Japan is also a great destination for a winter vacation. Most of the tourists that visit the country during this season love to visit Sapporo, the capital and largest city of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, that has one of the coolest winters in the country. This city is well-known for its many attractive during wintertime, such as the world’s most popular snow festival “Sapporo Yuki Matsui”, the city’s white illumination festival or their incredible Ski Resorts to spend a wonderful vacation full of joy and fun. With that being said, let’s explore some of the marvellous resorts and enchanters festivals of this city:
Sapporo’s Snow Festival
Sapporo is known by many as the city of snow, not only for its cold winters but for the great Snow Festival that they celebrate annually, with cold-carved art pieces, snow sculptures of all sizes and endless iconic representations in ice.
Located in Odori Park in the center of Sapporo, here you will find a fascinating world of snow and ice stretching across approximately 1.5 kilometers. You can enjoy a wealth of attractions such as the amazing huge snow sculptures, Hokkaido-specialty gourmet options, a skating rink, a popular projection mapping and much more.
All these wonders of winter art, impress thousands of tourists who visit this particular city of Japan, without a doubt, a place that no tourist should miss, since, it will leave an unforgettable memory of how wonderful winter can be in Japan.
Sapporo’s White Illumination.
This is one of the most popular and long-running illumination events in Japan, this seasonal lights began in Sapporo in 1981. a variety of sparkling works of art of all sizes decore the beautiful city. The 39th Sapporo White Illumination will be held from 22 November 2019 to 15 March 2020. The colourful and romantic illuminations will take place at several locations in Sapporo City including Odori Park which is the venue for the German Christmas Market followed by Sapporo Snow Festival and this Christmas season, the lights will keep on until midnight, making the area a great place to take a romantic late-night walk!
Ski & Winter Resorts in Sapporo
In 1972, Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympic Games, as Sapporo has one of the best snows in the world, making the fresh powder coats the slopes, which soften any ride of snowboarding or skiing. This makes this area a perfect place for amateurs, beginners or professionals who enjoy these sports or other snow activities like snow tubing and a family sledding ride.
For these attractions, histories and natural beauty, Sapporo counts with plenty of high-level ski resorts that attract thousands of tourists every year.
Sapporo Teine Ski Resort
This complex held the Olympic Flame in the Winter Games in 1972, and you can still visit this resort and see the platform where the flame was on and bright for many days, also offers multiple courses and different levels with two separate zones. Therefore, this is definitely a great option for tourists looking for an accessible resort during their trip, as this location combines a rich history with the sacred land of Olympic very close to the city of Sapporo.
Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort
Another popular option is this complex, located 46km west of Sapporo, a one hour drive. This ski resort boasts a massive 18 metres of powder per season, and whilst the small in-bounds area gets a bit crowded, there are plenty of freshies to be found in the lift-accessed backcountry areas.
For the best terrain beginners would be better placed at Sapporo Teine (Olympia), whilst intermediates should go to Tomamu or Kiroro. However lift tickets are significantly cheaper at Sapporo Kokusai, particularly for children.
Niseko Ski Resort
If you are planning to go to Sapporo, another great idea is to visit the Niseko Village, just 90km away, there you can find the most famous ski resort in Japan, which is well known for the number of foreigners that visit this resort every winter to try its endless light powder, long ski runs and the very entertaining after-ski activities. Niseko as a world-class resort is made up of a total of seven ski areas: Niseko Mt. Resort, Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village (formerly Higashiyama), Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Hanazono, Niseko Moiwa, and the smallest of the bunch Niseko Weiss and it was voted as the sixth in a list of the top 10 ski resorts in the world, so definitely it is a place you must visit.
Summary
Overall, Sapporo is a perfect destination to enjoy a winter vacation, which combines the excitement of winter games, the history of a city, the art of ice, and fun for all ages. In this sense, in Aitas Japanese Immersion School, we help you prepare in a fun way so that you can communicate in cities like Sapporo, understand their culture and make the most of your visit to Japan, follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.aitas.ca for more information.
If you want to know more about Japan and have fun learning a new language Aitas Japanese Immersion School is perfect for you. Email us at japanese@aitas.ca and ask for a Free Trial Lesson or Level Check Consultation to start.
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