Photo: Rebirth10 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tokamachi Snow Festival

Niigata · Snow and ice festival

Three days in February in Tokamachi, deep in Niigata's snow country. The snow sculptures are all built by local people, around 40 a year, and neighbourhoods across the city set up their own festival squares with food and snow games.

Dates

19 to 21 February 2027

The 78th festival, Friday 19 to Sunday 21 February, as announced by the organising committee in April 2026. The art category is judged on the Friday evening. Opening times and the programme were due to be announced around December 2026.

Three days, Friday to Sunday, in the second half of February. The 2026 festival ran from 20 to 22 February and the 2027 one is set for 19 to 21 February.

Dates checked against the official site on November 03, 2026

The first Tokamachi Snow Festival was held in February 1950, run by the town's cultural association with a snow art exhibition, a carnival on the snow and a ski relay. The idea came from residents who wanted to treat snow as a friend and enjoy it, and that phrase is still the festival's motto. The local tourism association calls Tokamachi the birthplace of the modern snow festival, on the grounds that it was the first in Japan run by the people who live there. That is still how it works. Every sculpture is made by local people for the festival, around 40 a year, and the ones entered in the art category are judged on the Friday evening. On the Friday daytime they are still being carved, sometimes with heavy machinery, so keep your distance; from that evening until the end they are finished and on show. The other half of the festival is the festival squares (omatsuri hiroba), set up by neighbourhoods across the city with hot food, amazake and snow games. There were 14 in 2026, spread well beyond the centre, and a circuit bus linked most of them. The programme differs from day to day, so two days is better than one if you can manage it. The ground is snow almost everywhere, and wet where the road sprinklers melt it, so wear waterproof boots with grip. Days can be mild but the evenings are cold.

Getting a good spot

Parking is very crowded, and the organisers ask visitors to share cars or come by train. Temporary car parks are set up with free shuttle buses to the venues; follow the staff and signs. In 2026 the Friday was for viewing the sculptures only, from 18:00 to 21:00 at the main area, with no food stalls; those opened on the Saturday and Sunday.

Seats and tickets

The organisers list no admission fee for the sculptures. Some extras charged in 2026: the circuit bus linking the festival squares was 500 yen for both days (free for junior high school pupils and younger), and the snow play park at the main area was 500 yen.

Access

Common questions

When is the Tokamachi Snow Festival in 2027?

Friday 19 to Sunday 21 February 2027. The organisers planned to announce the opening times and programme around December 2026.

When can I see the finished snow sculptures?

From the evening of the first day, the Friday, until the festival ends. During the Friday daytime the sculptures are still being made, sometimes with heavy machinery, and visitors are asked to watch from a distance.

How do I get to Tokamachi from Tokyo?

Take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and change to the Hokuhoku Line for Tokamachi, about 2 hours in all. By car the nearest exits from Tokyo are Muikamachi and Shiozawa-Ishiuchi on the Kan-Etsu Expressway, about 3 hours 40 minutes; winter tyres are required, and parking at the festival is very crowded.

What should I wear?

Waterproof shoes with good grip: most of the venues are on snow, and some are wet from the sprinklers that melt snow on the roads. Days can be mild, so layers you can take off help, but it gets very cold after dark. If you plan to play in the snow, a full snow suit or ski wear is recommended.