Experience snow at Various Winter Festival in Japan

The beauty of Snow Festivals in Japan: ideas and insights about of one of Japan's most exciting winter attractions.

Summary

Aomori's fame is unmistakably bound to the beauty of its landscape during the cherry blossom season and to the quality of its apple production, but the prefecture has much more to offer. Let's take a look at its spectacular snow festivals and snow related attractions.

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Immerse Yourself In Winter: Experiencing the Beauty of Japanese Snow Festivals

World-renowned 5 snow Festivals in Japan

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There is a number of areas in Japan where winter means cold weather, heavy snow and deep frost: still, this does not imply that tourists and visitors should be afraid of enjoying the beauty of Japan's coldest prefectures. With world-renowned winter festivals like Hokkaido's Sapporo Snow Festival, Asahikawa Winter Festival, Yamagata's Zao Ice Rime Festival, Akita's Yokote Snow Igloo (Kamakura) Festival and Iwate's Iwate Snow Festival, people visiting the North will have plenty to do and see even on the coldest days of the year, and visitors looking for unique experiences and rare features will find what they are looking for by exploring Hokkaido and Tohoku's six prefectures in search for folkloristic events. Each prefecture offers a wide array of local attractions and one-of-a-kind traditional events. The whole area is relatively easy to reach from Tokyo through the high-speed railway service (Shinkansen) or by plane, which helped make Hokkaido and Tohoku popular destinations among tourists even during the coldest months of the year.

Ice Fall Festivals and Its Tour Activities

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Active travelers looking for adventure should write down the names of Hokkaido's Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival and Chitose Shikotsuko Ice Fall Festival, Iwate's Nanataki Ice Fall Tour and Aomori's Oirase Gorge Ice Fall Tour, as they are all highly recommended for visitors into hiking and mountaineering. Even though snowshoe hiking and ice climbing are among the most popular activities on the menu, people in search of a more relaxing experience will not be disappointed by contemplating the majestic sight of the local landscape with its frozen waterfalls.

Popular Snow Festivals in Japan's Northeast Region, Tohoku

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Among the traditional festivals one can find around the area, we should mention the Namahage Festival, a name that has almost become a synonym to Akita prefecture, as well as the Painted Candle Festival in Aizu, Fukushima. Nonetheless, the region is home to many other interesting snow festivals. Some examples are Akinomiya Hotspring village's Kadaru Snow Festival and the Inukko Festival in Akita, both ranking highly among family-friendly attractions. Neighboring prefectures also have a variety of festivals one can visit, such as the Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival, the Gassan-Shizu Hotspring Yukihatago's Akari (Snow Lodge Light-up) Festival in Yamagata and the Pageant of Starlight and Garden Illumination in Miyagi, all of which are famous winter destinations among tourists. Visitors of all ages will certainly enjoy the quiet atmosphere of these snowy towns and the soothing beauty of their candle-lit igloos.

Aomori's Must-visit Snow Festival: Lake Towada's Snow Story

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Moving away from the city lights and towards Aomori's natural beauties we can find one of the prefecture's main attractions, Lake Towada's Snow Story Festival. Sporting large-scale snow sculptures, snow tunnels, illuminated sceneries, a traditional igloo (Kamakura) bar, local food stalls and fireworks, the festival is traditionally held in February for more than twenty consecutive days. If you have a chance to do it, please take your time and treat yourself to this unique experience on Towada's lakeside, and keep in mind that during the festival season, bus services are available for visitors to comfortably travel around the area even on snowy days.
While children can play around freely in the adventure playground, grown-ups can have some drinks served in glasses made of ice at the Kamakura bar or explore the area and its sights. Among the many activities one can take part to, the Oirase Gorge Ice Fall Night Tour offers a daily chance to take a walk through the gorge under the supervision of an experienced guide, a highly recommended activity for families with children. The meeting point is at the festival venue, which makes it convenient to participate. If you are looking forward to visiting the gorge, but you would rather do it before it gets dark, day tours are generally scheduled on the weekend. Visitors interested in participating can get detailed and up-to-date information from the tour's official site.
Anybody worrying about the rigidity of the weather should make a point of wearing warm, insulated clothes and making use of disposable heating pads in order to keep themselves warm enough to fully enjoy the festival's attractions and atmosphere.

【Opening Hours】1st February～24th February / 17:00～21:00
【Entrance Fee】Free
【Address】486 Towadako-Hanyasumiya, Okuse, Towada-city, Aomori
【Tel】+81-176-75-2425
*Dates and fees may be subject to variations.

From Tokyo to Aomori : about 3 hours by bullet train, about 1 hour and a half by airplane

From JR Hachinohe Station : 2 hours by car
From Towada IC : 1 hour by car

Warmly Lit Winter, Snow Light-up Festivals in Aomori

Snow lovers will certainly enjoy participating in the area's many winter festivals. Standing out among them we can find Hirosaki Castle's Snow Lantern Festival, characterized by the beauty of its dimly lit, snow-covered castle tower and the peculiarity of the traditional candle-lit igloos that surround it. Going back to the prefecture's capital city, one cannot forget mentioning two of Aomori's most popular winter events. The Snow Light Festival, an occasion of which the whole city becomes a stage for illumination projects that take advantage of the snowy metropolitan landscape, and The Light and Paper Pageant, where traditional Japanese paper and candle crafts embellish the city's main features and avenues, are some of the best events to take part in.

The Snow Light Festival

【Opening Hours】25th January～27th January / 17:00～21:00
【Entrance Fee】Free
【Address】1 Yanakawa, Aomori-city, Aomori
【Tel】+81-17-734-5179
*Dates and fees may be subject to variations.

From Tokyo to Aomori : about 3 hours by bullet train, about 1 hour and a half by airplane

From JR Aomori Station : 1 minute walking
From Aomori Chuo IC : 20 minutes by car
From Aomori Airport : 30 minutes by car

The Light and Paper Pageant

【Opening Hours】30th November～11th February / 16:00～21:00
【Entrance Fee】Free
【Address】Around Aomori Bridge～ Aoiumi Park
【Tel】+81-175-37-2233
*Dates and fees may be subject to variations.

From Tokyo to Aomori : about 3 hours by bullet train, about 1 hour and a half by airplane

From JR Aomori Station : 2 hours by Shimokita Kotsu bus
From Oma Ferry Terminal : 15 minutes walking

Aomori’s Unforgettable Seasonal Festivals

Aomori, Honshu's northernmost prefecture and one of Japan's snowiest areas, is well-known all over the country for its seasonal events and festivals. These have gained substantial recognition in the prefecture's recent history, and as much as eight of them have been designated as Japanese Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. The most popular among them are the two Nebuta Summer Festivals, yearly held in Aomori and Hirosaki, and the Three Shrine Festival in Hachinohe. All of them are famous for their energetic atmosphere and for the picturesque beauty of their colorfully decorated floats and processions.
In spite of its weather, Aomori's events are not limited to the summer, as a number of festivals are held in autumn and winter, too. Their beauty is such that they regularly manage to attract flocks of visitors from all over the country. Tourists visiting Aomori in autumn should not miss Namioka Apple Hill Harvest Festival and Oma Tuna Festival, both taking place in October.
The first one, widely recognized as one of the most interesting apple-picking festivals in the area, is characterized by a variety of daily events, ranging from photo and weight-guessing contests to sweets competitions and concerts from local bands, while the second one is one of the best chances one has to see specialists filleting whole tunas in front of a crowd while tasting the product of their hard work served in a variety of locally prepared dishes.

Apple Hill Harvest Festival

【Opening Hours】22nd October～23rd October / 9:00～18:00
1st December～2nd December / 9:00～18:00
【Entrance Fee】Free
【Address】2-3 Nojiri, Oaza Megasawa Namioka, Aomori-city, Aomori
【Tel】+81-172-62-1170
*Dates and fees may be subject to variations.

From Tokyo to Aomori : about 3 hours by bullet train, about 1 hour and a half by airplane

From JR Aomori Station : 40 minutes by car, 1 hour by Aomori City bus
From Namioka IC : 10 minutes by car
From Aomori Airport : 15 minutes by car

Oma Tuna Festival

【Opening Hours】7th October～8th October / 9:00～15:00
【Entrance Fee】Free
【Address】72 Oma, Omamachi, Shimokitagun, Aomori
【Tel】+81-175-37-2233
*Dates and fees may be subject to variations.

From Tokyo to Aomori : about 3 hours by bullet train, about 1 hour and a half by airplane

From JR Shimokita Station : 2 hours by Shimokita Kotsu bus
From Oma Ferry Terminal : 15 minutes walking

Tohoku's Winter Gem: From Quality Sake To Local Specialties

Thanks to the abundance of its natural resources and as a consequence of its long brewing tradition, Tohoku is home to many of Japan's most illustrious high-grade Sake producers. With winter being the main season for the production of the national trademark spirit, it's at this time of the year that various local Sake Festivals hosting some of the area's best breweries take place all throughout the region. If you have never tried quality Sake from Tohoku before, this is possibly the best opportunity you have to give it a try. Sake Festivals in Yamagata's Oyama and Atsumi Hotspring, Miyagi's Shiogama and Fukushima's Koriyama are getting more and more popular as years go by. The main station in Sendai is famous for hosting large-scale festivals every winter. Most of Tohoku's notable Sake breweries participate in these events, and on top of quality Sake visitors will have a chance to taste other regional drinks and specialties, often served with traditional Japanese tapas. If you happen to be around during any of these events, don't hesitate and join the party.
In addition to the Sake related events, several gourmet-oriented gatherings featuring seasonal seafood are a popular destination among food lovers. Crab, codfish, octopus and oysters are just some of the stars in Iwate's Kamaishi and Yamagata's Sakata food festival, and trying out some local special recipes like the local hot soup dishes will warm you up, helping you face the area's rigid climate.

Bounty Shopping At New Year's Special Market In Sendai

If you're visiting the Miyagi prefecture on New Year's, Sendai's new year's special market sale (Hatsuuri) is a good chance to get some unique bargains on assorted goods. The market is traditionally held on January 2nd, and major shops celebrate the coming of the new business year by selling bundles of products at heavily reduced prices in special bags called Fukubukuro, often adding gift boxes and special items to their usual assortment. The origin of this special market sale dates over 400 years ago and has been considered a regional tradition since the Edo period (1603-1868), with Sendai still being active in promoting it even nowadays. Don't be surprised by the long queues and the lively atmosphere. Hatsuuri is still a major social event and a great occasion to start the new year with a nice present.