Winter in Japan is fun – but Why?

Winter in Japan takes place from approximately from December to February. And that’s the time of year when there are all kinds of cold-weather special events in many parts of Japan. If you’re traveling in Japan at this time of year, forget about the cold and simply enjoy yourself.

Winter usually brings to mind skiing and snowboarding. But Japan’s ski hills have lots of other activities for adults and children to enjoy too. Whether you’re a snow beginner or expert, you’re sure to experience the grandeur of nature in winter.

Snowshoeing is something that’s recently come into the spotlight in Japan. Snowshoes, as the name implies, are gear that makes it easy to walk on snow; many ski areas offer guide-led snowshoe tours. Making tracks in virgin snow, marveling at the frost-encrusted trees and untouched expanses of pristine snow, seeing wildlife such as kamoshika (Japanese serow) and hares, stopping for lunch atop the snow in the clear winter air—snowshoeing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in winter at one with nature.

Another attraction during winters are the Natural hot springs are numerous and highly popular across Japan. Every region of the country has its share of hot springs and resort towns, which come with them.

There are many types of hot springs, distinguished by the minerals dissolved in the water. Different minerals provide different health benefits, and all hot springs are supposed to have a relaxing effect on your body and mind. Hot spring baths come in many varieties, indoors and outdoors, gender separated and mixed, developed and undeveloped. Many hot spring baths belong to a ryokan, while others are public bath houses. An overnight stay at a hot spring ryokan is a highly recommended experience to any visitor of Japan.

Experience visiting fantastical winter hot springs

Nyuto Onsen-kyo Hot Spring Village in Akita Prefecture has 10 spring sources with a variety of colors of spring water including brown, blue, white and clear, and you can enjoy different kinds of hot spring at the 7 hot spring inns in Onsen-kyo village. They have different types of inns including a well-established inn since Edo period, a high-class modern Japanese inn and a small inn that perfectly suits the image of a secluded hot spring. You can choose an inn that satisfies your taste.

Kusatsu Onsen For centuries, the abundant hot spring waters of Kusatsu Onsen have been considered among Japan’s best and most effective, if not the best. Much of the resort’s water bubbles up in the yubatake (“hot water field”) in the town centre.

Noboribetsu Onsen Noboribetsu is the most famous hot spring resort in Hokkaido, and its spectacular Jigokudani (“Hell Valley”) is the source of some of the country’s highest quality hot spring water.

Toyako Onsen is a hot spring resort located at the shores of beautiful Lake Toya and at the foot of Mount Uzu, a volcano which most recently erupted in the year 2000.

Ginzan Onsen in the remote mountains of Yamagata Prefecture is one of Japan’s prettiest onsen towns with historic ryokan lined up along the river.

Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival

A fantastic world appearing on a snow country evening while you chat with your children in rooms made of snow.

A room made by carving out a mound of snow is called a kamakura. In Yokote City, more than 100 kamakura and countless miniature kamakura are made. The candle lights of these snow white kamakura produce a quiet, beautiful spectacle against the darkness. This 400 year old festival is said to have its origins in the traditional event of returning New Year decorations to the gods by burning them, and also in the custom of children chasing away birds damaging crops. Inside the kamakura, an altar is set up to honor the water gods and to pray for plenty of clear water, while sake and rice cakes are offered to the gods.

Passers-by are invited by the children, in Akita dialect, to come inside the kamakura and drink some sweet fermented rice brew. Everyone has a good time chatting while eating rice cakes and sweets, which is the conventional way of spending time in kamakura. On the other hand, numerous rows of tiny kamakura stand in the grounds of the Yokote Minami Primary School in the city, with the lights shining from within creating a very romantic scene.

Place: Doro Koen Park in front of Yokote City Hall
Dates: February 15th-16th
Dates and functions are subjects to change without notice. Be sure to check the latest information in advance.
City: Yokote City, Akita Prefecture

The 67th Sapporo Snow Festival

The Sapporo Snow Festival, in Sapporo, Hokkaido is arguably Japan’s best-known winter festival. This event takes place every year in early February at venues all over Sapporo: dates for 2015 are February 5 to 11. Over two million visitors come to Sapporo for the festival, including about 50,000 tourists from abroad. The gigantic snow sculptures erected by Sapporo citizens and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force can truly be considered works of art.

A winter sports event organized in conjunction with the Sapporo Snow Festival takes places at the Tsu-dome, a sports facility in Sapporo’s Higashi Ward. The attractions there include sliding down an ice slide five meters high and 12 meters long, snow rafting and skiing on bamboo skis.
Odori Site: Susukino Site: Feb.5 (Fri.) – Feb.11 (Thu.) 2016.
Tsudome Site: Feb.5 (Fri.) – Feb.18 (Thu.) 2016.

Asahikawa Winter Festival, Hokkaido

A snow festival held every February in Asahikawa. The greatest feature is the huge sizes of the snow statues, and one of them was even registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest structure made of snow in the world. Here, visitors can enjoy activities that can only be found in the north such as sliding down huge snow slides and making their own snow statues. Held at the same time is the “Asahikawa International Ice Sculpture Competition” to see who the best ice sculptor is.

Tokamachi Snow Festival, Niigata Prefecture

The Tokamachi Snow Festival is held annually for three days surrounding the third Saturday of February. It calls itself the first ever snow festival celebrated in Japan, having had its first edition in 1950, the same year that the Sapporo Snow Festival started. Many snow sculptures are created for the occasion and exhibited at various locations in the city.

A distinctive charm lies in the city’s rural environment where the many snow sculptures are created. Some of them are grouped in clusters at sites called “hiroba”, while others are located individually, sometimes at relatively isolated places. The variety of sculptures include art pieces entered for competition, specially created pieces to simply delight visitors, as well as creations by local school children.