Sapporo Snow Festival or Yuki Matsuri
Growing up in Hawaii, the idea of snow is something we are well aware of (as our Mountain Ranges snow) but something we have never lived through. The concept of living in snow was something I was never sure I’d experience. Since moving from Saitama to Hokkaido, I have fulfilled that wonder and being honest… love it.
Perhaps it was fate or random luck but this year was the first year since the Covid-19 outbreak started that Sapporo hosted the Sapporo Snow Festival or Yuki Matsuri. I have always seen this event online, through instagram or YouTube but have never been able to attend. And i’m so happy that the year we move to Hokkaido it had restarted.
Being honest, I was floored by how amazing the sculptures are and impressed by what people can do with time, practice and with just snow. I will never play down the skill, detail and awesomeness of what was created.
BUT, I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that it was the first year restarting and perhaps apprehension on attendance but I felt that the festivities were a little, well little.
Again, please don’t get me wrong, the snow sculptures were amazing hands down, but I always had the idea that the festival would have small carnival games, lots of food stands and live music etc. This year (not sure on years past) there were no real entertainment factors, the food area was incredibly small for the amount of people coming through and the sculpture area was just that, nothing else.
So I have decided to NOT judge the festival off of this year alone. I’m hoping and waiting for next year, that it will be grander in scale and perhaps a little more entertainment.
With all that being said, I did in fact visit it THREE times.
If anyone from the festival reads my blogs, here are my personal suggestions or what I had thought to expect:
Snow based festival games (some of the shrines like Hokkaido shrine had games for people to play)
More food vendors. I think I counted about 5 or 6 stalls but it was no where enough for the amount of people passing through
Perhaps live entertainment
Again, I understand though if this was toned down due to Covid. This would just be a wishlist of some sorts.
In any case to summarize it all; I had a great time but wished for more. I highly recommend you visit if possible. It is an experience and to see what people can do with snow, it’s just amazing.
