Attractions
Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan
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Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan
The Sapporo Snow Festival is an annual seven-day festival in February in Sapporo, Japan. Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome are the main venues of the festival.
In 2007 (the 57th festival), about two million people visited Sapporo to see hundreds of snow sculptures and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Sosukino sites, in downtown Sapporo, and at the Sutoland site. The International Snow Sculpture Competition has been held at the Odori Park site since 1974, and 14 teams from different regions of the world participated in it in 2008.
The subject of the sculptures varies and often features an event, famous building or person from the previous year. For example, in 2004, there were statues of Hideki Matsui, a famous baseball player who played for the New York Yankees at the time. A number of stages made of snow are also built and some events are held, including musical performances. At the Satoland site, visitors can enjoy long snow and ice slides as well as a giant maze made of snow. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of regional foods from all over Hokkaido at the Odori Park and Satoland sites, such as fresh seafood, potatoes, corn, and fresh dairy products.
Why is the Sapporo Snow Festival so famous?
The Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950, when high school students built several snow sculptures in Odori Park. It has since grown into a major commercial event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures, attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and around the world.
How much does it cost to go to the Sapporo Snow Festival?
free