1 The 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival, a major winter event in Hokkaido (Sapporo City)

The Sapporo Snow Festival, which began in 1950 as a snow sculpture exhibition by local students, is now one of Hokkaido's largest winter events, attracting over 2 million visitors from Japan and abroad. At the Odori venue, various snow sculptures are lined up from 1-chome to 11-chome, and at night you can enjoy projection mapping and fantastical lighting. Each area has its own unique charm, such as the international snow sculpture competition with participants from around the world, the popular Tsudome venue with its giant slide, and the Susukino venue with its sparkling ice sculptures, making this an event where you can enjoy winter in Sapporo all day long.

2 Fantastic candles light up the night in Otaru at the 28th Otaru Snow Light Path Festival (Otaru City)

The Otaru Snow Light Path, a popular event that colors the winter in the port town of Otaru, is where countless candles light up the streets of Otaru. Every year, blown glass candle floats, the same type that were once used for herring fishing, float in the Otaru Canal, the main venue, creating a fantastical landscape. The former Japanese National Railways Temiya Line venue also has many candles and snow slides set up, attracting many local residents and tourists.

3 "Hokkaido Daisuki Discovery Team" Alolan Vulpix and Vulpix will be coming to the "67th Asahikawa Winter Festival 2026 ~Let's play with Vulpix~" (Asahikawa City)

The 67th Asahikawa Winter Festival in 2026 will feature Alolan Vulpix and Vulpix, who are active as the "Hokkaido Daisuki Discovery Team," and various events are planned, including large snow sculptures and greetings. In addition to the main snow sculpture exhibition, there will also be a giant snow maze, a stage, a winter market, and more.

4 Spectacular ice sculptures lit up in seven colors at the 51st Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival (Kamikawa Town)

The "Hyobaku Festival," a representative winter event at Sounkyo Onsen, takes advantage of the natural beauty of the deep gorge at the foot of Mount Daisetsu and features a spectacular array of ice sculptures that are created over a period of around three months. Every year, 30 ice sculptures of various sizes are lined up in a venue of around 10,000 square meters on the riverbed along the Ishikari River, and there are also plenty of other attractions, such as an ice room, an observation deck, a tube slide, and the Hyobaku Shrine. At night, the ice sculptures are lit up in seven different colors, and during the festival, fireworks are also launched against the backdrop of the ice sculptures.

5 The impressive ice sculptures shining in "Lake Shikotsu Blue" are a must-see at the "2026 Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival" (Chitose City)

The Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival is an ice festival held at Lake Shikotsu Hot Springs, 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 in a natural blue known as "Lake Shikotsu Blue" during the day. At night, they are lit up with colorful lights, making them like an "ice museum," captivating all who visit.

6 A wide selection of German gourmet food and Christmas goods at the 2025 Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo (Sapporo City)

This popular winter event was born out of exchanges with Sapporo's sister city, Munich, Germany. The venue in Odori Park West 2-chome is lined with booths selling Christmas goods, with a wide selection of authentic items like ornaments and snow globes. There are also food booths where you can sample German delicacies and mulled wine, as well as plenty of special events like Santa Claus greetings and mystery-solving events, making this a Christmas market that families and couples can enjoy.

7 A glittering floating tree and fireworks display at "2025 Hakodate Christmas Fantasy" (Hakodate City)

A huge Christmas tree decorated with approximately 150,000 lights will appear on the sea in front of Hakodate's landmark, the Red Brick Warehouses. In addition, fireworks will be launched at 6:00 PM, and you can enjoy the combination of fireworks and the tree lighting. In addition, the Premium Red Tree illuminations, which paint the tree bright red, will be lit up only three times a day.

8 The 45th Sapporo White Illumination, where the city of Sapporo is enveloped in light in winter (Sapporo City)

Now in its 45th year, the Sapporo White Illumination is a light event that symbolizes Sapporo's winter. The illuminations at the Odori venue, which stretches from 1-chome to 5-chome in Odori Park, are fantastical, featuring symbolic objects with winged designs and objects with motifs of lilacs, lilies of the valley, and roses. In addition to the Odori venue, five other venues - Sapporo Ekimae-dori, Akapla, Sapporo Station South Exit, and Minami Ichijo-dori - will be bathed in light.

9 Welcome the New Year with the impressive "Kita no Daimonji" (Kami-furano Town)

The "Kita no Daimonji" festival, held from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day at Hinode Park in Kamifurano, is a traditional event in which local young people take turns carrying the sacred fire of Mt. Tokachi to a giant "Dai" character painted on the slope, measuring 70m high and 50m wide. At midnight, a huge fireworks display is then launched to welcome the New Year.

10 The drift ice season and New Year's Day cruises are popular as well. "Garinko-go III ~2026 New Year's Day Cruise~" (Monbetsu City)

The drift ice that appears in the Sea of Okhotsk between the end of January and mid-March each year attracts many tourists, and the icebreaker Garinko-go III, which uses a large drill to break up the drift ice, is a winter specialty. On New Year's Day 2026, an early New Year's Day cruise will be held, where you can board Garinko-go III and watch the first sunrise of the year rise from the horizon of the Sea of Okhotsk. Enjoy an unobstructed 360-degree panoramic view for 45 minutes, welcoming the light of the new year.

11 The 61st Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival (Abashiri City) brings color to Abashiri's winter with snow and ice sculptures

This famous winter event in Abashiri, held every February, features impressive snow sculptures and beautiful ice sculptures, as well as a variety of other events. Continuing from 2025, the festival will be held under the theme of "SAVE THE ICE SAVE THE EARTH (protecting drift ice means protecting the Earth)."

12 The 63rd Monbetsu Drift Ice Festival (Monbetsu City) livens up the winter in Monbetsu, the "town of drift ice."

The Drift Ice Festival is a symbol of winter in Monbetsu, known as the "town of drift ice." Drift ice was once considered a nuisance because it blocked the sea, but it was born in 1963 with the idea of using it to revitalize the region. The 63rd festival will be held from February 6th to 8th in 2026.

If you're planning on visiting Hokkaido in winter, check this out in advance! Be sure to take precautions against the cold.