Japan Trip: The Other Hokkaido Snow Festival, Asahikawa Winter Festival, Hokkaido 16

Ranking number two behind Sapporo’s Snow Festival, the Asahikawa Winter Festival (旭川冬まつり) is Hokkaido’s second largest winter festival. Because the Asahikawa Winter Festival takes place around the same time as the Sapporo Snow Festival in early February, it is possible for Hokkaido visitors to experience both of the festivals. Sapporo and Asahikawa are located only 80 minutes (by train) apart.

Though Asahikawa may not be have Hokkaido’s biggest winter festival, it has one of the biggest snow sculptures. Each year one humongous sculpture is made as a stage for musical and other performances. In 1994, the giant sculpture of a Korean fortress was designated by the Guinness World Records as the largest snow construction built. The theme of this huge sculpture changes every year. In 2010 it was a snowman castle and in the 2011, it was the Daisetsuzan Mountains.

The festival has two sites. The giant snow sculpture is located at the riverside Asahibashi Site. Visitors can also enjoy several smaller snow sculptures, snow slides, snowmobile rides, horse drawn sleigh rides and an ice bar at this site. The festival’s opening and closing ceremonies are also held at the Asahibashi Site.

The Heiwa Dori pedestrian street is the festival’s other site. This street is a roughly one kilometer road from Asahikawa Station to Asahibashi Bridge (where the Asahibashi Site is located). The ice sculpture competition’s ice sculptures entries are on display at the Heiwa Dori Site. In the evening the sculptures are illuminated, bringing their beauty to a new light.

With the Heiwa Dori pedestrian zone leading visitors from Asahikawa Station through the town, visitors can wander around and enjoy the festival. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes to walk to Asahibashi Site. However, there are free shuttle buses from the station to the Asahibashi Site during the week-long festival as well. There is 1 bus every 20 minutes during this period.

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