The Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり Sapporo Yuki-matsuri) is a festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan over seven days in February. Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival.
The Snow Festival began in 1950, when six local high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park. In 1955, the Japan Self-Defense Forces from the nearby Makomanai base joined in and built the first massive snow sculptures,
for which the Snow Festival has now become famous. Several snow
festivals existed in Sapporo prior to the Sapporo Snow Festival,
however, all of these were suspended during World War II.[5]
The festival is one of Japan's largest and most distinctive winter events.[2]
The festival is thought to be an opportunity for promoting
international relations. International Snow Sculpture Contest has been
held at the Odori Park site since 1974, and 14 teams from various
regions of the world participated in 2008.[4]
The best
place to view the creations is from the TV Tower at the Odori Park site.[3] Most of the statues are illuminated in the evening.
A number of stages made out of snow are also constructed and some
events including musical performances are held.
At the Satoland site,
visitors can enjoy long snow and ice slides as well as a huge maze made
of snow. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of regional foods from all
over Hokkaidō at the Odori Park and Satoland sites.
The Sapporo Snow Festival Museum is located in the Hitsujigaoka observation hill in Toyohira-ku, and displays historical materials and media of the festival.
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