaido's Premier Winter Extravaganza (Sapporo)

Starting in 1950 as a local student snow sculpture exhibition, the Sapporo Snow Festival has grown into Hokkaido's largest winter event, attracting over two million visitors from Japan and abroad. The main Odori Site stretches from 1-chome to 11-chome, showcasing a variety of snow sculptures that are fantastically lit up at night and feature projection mapping displays. Each site offers a unique charm, from the International Snow Sculpture Contest and giant snow slides at the popular Tsudome Site to the glistening ice sculptures at the Susukino Site, making it an event where you can enjoy winter in Sapporo all day long.

2 The 28th Otaru Snow Light Path: Illuminating Otaru's Nights with Fantastical Candles (Otaru)

The Otaru Snow Light Path is a popular event that brightens the winter in the port town of Otaru, with countless candles illuminating the streets. At the main Otaru Canal venue, hand-blown glass float candles, the same type once used for herring fishing, float on the water, creating a magical scene. The Former Japan National Railways Temiya Line site is also filled with many candles and snow slides, bustling with locals and tourists alike.

3 The 67th Asahikawa Winter Festival 2026 - Let's Play with Vulpix!: Featuring Alolan Vulpix & Vulpix from Hokkaido's "I Love It" Discovery Team (Asahikawa)

The 67th Asahikawa Winter Festival in 2026 will feature Alolan Vulpix & Vulpix, who are active as Hokkaido's "I Love It" Discovery Team. Various activities are planned, including a large snow sculpture and meet-and-greets. In addition to the main snow sculpture display, there will be a giant snow maze, stage performances, and a winter market.

4 The 51st Sounkyo Onsen Icefall Festival: Breathtaking Ice Sculptures Lit Up in Seven Colors (Kamikawa)

The Icefall (Hyobaku) Festival, a signature winter event in Sounkyo Onsen, showcases stunning ice creations made over approximately three months, taking advantage of the natural beauty of the deep gorge at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountains. The venue, spanning about 10,000 square meters along the Ishikari River, typically features around 30 large and small ice sculptures. There are plenty of other attractions, including ice rooms, an observation deck, a tube slide, and an icefall shrine. At night, the ice sculptures are illuminated with seven colors of light, and fireworks are launched against the backdrop of the ice sculptures during the festival period.

5 The 2026 Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival: A Must-See Spectacle of Ice Sculptures Glowing in "Lake Shikotsu Blue" (Chitose)

The Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival (Hyoto Matsuri) is a festival of ice held at Lake Shikotsu Onsen, located about an hour's drive from Sapporo and 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport. The ice sculptures, created by spraying water from Lake Shikotsu, shine with a natural blue hue known as "Lake Shikotsu Blue" during the day. At night, they are illuminated by colorful lights, transforming the area into a mesmerizing "ice museum" that captivates visitors.

6 The 2025 Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo: A Festive Gathering of German Gourmet Food and Christmas Goods (Sapporo)

This popular winter event was born from the cultural exchange between Sapporo and its sister city, Munich, Germany. At the Odori Park Nishi 2-chome venue, booths selling Christmas goods line the area, offering authentic items like ornaments and snow globes. There are also food booths where you can enjoy German specialty gourmet food and Glühwein (mulled wine), as well as special events like Santa Claus meet-and-greets and puzzle-solving activities, making it a Christmas market that families and couples can enjoy.

7 The 2025 Hakodate Christmas Fantasy: A Dazzling Floating Christmas Tree and Fireworks Display (Hakodate)

A giant Christmas tree, adorned with approximately 150,000 illuminations, appears on the sea in front of Hakodate's landmark, the Red Brick Warehouses. At 6:00 PM, fireworks are launched, creating a spectacular display in collaboration with the tree lighting. Additionally, the Premium Red Tree illumination, which bathes the tree in a brilliant red, takes place three times a day for a limited time.

8 The 45th Sapporo White Illumination: Bathing the Winter Streets of Sapporo in Light (Sapporo)

Celebrating its 45th year, the Sapporo White Illumination is a light event that symbolizes winter in Sapporo. The illuminations at the Odori Site, stretching from 1-chome to 5-chome in Odori Park, are all fantastical, featuring a symbolic object with wing motifs and other objects inspired by lilacs, lilies of the valley, and rugosa roses. In addition to the Odori Site, a total of five venues will be bathed in light, including Sapporo Ekimae-dori, Akapla, Sapporo Station South Exit, and Minami 1-jo Dori.

9 Kita no Daimonji: Welcoming the New Year with a Massive Bonfire Character (Kamifurano)

Held from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day at Hinode Park in Kamifurano, "Kita no Daimonji" is a traditional event where local youths relay a sacred fire from Mount Tokachi to ignite a giant "Dai" (大) character, measuring 70 meters tall and 50 meters wide, drawn on the hillside. At midnight, welcoming the new year, a large fireworks display is launched.

10 Garinko-go III - 2026 New Year's Day Cruise: Popular During Drift Ice Season and for Its First Sunrise Cruise (Monbetsu)

The "drift ice" that arrives in the Sea of Okhotsk from late January to mid-March each year fascinates many tourists, and the icebreaker ship "Garinko-go III," which plows through the ice with its large drills, is a winter specialty. On New Year's Day 2026, a special New Year's Day cruise will be held, allowing passengers to board the Garinko-go III early and watch the first sunrise of the year from the horizon of the Sea of Okhotsk. You can enjoy a moving 45-minute experience, welcoming the new year's light with an unobstructed 360-degree panoramic view.

11 The 61st Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival: Brightening Abashiri's Winter with Snow and Ice Sculptures (Abashiri)

This signature winter event in Abashiri, held every February, features impressive snow sculptures and beautiful ice statues, along with various other enjoyable activities. Continuing from 2025, the festival will be held under the theme "SAVE THE ICE SAVE THE EARTH."

12 The 63rd Monbetsu Drift Ice Festival: A Winter Celebration in the "Drift Ice Town" of Monbetsu (Monbetsu)

This drift ice festival symbolizes winter in Monbetsu, a town known as the "drift ice town." Although the drift ice was once considered a nuisance because it closed off the sea, the festival was born in 1963 from the idea of turning it into a tool for regional revitalization. The 63rd festival in 2026 will be held from February 6 to 8.

Check Before You Go! How to Prepare for Hokkaido's Winter and Stay Warm