When Japanese people talk about having fun in the snow, we probably think of snowball fignthing, making a snowman, or building or playing in a dome-shaped snow house known as a kamakura. After enjoying the snow, drinking a hot, sweet fermented rice drink, amazake, is a very nice way to top the day off. Whereas people often used to have fun sliding down slopes just on traditional sleds, inner tubes and all sorts of plastic sleds are becoming increasingly popular these days.
There are some festivals that have developed from school events held in the winter snow. In days of old, creating ice carvings became a popular way to enjoy severe winters and this often became a school event. Indeed, that’s how the Sapporo Snow Festival began. Most snow festivals are held in Hokkaido and the Tohoku, Hokuriku and Shinetsu regions, where a lot of snow falls. It’s a way for people to try to enjoy with the huge amounts of snow. There are many snow.
The Sapporo Snow Festival is held annually in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, over seven days in early February. Odori Park and the Susukino Park and Tsudome stadium are the main sites of the festival, which is one of Japan’s largest and most distinctive winter events. The 2014 Snow Festival dates are from the 5th to the 11th of February. Every year, the number of ice sculptures on display totals around 400, and more than two million people visit. The best place to get an overview of the creations is from the TV Tower at the Odori Park site.
Created as an event to worship the water gods, the Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival has a history of about 400 years. The festival is held every year on February 15 and 16 in Yokote, Akita Prefecture. You’ll find more than 100 dome-shaped snow houses in the city and the candlelight shining from within them is very beautiful. Children welcome guests by saying, “Come into the snow house,” and “Pray to the gods.” The inside of the houses is warmer than you might expect, and the sweet sake and rice cakes you can enjoy inside the houses are delightful.
