Sapporo Snow Festival 2026: Odori Site Guide

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The Sapporo Snow Festival stands as one of Japan's most celebrated winter events, drawing visitors from across the globe to Hokkaido's capital. Centred in Odori Park, the festival stretches across multiple city blocks, each offering distinct themes, gigantic snow sculptures, winter activities, and regional culinary treats.

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Whether you plan to test your skills on the ice, marvel at intricate architectural snow carvings, or indulge in piping hot local seafood dishes, navigating the various zones ensures you make the most of your winter trip. Here is an essential breakdown of what to expect across Odori Park from 1-chome to 11-chome for the 2026 edition.

Odori 1-Chome: J:COM Square & Snow Activities

Located right next to the iconic Sapporo TV Tower, Odori 1-chome serves as a dynamic entrance to the festival grounds. For 2026, the venue focuses on SDGs and interactive snow activities. Visitors can try out unique winter sports like snow surfboarding and skateboarding on dedicated snow tracks, alongside snow-based target games designed for both adults and children.

To combat the chilling winter temperature, 1-chome features a outdoor aromatic footbath experience hosted by Natural Island. Infused with lavender and orange bath essence, the footbath accommodates six people at a time for 10-minute rotations. Underneath the Sapporo TV Tower, food stalls and covered tent seating offer warm food options, regional dishes such as Ishikari nabe (salmon hotpot), hot sweet sake (amazake), and casual standing bar areas.

In past years, 1-chome hosted outdoor ice-skating rinks like the J:COM Fureai Rink, measuring 22 metres by 17.5 metres, as well as temporary curling parks where visitors could throw official curling stones.

Odori 2-Chome: Citizen's Square

Odori 2-chome is dedicated to the Citizen's Snow Sculptures, a fundamental cornerstone of the festival's community spirit. Previously situated at 3-chome, this section was relocated to 2-chome to optimize site layouts. Together with 9-chome, the area hosts around 80 smaller, creative snow sculptures crafted by local residents, school groups, and community organisations.

Visitors to 2-chome can participate in the official Citizen's Snow Sculpture Popularity Contest by voting for their favourite entries. Past fan-favourite creations have included pop-culture figures such as Anya from *Spy x Family* and baseball icon Shohei Ohtani. 2-chome has also previously served as a hub for artistic collaborations, including past exhibits by the Sapporo International Art Festival featuring large balloon installations, as well as official *Snow Miku* displays.

Odori 3-Chome: Sapporo Smile Square & Outdoor Skating

Odori 3-chome transforms into the bustling Sapporo Smile Square, dominated by the expansive outdoor ice rink "Smile Rink Sapporo Supported by Shin Ramyun". Relocated from the Sapporo Ekimae-dori Kita 3-Jo Plaza (Akapla), this open-air skating facility welcomes visitors of all skill levels, providing rental skates and stability aids for children and beginners.

Alongside public skating sessions, the venue periodically hosts professional skating demonstrations. The event area features dedicated sampling booths and branded dining tables where guests can enjoy hot noodles to warm up during cold outdoor outings. In previous festival years, 3-chome was famous for hosting the massive Park Air jump ramp—a structure measuring 24 metres in height and 65 metres in length with a 39-degree incline—where professional skiers and snowboarders performed aerial maneuvers.

Odori 4-Chome: STV Square & Giant Sculptures

Odori 4-chome acts as one of the primary showcase areas for massive, highly detailed snow structures. For 2026, the main feature is a 13-metre-tall giant snow sculpture titled *Prayer: A Message from the Jomon Period*, modeled after Hokkaido's famous National Treasure, the hollow clay figurine known as "Kakkuu".

In addition to historical tributes, 4-chome includes medium-sized pop-culture snow sculptures, such as characters Arona and Plana from the mobile game *Blue Archive*. To keep visitors comfortable, 4-chome provides sheltered vinyl greenhouse dining areas with standing tables, food vendors serving hot Hokkaido ramen, buttered potatoes, and specialized sweets shops, as well as a large spherical smoking dome (Snow Globe).

Odori 5-Chome: Doshin Snow Square

Odori 5-chome presents large-scale thematic snow artwork celebrating Hokkaido's heritage. The centerpiece for 2026 is *Thoroughbreds in Glory*, continuing a multi-year narrative series honoring Hokkaido's long history as Japan's premier racehorse breeding region.

Following previous sculptures that depicted horses galloping past the Sapporo Clock Tower toward the finish line at JRA Sapporo Racecourse, the 2026 installation captures the dynamic scenes beyond the final stretch. At night, projection mapping shows illuminate the sculpture, depicting racehorses running through Hokkaido's changing seasons. For younger visitors, 5-chome includes a Snow Kids Park area where children can build snowmen.

Odori 6-Chome: Snow Art Square & Local Culinary Hub

Odori 6-chome combines artistic medium-sized snow carvings with an array of food vendors. The location highlights pop-culture icons, including sculptures dedicated to anime titles such as *Yu-Gi-Oh! GX*.

Food lovers frequent 6-chome for its concentrated food market stalls. Visitors can sample winter specialties including grilled whelks (tsubuyaki), king crab legs, sea urchin rice bowls, and hot regional beverages. Official festival merchandise shops are also situated within this zone.

*Note on Vendors:* The long-standing Toukibi Wagon (corn cart), which traditionally sells grilled and boiled corn at Odori Park, is absent from the winter lineup for 2026 due to concept alignment adjustments regarding proposed expanded menu offerings.

Odori 7-Chome: HBC Square

Historically known for replicating international architectural landmarks, Odori 7-chome has evolved to feature diverse large-scale structures representing regional history and culture. For 2026, the main snow sculpture commemorates the 150th anniversary of Hokkaido University by recreating the historic Furukawa Hall.

Complementing the main architectural structure, 7-chome features medium snow sculptures sponsored by Japanese brands—such as the Hokkaido Butter statue marking Snow Brand Megmilk's centenary—alongside character snow slides built for young children.

Odori 8-Chome: Snow HTB Square

Odori 8-chome serves as another cornerstone for high-precision architectural snow carving. The centerpiece for 2026 depicts Aizu Tsuruga Castle, the historic samurai fortress of Fukushima Prefecture.

Constructed over a 30-day period using specialized ice block methods—where thousands of detailed snow blocks are individually carved and attached to the main structure—the sculpture relies on meticulous craftsmanship by joint construction teams. 8-chome also hosts official opening ceremonies and local broadcasting booths.

Odori 9-Chome: Citizen's Square

Odori 9-chome features a wide display of medium snow sculptures built by local schools, student groups, and Sapporo residents. The designs frequently feature current pop-culture icons, famous athletes, and viral Internet figures. Viewing the creations at 9-chome alongside 2-chome allows visitors to cast informed votes in the annual Citizen's Snow Sculpture contest.

Odori 10-Chome: UHB Family Land

Odori 10-chome is tailored toward families and popular entertainment franchises. For 2026, the main showcase is a giant *Star Wars* snow sculpture celebrating the release of *The Mandalorian & Grogu*.

Interactive entertainment at 10-chome includes the Nissin Cup Noodle Mystery Meat Tube Slider, a snow slide experience where participants ride inflatable tubes down structured snow channels. A nearby concession booth sells freshly made Cup Noodles produced directly at the Sapporo Nissin Chitose Factory.

Odori 11-Chome: International Snow Sculpture Contest & Snow Miku

Odori 11-chome hosts the International Snow Sculpture Contest, bringing together teams from around the world—including representatives from Austria, Finland, Hawaii, Indonesia, Mongolia, Poland, Singapore, Thailand, and sister cities Portland and Daejeon. Visitors can watch teams carve their raw blocks of snow into finished sculptures over a three-day period before judging takes place.

11-chome also serves as the main hub for *Snow Miku* (Hokkaido's winter variant of Hatsune Miku). The area features official Snow Miku sculptures, character displays, and official pop-up stores selling limited-edition merchandise.

Practical Tips

Navigating the Site: The Odori Park site spans approximately 1.5 kilometres from 1-chome to 11-chome. Walking the entire length takes time, especially in heavy crowds, so wear sturdy, insulated winter boots with good traction or attach removable ice grips (spikes) to your footwear.
Dress Appropriately: Sub-zero temperatures are standard during February in Sapporo. Thermal base layers, windproof outer jackets, gloves, ear warmers, and heat packs (kairo) are essential for extended outdoor viewing.
Smile Rink Sapporo Details:

- Dates: 28 January 2026 – 11 February 2026

- Hours: 10:00 – 21:00 (Opens at 11:00 on weekends; last entry 20:30)

- Admission (includes skate rental): General Adult ¥3,000 / High School Students & under ¥1,000 (Sapporo Resident Discount: Adult ¥1,500 / High School & under ¥500).

International Snow Sculpture Contest Schedule: Carving takes place from 2 February to 6 February 2026, with the official award ceremony held on 7 February at 11:00 (8-chome stage).