Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido)
Japan’s most famous winter festival featuring massive snow and ice sculptures, dazzling night lights, and fun snow slides across Odori Park every February.
Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
Romantic canals illuminated by candlelit lanterns create a dreamlike winter scenery — perfect for couples and photographers.
Yokote Kamakura Festival (Akita)
Traditional snow huts glow warmly with candles inside, where locals share rice cakes and sweet sake in cozy winter cheer.
Niseko Powder Snow
World-renowned for its light and dry powder snow, Niseko attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world for the ultimate alpine adventure.
Zao Onsen & Snow Monsters
See Japan’s legendary “snow monsters” — ice-covered trees glowing under the night lights — then relax in Zao’s healing hot springs.
Snow Monkey Onsen (Nagano)
Wild Japanese macaques soaking in steaming hot springs amid falling snow — a uniquely Japanese winter spectacle at Jigokudani Valley.
Hatsumode (New Year Shrine Visit)
Experience Japan’s most meaningful tradition — the first shrine visit of the year — as locals gather at Meiji Jingu and Fushimi Inari to pray for blessings.
Winter Gourmet Delights
Feast on Japan’s winter specialties — snow crab, sukiyaki, miso hotpot, and warm sake — to truly savor the cozy side of Japanese winter.
Shiretoko Drift Ice Cruise
Set sail on a drift-ice breaker in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula to witness the rare natural spectacle of floating sea ice.
Shirakawa-go Light-up (Gifu)
Step into a fairytale at Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage village blanketed in snow and glowing with winter illumination lights.
