| Admission | ¥500 |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 20:00 |
| Dates | January 27 - February 25 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0123-23-8288 |
| Notes | Parking available, cold so wear warm clothes |
| Location / Getting There | The lake is a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Sapporo or an hour drive from Chitose. Alternatively, for ¥1050 there are buses from New Chitose Airport to Lake Shikotsu. Click here for more information on the bus timetable. |
Put on your warm coats and hats when heading to the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival as it is a cold one! This amazing festival lies on the shores of Lake Shikotsu. This lake boasts some of the cleanest waters in Japan and it is these very waters that are key to the Ice Festival here. The main feature of the festival are giant ice mounds that rise four metres into the air. These are formed by water (from the lake) sprayed up into the air like a fountain. The water freezes over making these interesting sculptures which are illuminated at night.
This monolithic sculptures of ice are fantastic to walk around at night which is the best time to go and visit. It gets dark in winter from 4:00pm so this is a good time to get down there. There are small restaurants and a museum hall there to stay warm after walking around the festival. There are ice steps leading to an observation deck overlooking the festival. There is also an ice hut plus large open spaces encircled with ice. This festival isn only ¥500 to enter so it is worth it. Getting to the lake itself is more difficult as you need your own transport. There are buses to and from the lake which can be accessed at the New Chitose Airport.
| Dates | October 27 - November 5 |
| Opening times | 12:00-20:00 weekdays 10:00-20:00 Saturdays 10:00-18:00 Sundays |
| Contact | https://sapporo-yakiimoterrace.com/ |
| Location / Getting There | The festival is held in Nakajima Park and is right near the park entrance in Sapporo. Simply take the subway to Nakajima Koen subway station. Alternatively, you can simply walk to the park if you are staying in Sapporo. 1 Nakajimakoen, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0931 |
This is a new brand new festival that started in 2023. The festival is focused on the humble sweet potato, and runs for a week from the end of October to the beginning of November in Nakajima Park. The park at this time of year is particularly beautiful with the autumn leaves. It does get chilly around this time of year. What’s better than a crispy, piping hot potato with a soft center to warm up. There is also hot coffee or a glass of wine to be had. A great pairing. There is a surprisingly large variety of sweet potatos that can be found here. You are looking anywhere from ¥500 to ¥1000 per potato.
Some of the varieties include the ‘Sweet White Potato’ which has a white center or the ‘Musume Beni Potato’ which has an orange center. The white potato is from Kagoshima and has distinct sweetness. Other types of potato are from around Hokkaido. You can find sweet potatoes that have been fried and sprinkled with caramel sugar. Other types have been peeled and fried. There are many to choose from, though be warned, the lines are long especially for the more uncommon sweet potatoes. And of course, they have desserts as well as savory. Sweet Potato Pudding, Sweet Potato Cream Puff’ and a Sweet Potato Parfait can all be enjoyed here. There are tents and seating to sit and eat here, plus of it gets too busy, you can wander through the park and find a nice spot!
| Admission | Free |
| Dates | Mid August around the 13th - 15th 3 days |
| Contact | - |
| Starting times | All day |
| Location / Getting There | Various locations throughout every city. |
Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of ancestors. It has been celebrated in Japan for over 500 years and is known as a time for family. It is a time of family reunion, where the graves of ancestors are visited and cleaned. It also includes a celebration involving a Bon dance (Bon Odori). This festive dance was originally a folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead. The dance takes place around a high wooden scaffold called a ‘yagura’. Musicians, playing a Japanese drum (taiko), and singers sit at the top of this yagura to perform for the line of dancers below.
These small festivals are held throughout each city in various places and districts. If you are in Sapporo, the main Bon Festival is held in Odori Park. Plus, there is another in front of the Park Hotel. At these Bon dances, there are stalls selling food and drink and this goes all day. In the evening the lanterns come to life and the music starts. Anybody is welcome to join the line dance that circles the yagura. This is a great way to get involved with centuries of Japanese culture and make for a great spot to get some video or photos.
| Dates | May 19 - August 14 Night Market - last Saturday of July |
| Opening Hours | From 17:00 |
| Contact | 011-241-5125 |
| Location / Getting There | Central Sapporo. 5 minute walk from Odori subway station and a 5 minute walk from Susukino subway station Sapporo-Ekimae Dori, 4 Chome Minami 3 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0063, Japan |
During the hot summer months there is a lot going on in the city of Sapporo. Every weekend, there seems to be something going on. Tanukikoji is a shopping arcade that runs through the center of Sapporo. It can be found between the Odori subway station and the Susukino subway station. It’s very hard to miss! From May 19th to August 16th the Tanuki Koji arcade comes alive with decorations. The shopping arcade which runs for seven blocks is busy even during the weekdays so its a great time to enjoy the festivities.
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On the last Saturday of every July the night market is held. The night market sees all the local stores open, plus there are stalls set up in every block. Live bands and music are also the order of the day that perform on the elaborate stages that are set up! The arcade is also decorated with lanterns, plus giant blow up floats of the local mascot, the tanuki (which is means raccoon in English). At about five in the afternoon, the raccoon mascot comes out and visits each block. This is the best time in the year to visit the Tanukikoji shopping arcade.
| Dates | Last weekend of July |
| Opening Hours | Fireworks start from 19:30 until 20:30 |
| Contact | - |
| Location / Getting There | Held near the Toyohira River Minami Bridge in Sapporo. It's a 10 minute walk from Nakajima Koen subway station or Horohira-Bashi subway station 64064-0809 1 Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido |
The Doshin/UHB Fireworks Festival (better known as the Toyohira River Fireworks) is part of the Sapporo summer fireworks schedule. It is located along the banks of Toyohira River, and it os one of the three large firework displays in Sapporo. The festival is held on the last Friday of July. Due to its easy access from central Sapporo (about a 10 minute walk from Susukino or Odori), this firework festival is one of the most popular events for the summer. Over the hour, approximately 4,000 fireworks light up the night sky over Sapporo creating a beautiful effect against the city’s skyline.
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The event is on during the Sapporo Beer Garden , so why not go to both? The fireworks start at 19:30 and go for an hour. This event does get very busy, so its a good idea to get there early and find a spot! Bring a mat, something to drink and enjoy the warm evening. If you are lucky enough to know someone living along the river, the views from the apartment building are the best. Many of the locals are in their yukatas (summer kimono), so you can get some good photos of the crowds.The fireworks are on every year, and in the case of persistent heavy rain, they are rescheduled to a later date.
| Dates | First weekend of July |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Contact | - |
| Location / Getting There | Located in West Sapporo in the suburb of Maruyama. It runs down 6 blocks adjacent to Maruyama subway station. Minami 1 Jo-dori Ave, 25-chōme-2 Minami 1 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0801 |
Street festivals in Japan are a fantastic look into Japanese culture and a great way to enjoy a day, taking in the sights, activities, and the local food. The Omotesando Street Festival is one of these festivals. This festival runs all day and can be found running the length of one of the main streets in the suburb of Maruyama, West Sapporo. It is on on the same day as the Sapporo Craft Beer Forest, which is not too far away. It’s a great idea to check out the Craft Beer Forest event and then finish the rest of the day at the Omotesando Street Festival!
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The day is a real family affair. There is a lot to see and do. Lining both sides of the streets, there are plenty of food stalls. It is here you can grab some local food and enjoy it with a beer, wine or non alcoholic drinks. Local food includes oysters, BBQ chicken, edamame (steamed beans), and shellfish, just to name a few. For the kids, there are magic shows, and game stalls to win a price. The cafes, bars, and restaurants are also open along this street, so its all happening here! On a beautiful sunny day, you can’t beat the street festival.
