1 Flowers, Music, and Food to Color Sapporo's Spring: The 2026 Sapporo Lilac Festival (Sapporo)

This event brings a splash of spring color to Sapporo's Odori Park. The Odori Park venue, spanning from 5-chome to 7-chome, has a different theme for each section. You'll find corners for shopping for flowers, tea, and miscellaneous goods, terraces where you can enjoy cafes, sweets, and craft beer with music, and a wine garden featuring Hokkaido wines and gourmet food. There are also plenty of stage performances, including live music and a brass band festival. At the Kawashimo Park venue, about 200 varieties of lilacs are in full bloom, where you can also enjoy walks, quiz rallies, and workshops.

2 A Breathtaking View of Hills Dyed Yellow: The Takikawa Canola Flower Festival (Takikawa)

This event is held when the canola fields spread across the hills of Takikawa City are in full bloom. Boasting one of the largest cultivation areas in Japan, the landscape transforms into a stunning view resembling a yellow carpet. At a special venue open only on weekends, you can admire the flowers up close. We also recommend viewing the fields using a guided taxi or rental cycle. Additionally, a Gourmet Festa will be held at Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station) Takikawa, where you can enjoy local cuisine and limited-edition sweets.

3 Enjoy Night Illuminations and Food Stalls at a Historic Cherry Blossom Spot: The 78th Matsumae Cherry Blossom Festival (Matsumae)

A classic spring festival held in Matsumae, one of Hokkaido's premier cherry blossom destinations. With about 10,000 cherry trees in full bloom and a wide variety of species, it's a spot where you can enjoy flower viewing for an extended period. At night, the trees are lit up, creating a magical atmosphere different from the daytime. During the festival, food stalls line the park, offering treats like yakitori, grilled seafood, and festival games. There will also be a stamp rally where you can get a "Sakura Calendar" and various stage events.

4 A Spring Festival Packed with Fun, from a T-Rex Race to Stage Events: The 77th Morimachi Cherry Blossom Festival (Mori)

A popular spring event in Morimachi that attracts visitors from both near and far. During the festival, in addition to the cherry blossom light-up, there will be a variety of stage events including singing shows, taiko drum performances, and magic shows. A special highlight is the unique "T-Rex Race," where participants run in Tyrannosaurus costumes, filling the venue with laughter and excitement. With an inflatable playground and hands-on booths, it's a festival where families with children can have fun all day long.

5 Wrapped in the Sweet Scent of Moss Phlox: The 42nd Higashimokoto Moss Phlox Festival (Ozora)

This event is held at Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park, a popular spot where moss phlox covers a small hill. The pink flowers spreading over approximately 100,000 square meters are as beautiful as a carpet. During the event period, there will be performance stages, live music, and food and drink sales. You can also take a leisurely tour of the park on a sightseeing car, and the view from the observation deck is a must-see. With facilities like go-karts and a fishing pond, it's also perfect for a family outing.

6 Crabs Flying Overhead!? A Festival to Boldly Savor Post-Drift Ice Horsehair Crab: The Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri (Abashiri)

A gourmet event where you can fully enjoy the spring delicacy of the Okhotsk region, the "Ryuhyo-ake Kegani" (horsehair crab caught after the drift ice has left). The biggest highlight is the famous "Kani-maki" event, where crabs are thrown into the air for participants to catch. Participation is by a same-day lottery with tickets, but you can also reserve tickets, making it possible for those from far away to join. In addition, various food and drinks are sold at the venue each year, including boiled crab and other seafood dishes.

7 A Scenic Early Summer Stroll Through Canola Fields: The Canola Flower Walk 2026 (Abira)

A popular early summer event held in the canola fields spread across the hills of Abira Town. There are plenty of hands-on activities, such as the "Canola Drive," where you can tour the fields in a covered wagon pulled by a tractor, and the "Canola Walkway," where you can walk through fields that are normally inaccessible. A limited-time "Nanohana Café" and information center will also be set up at the roadside station, where you can enjoy canola-themed gourmet food and a town-wide stamp rally.

8 The Excitement of a National Sweets Expo Returns: After Sweets Expo Asahikawa 2026 (Asahikawa)

This large-scale sweets event in Asahikawa carries on the excitement of last year's highly popular "Asahikawa Kashi-haku 2025." It will feature the "Mogumogu Market," with famous confections from all over Japan, and an all-you-can-eat sweets buffet with about 25 kinds of cakes and Japanese sweets. There are also plenty of participatory events, such as the "Sweets Koshien," a collaboration between high school students and local shops, and hands-on sweet-making workshops. You can also enjoy gourmet food, stage performances, and exhibits during these three special days filled with sweet happiness.

9 Enjoy Full-Bloom Cherry Blossoms and Seafood at the Same Time: The 77th Akkeshi Cherry Blossom and Oyster Festival (Akkeshi)

A cherry blossom festival where you can enjoy both the flowers and gourmet food of Akkeshi Town. Under the fully bloomed cherry trees, you can savor the town's famous oysters and clams, grilled over charcoal. The festival features a popular event where you can grab large oysters with one hand, as well as a clam-grabbing event for children. There are also plenty of stage events, including live music and performances. It's an event where you can fully enjoy the spring flavors and lively atmosphere of Akkeshi.

10 A Spring Feast of Seasonal Seafood and Local Delicacies: The Mashike Spring Flavor Festival 2026 (Mashike)

A festival where you can fully enjoy the spring flavors of Mashike Town. The venue will be lined with food stalls offering unique local seafood products, grilled and fried foods, allowing you to taste the seasonal gourmet of Mashike. The lively atmosphere is also a highlight, with stage events such as live music and a Mikagura Togyo (sacred music and dance procession). At the concurrently held Sake Brewery Festival, you can also enjoy limited-edition sake and servings of amazake (sweet, non-alcoholic sake).

11 700,000 Tulips of 200 Varieties in Full Bloom: The Yubetsu Tulip Fair (Yubetsu)

One of Hokkaido's premier flower events, featuring 700,000 tulips of about 200 varieties in full bloom. The vast park is filled with colorful tulips, creating a breathtaking spectacle when they are at their peak. There are various ways to enjoy the fair, such as touring the park on an electric bus or participating in a bulb-digging experience. Events and performances commemorating the 40th anniversary will also be held, adding even more to see and do. With many photogenic spots, it's a popular spring destination for everyone from families to couples.

12 Enjoy Food and Fun with "Japan's Latest-Blooming Cherry Blossoms": The 45th Kushiro Town Cherry Blossom Festival (Kushiro Town)

A spring event in Kushiro Town where you can enjoy food from kitchen cars and stalls while viewing the flowers known as the latest-blooming cherry blossoms in Japan. A wide variety of tastes will be available, including yakitori, zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken), seafood, and sweets. The venue will have a lively atmosphere with a Kids' Land featuring inflatable play equipment, as well as stage events with comedy, music, and local folk arts. There are also participatory events like mochi-maki (rice cake throwing) and candy giveaways, making it a spring flower-viewing event the whole family can enjoy.

13 A Breathtaking Early Summer View Surrounded by Crimson Azaleas: The 46th Hiroo Azalea Festival (Hiroo)

An early summer event in Hiroo held when the approximately 12,000 Ezo-yama-tsutsuji azaleas that color Daimaruyama Forest Park are in full bloom. As the park is dyed a vibrant vermilion, stage events for children are held, bustling with families. A charcoal barbecue corner will also be available, making it a great place to relax and enjoy the flavors of Hiroo in a natural setting.

14 A Fun-Filled Family Festival with Steam Train Experiences and Stalls: The Spring Mikasa Railway Village Festival (Mikasa)

A festival packed with hands-on events for the whole family to enjoy. There's plenty of fun for all ages, including stage shows, bingo tournaments, and festival game stalls. Train enthusiasts will love the special activities, such as sitting in the steam locomotive's driver's seat and blowing the whistle. In addition, there will be displays of police cars and fire engines, model train exhibits, a stamp rally, and a lineup of kitchen cars and food stalls, making it a highly recommended event for a spring outing.

15 A Gourmet Event Popular for its Free Sanpeijiru Soup: The 41st Herring Mansion Festival (Obira)

A historic event in Obira Town held in front of the "Former Hanada Family Herring Mansion," a National Important Cultural Property. Set against the backdrop of the mansion that tells the story of the town's prosperous herring fishing era, you can feel the local culture and spirit. The famous Sanpeijiru soup is served for free, and there are also corners selling local gourmet food and handmade specialty products. The stage will feature a variety of performances, including taiko drumming, brass bands, dance, and Matsumae Kagura (a traditional sacred dance). A lottery and mochi-maki (rice cake throwing) will also take place, enveloping the entire venue in a lively atmosphere.