Snow and snowboarding festival in the legendary mountains

Winter in Japan.. An adventure covered in white magic

• The Sapporo Festival is characterized by huge creative sculptures and stunning lighting.

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Winter in Japan is an opportunity for an unforgettable magical adventure, as tourists can enjoy the icy seas, snow festivals, skiing and much more.. To experience the magic of this imaginary place, tourists can board an icebreaker ship to enjoy an unparalleled journey.

In late January, the ice that covers the surface of the waters here from the Amur River in Russia drifts into the coastal waters of Hokkaido, and then recedes again at the end of March, in its most dramatic areas around the city of Abashiri. Through the water covered with ice), you will take the visitor on a tour outside to explore this natural phenomenon, as the ship “Aurora” is the popular and comfortable option for such an experience.

Tourists can enjoy the view from inside the warm ship, but the real adventure is when they get on the roof, when they can see the ship making its way through the broken ice, as the ship passes by the seals on the ice and sea eagles hover around it to pull fish out of the frozen water.

On a clear day, the view is magical when the white color of ice floes, the snowy peaks of the mountains, and the clear blue winter sky blend together.

Sapporo Festival

Launched in 1950 by a group of high school students who made snow sculptures in the park, the Sapporo Snow Festival has evolved into one of the longest-running and most famous winter festivals in Japan with over 400 snow and ice sculptures, amazing nighttime illuminations, live music and Sapporo competitions. Teny skiing and ski jumping.

This year will witness the 73rd session in which the festival will be held, and it will last for a full week, from the fourth to the 11th of next February.

Even if tourists arrive before the festival begins, they will be able to see the work in progress, and witness the impressive construction process. The creative sculptures include large-scale models of castles and palaces, as well as manga characters, animals and mythical creatures.

The best place to start the journey during the festival is the central Odori Park, which hosts many large sculptures, as well as many other diverse sculptures.

On the western side of the park is the main snow sculpture competition, where teams from around the world compete.

There are also illuminations throughout the city, and plenty of cozy places where tourists can head to for a hot meal of noodles or a warm drink.

Jozanki Resort

On the other hand, no less exciting than sea ice adventures, Japan organizes a candle festival at Jozanki Shrine in Hokkaido, which is known as Jozanki Onsen Resort, or the Snow Candle Way. There is a special magic to this quiet festival, as 1,000 candles are lit in lanterns made of ice Snow-covered lands surrounding the shrine.

The Winter Festival runs from January 28th to February 4th.

Tourists can join visitors to take part in what is known as nigai no akari, which is making a wish while the visitor holds a candle to the central snow tower.

The town of Jozanki enjoys a magical atmosphere in the winter, and the first hot bath was opened more than 150 years ago. It is famous for its hot springs, and is located in a valley covered with trees, surrounded by exceptionally beautiful landscapes in winter when it is covered with snow.

Tourists can also try a soak in the open-air rotenburo bath and watch steam rise from the surface of the water while snowflakes fall around visitors on the ground.

This can also be experienced at the many upscale traditional ryokan around the city.

A good option to experience this is Nokomori no Yado Furukawa, which offers a warm welcome to visitors in a relaxing traditional setting with beautiful hot spring baths.

Tourists can also take a dip in the private wood bath or reserve one of the guest rooms with its own hot spring bath, so they can go straight from the bathtub to the bed for a sound sleep.

Best experiences

The mountains of Hokkaido are legendary for the quality of their snow, so skiers from around the world come every winter to enjoy some of the best experiences.

A new family-friendly hotel will open this season, giving visitors more options to explore the snowy peaks.

The resort offers group skiing and snowboarding lessons, giving families opportunities to learn, practice their skills or venture out onto the snow-capped mountains.

There is also an opportunity to learn about the culture of the Ainu, through crafts, sculpture and music, who were the first settlers of Hokkaido.

 • Next February 4, the "Sapporo Snow Festival", which began in 1950, will begin.

hot springs

After an adventurous day, tourists can head to the resort's hot spring waters or sauna and jacuzzi. Dining options are extensive throughout the hotels, with Western and Asian buffets at the main restaurant in Otaru, and Asian specialties, including local seafood, meat and vegetables. And the delicious barbecue food at the “Yakiniku Kaen” restaurant, all of this and more is guaranteed to provide tourists with enough energy for an unforgettable day at the top of the mountain.

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