Asahikawa Winter Festival

Hokkaido · Snow and ice festival

Six days of snow and ice in Asahikawa every February, held since 1960. A main snow sculpture about 120 metres wide stood on the bank of the Ishikari River in 2026, and ice carvings from an international contest lined the Heiwa-dori shopping street. The organisers list no admission fee, and the dates overlap the Sapporo Snow Festival.

Dates

6 to 11 February 2027

The 68th festival, Saturday 6 to Thursday 11 February, as announced by the organising committee. The hours and programme had not been published yet.

Six days in early February. In 2026 and 2027 it runs from 6 to 11 February, ending on the National Foundation Day holiday.

Dates checked against the official site on November 03, 2026

The festival dates from February 1960, though Asahikawa had tried before: the organisers trace it to 1946, when the police were urging residents to clear snow and nobody knew where to put it, and the head of the tourism association proposed turning it into sculpture. A Hokkai Winter Festival followed in 1947 and an Asahikawa Snow Festival in 1951, which stopped after three years. The main site is on the bank of the Ishikari River by Asahibashi, the arched bridge the city uses as its emblem. In 2026 the main sculpture was about 120 metres wide and 12 metres high, built around a Pokémon theme with the bridge and the Daisetsuzan mountains behind. In the city centre, the Heiwa-dori shopping street held the ice sculpture world contest, and its finished carvings stayed on display and were lit at night. The organisers list no admission fee, and the sites were open from 10:00 to 20:00 in 2026. February in Asahikawa averages below freezing, and weather does interrupt the programme: on the opening day in 2026 a blizzard forecast cancelled the stage events.

Getting a good spot

There is no parking at the festival and no shuttle bus. The organisers ask visitors to use the Asahikawa Denki Kido or Dohoku route buses, or a taxi from the rank in front of JR Asahikawa Station, and to check the bus companies' sites first because services can be suspended in bad weather.

Where it happens

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Access

Common questions

When is the Asahikawa Winter Festival in 2027?

From Saturday 6 to Thursday 11 February 2027, according to the organising committee. The hours had not been announced yet; in 2026 the sites were open from 10:00 to 20:00.

Can I see it on the same trip as the Sapporo Snow Festival?

Yes. In 2027 Sapporo runs from 4 to 11 February and Asahikawa from 6 to 11 February. The Kamui and Lilac limited expresses take about 85 to 90 minutes between Sapporo and Asahikawa, so a day trip works. In heavy snow JR Hokkaido can cancel evening expresses: in late January 2026 it cancelled several to clear snow around Sapporo, with no replacement buses, so check before relying on a late train back.

Is there parking at the festival?

No. The organisers provide no parking and no shuttle bus, and ask visitors to come by route bus or taxi from Asahikawa Station. Tour buses have their own parking area, which needs no reservation.

Where are the ice sculptures?

On the Heiwa-dori shopping street in the city centre, where the ice sculpture world contest is held alongside the festival. In 2026 the finished pieces were on show from 8 to 11 February and lit after dark, according to the Hokkaido tourism organisation.