The 73rd Sapporo Snow Festival
The Sapporo Snow Festival was held for the first time in three years from February 4-11, 2023, in Hokkaido’s largest city. This joyous occasion also marked my first time visiting Hokkaido and the wonderfully snowy city of Sapporo, the Fukuoka of Hokkaido. I had the privilege of visiting the shivering festivities during the opening weekend of February 4-5, 2023, so here are my experiences.
What is the Sapporo Snow Festival?
The Sapporo Snow Festival is an annual week-long festival featuring large, interactive, and creative snow and ice sculptures lining Odori Park and Susukino. The festival started in 1950, when a group of high school friends built a few sculptures in Sapporo’s Odori Park. This one-time event became an annual tradition over the years. On occasion, members of the Japan Self Defense Forces stationed nearby help build the sculptures. During non-snowy years, the Japan Self Defense Forces (JDSF) trucks in snow from outside the city so the festival carries on.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Sapporo Snow Festival
The last in-person snow festival was held in February 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in its initial stages. Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Japan, the festival was cancelled in 2021, and made virtual in 2022. Good call given the festival brings an estimated 2 million visitors to Sapporo every year, making it one of the largest festivals in Japan, alongside Hakata Dontaku in Fukuoka.
2023: Return of the Sapporo Snow Festival
Thanks to the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccinations, along with eased border policies in Japan, the festival returned for the first time in three years! Tourists packed Sapporo, with hotel rooms fully booked and patrons lining Odori Park to see the massive sculptures. While the festival returned for the first time since the pandemic began, there were some changes this year. First, there were no yatai (food stalls) this year. Guests were also asked to keep moving along and not stay in one place for too long.
These measures didn’t take away from the magic that was the festival. In fact, many JET Program participants, including several friends of mine, went up north at the same time.
My Favorite Sculptures at the Sapporo Snow Festival
There were many sculptures, both large and small, but the following few were most impressive of all. Just one block west of the famous TV Tower was a snow bust of baseball player Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is Japan’s most famous baseball player, and one of America’s best! Ohtani currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. I thought it was neat seeing his bust, especially since he also represents my hometown too.
Next to Ohtani’s bust was a sculpture of the Cat Bus from the Studio Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro. I saw pictures of this sculpture on Reddit shortly before flying up to Sapporo. Got to see this bad boy during both the day and night, when he was illuminated with a shallow purple light.
As I headed further West, I saw an impressive dinosaur sculpture representing Hokkaido University’s Paleontology program. This large sculpture featured a 3D T-Rex and another dinosaur. The T-Rex featured a dangling arm, which impressed me as it wasn’t supported by anything. The sculpture was lit up at night with shades of purple and pink, which to me represented the Earthly skies of 65 million years ago.
Next was a large 3D sculpture of a jockey riding a race horse. While impressive during the day, this sculpture featured 3D projection mapping, which brought it to life at night! The artists played a three-minute video depicting the story of a horse from birth to its life as a racehorse. The projections were paired with techno music and 3D patterns which perfectly aligned with the horse sculpture. This was by far the most impressive piece at the Snow Festival.
More Snow Sculptures
Further West was a concert stage modeled off the Embley Residence in England. Florence Nightingale, the first female nurse, lived at this residence. This piece was dedicated to the healthcare workers who saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. When I read the description of this piece, I initially thought it represented support for Ukraine during the ongoing Russo-Ukranian war! This was because Florence Nightingale treated combat troops during the Crimean War of the 1860s, where modern medical techniques such as disinfection were used for the first time. Regardless, it was a nice nod to those whose efforts allowed us to attend the first Snow Festival since the pandemic began.
There were hundreds of snow and ice sculptures at this event, many of which represented popular anime and manga. There was a large sculpture representing Yu-Gi-Oh!, for example. At the Susukino site there were large ice sculptures, including one with frozen fish and crab. Yes, frozen animals. Live, frozen animals. Not here to virtue signal here, I’m still a meat eater.
In addition to art pieces, there were some experiential activities. There was a curling activity near the base of the TV Tower, as well as near Nishijuitchome Station on the West end. My friends and I got to try our hand at Curling, a sport where the goal is to push a 10-pound granite “curl” as close to an ice target as possible. While I came very close to touching the target, my friends on the opposite team beat us. Ouch; I needed some ice for that burn, but thankfully there was plenty to be found!
Other Fun Things in Sapporo
I didn’t just spend my weekend at the Snow Festival. I also used my time to explore other places Sapporo has to offer. For example, I visited Shiroikobito Park, better known as the “Chocolate Factory.” This is the place where Shiroikobito – white chocolate-filled cat tongue cookies – are manufactured. These cookies are the official miyagegashi (souvenir sweets) of Hokkaido. When I was a student studying Japanese in college, my professor would bring my class these cookies as gifts whenever she visited Hokkaido.
I also visited the Sapporo Brewery, Museum, and Restaurant and got to enjoy Ghengis Khan, or grilled lamb. Hokkaido is very big on lamb, and they do lamb better than anyone else! The BBQ was pricey given the touristic nature of the brewery, but it was delicious!
We also went to the top of Mount Moiwa to see the night view of Sapporo. It started snowing as we approached the summit, which made for an epic experience, albeit limiting the view. Alternatively, there’s the T38 observation deck, located at JR Tower at Sapporo Station. This observation deck offers spectacular views of the sprawling Sapporo skyline. I also went here and got a commemorative medallion for keeps
Food
Sapporo, like Fukuoka and Hiroshima, is a foodie’s dream. The city is famous for its soup curry, miso ramen, parfaits, and of course, Ghengis Khan. I find it funny that Sapporo has a dish named after the Mongolian emperor whose army made landfall in modern-day Fukuoka!
My friends and I went to Suage, a local restaurant chain famous for its soup curry. We ordered the lamb curry and let me tell you, it was one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in Japan, period. The soup was spicy, but not too spicy, and the vegetables were perfectly tender. I found the lamb lacking, but that’s okay.
Next, I went to Ramen Alley, once visited by Anthony Bourdain during his travels. This place, located in the Susukino district, was packed with both shops and tourists waiting to eat. I went to the shop with the shortest line and ordered butter corn miso ramen. I’m sorry Sapporo, but Fukuoka makes ramen better. I also went to another ramen shop at Sapporo Station, and while the Miso Ramen was much better, I prefer Tonkotsu Ramen. I almost went to Ichiran in Sapporo!
Unique to Hokkaido
And of course, I had Ghengis Khan while up here! If you’re familiar with Japanese or Korean BBQ, Ghengis Khan is that, but with lamb meat instead of beef, pork, or chicken. I went to two restaurants that served the dish. I previously mentioned the Sapporo Bier Garten; I also went to a local restaurant called Ishida, just north of Odori Park. The lamb was not gamey and the grilled vegetables we prepared were flavored with the dripping lamb fat. It too was up there with culinary experiences I’ve had in Japan. Sapporo, you do food right!
Whenever I needed a snack, or to go to a conbini, I went to Seicomart. Seicomart is Hokkaido’s exclusive conbini. In fact, it’s actually Japan’s first conbini, predating both 7-Eleven and Lawson! Seicomart is famous for its store-brand items, made exclusively with Hokkaido ingredients. You can find lots of corn and dairy snacks here, and plenty of items you can’t find elsewhere. If you’re on Honshu, you can find Seicomart in both Ibaraki and Saitama Prefectures. Otherwise, no Seicomart for you.
Conclusion
If I could have only gone to one festival during my time on the JET Program, the Sapporo Snow Festival would have been it. I have now achieved my single biggest bucket list item for my stay in Japan, and I couldn’t be any happier. In fact, I wanted to be placed in Hokkaido due to its cooler weather and drier summers. Sapporo would have been a bonus, and Sapporo is the only other city I have visited so far which compares to Fukuoka for me.
I want to go back to Sapporo during the summertime and experience its nature, Lavender fields, and enjoy the delicious food once again. I also hope to visit Hokkaido Shrine and, who knows, maybe even go skiing up there? Sapporo is bustling with life and the pace is a bit faster than Kyushu. One weekend wasn’t enough to appreciate Sapporo, let alone Hokkaido.