When you think about winter destinations in Japan, Hokkaido definitely pops up in your head, right? Hokkaido is an island in the northernmost part of Japan. Famous for snow sports, natural scenic beauty and delicious seafood, in this feature, we talk about the Sapporo Snow Festival that was held earlier in February 2023.
Although this festival is usually held every year, it had been cancelled for the last three years in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year more than a million tourists visited this festival after a long wait.
In this article, we've rounded up some of the incredible ice sculptures and carvings featured at this year's festival. There are large and medium sculptures spread across the Odori site which is divided into 12 blocks.
Unlike previous years, 2023 saw many more sculptures featuring popular anime characters such as Anzai Sensei, the administrator of the Slam Dunk basketball team who is round, cute, and adorable.
New Yu-Gi-Oh characters were also on display.
Characters from My Hero Academia, a popular animation that is currently been aired, are medium-sized but stunning nonetheless.
The sculptures are also lit up from sundown to 10:00 pm.
Characters from the The Quintessential Quintuplets (五等分の花嫁) are delightful.
No shortage of cuteness on display across the 12 blocks.
Here's a cute character from the anime PUI PUI Molcar (PUI PUI モルカー).
Even mascots of sponsor companies appear as sculptures. How adorable is this Ota Inyan Cat?
There is also an area for visitors to create snowman and display them collectively.
And this is Chiikawa" (ちいかわ), the most talked-about character in 2022.
Tottoro fans can pose in front of this massive Tottoro.
SPY x FAMILY was one of the most popular anime in 2022, so it was apt to spot Anya and a salmon.
There are food stalls where you can buy local Hokkaido dishes as well as gift shops to pick unique souvenirs.
There are also musical performances using musical instruments made of ice!
This year, people could also try out Curling, a winter Olympic sport.
How about visiting Sapporo next winter for the Snow Festival? Check out details on the official website and stay updated before your visit.
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