| When you think of snowy winter festivals, Japan | | | | crowded winter festival. They have huge ice |
| probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. You | | | | sculptures and night time illumination. At the |
| probably imagine Scandinavia or Canada. But, if you're | | | | Asahikawa Snow Festival, restaurants serve |
| interested in snow and ice sculptures, you probably | | | | Asahikawa ramen, a type of ramen that is famous all |
| know that Japan boasts some of the world's most | | | | over Japan. The noodles and warm soup are a special |
| interesting and unique winter festivals. In the winter in | | | | winter treat, and visitors from all over Japan go there |
| Japan, up in the snowy north, there are winter | | | | to taste it. |
| festivals every year that draw great crowds and | | | | The northern part of Japan's main island, Honshu, |
| offer lots of attractions for everybody. | | | | gets dumped on in the winter too. Every major area |
| The big one is the Sapporo Snow Festival, also called | | | | has its own snow festival. One of the most popular is |
| "Yuki Matsuri." It is held every year in February on | | | | the Iwate Snow Festival. It's held in the small town |
| Japan's snow covered northern island, Hokkaido. The | | | | of Shizukuishi in early or mid-February. Iwate Snow |
| Sapporo Snow Festival was the first of its kind held | | | | Festival has giant snow statues, restaurants and bars |
| in Japan, and it is still the biggest. | | | | in igloos, snow slides, and a giant snow maze that's |
| Every year, 2 million snow lovers flock to Sapporo, | | | | slightly different every year. Iwate is also famous for |
| the biggest city in Hokkaido, to enjoy the Snow | | | | its yearly fireworks displays, where festival-goers can |
| Festival in the first 2 weeks of February. At the | | | | watch the colors reflect off the snow. |
| Festival, there are hundreds of snow sculptures made | | | | Iwate is a great winter festival for those who want |
| by artists from all over the world. Some are a couple | | | | to see a more traditional celebration. The modern |
| of building stories high and weigh tons. There are ice | | | | snow festival is mixed with traditional yearly festivals |
| sculptures too, and ice bars where you can go inside | | | | that are hundreds of years old. In Iwate, you can |
| and have a frosty beer. | | | | see traditional Japanese musicians and dancers |
| The Sapporo Snow Festival was starting in the 1950's | | | | perform on floats. |
| by a group of high school kids. Bored and shut-in by | | | | There are snow festivals held all over northern Japan. |
| the harsh winter, they began to have competetion | | | | Even in the smallest villages in Hokkaido, residents |
| making snow sculptures. Every year, more kids joined | | | | have some kind of celebration when the snow piles |
| in, and now the festival draws snow artists from 15 | | | | up. Northern Honshu also has snow festivals in all the |
| different countries. | | | | major cities. The northern prefectures, like Aomori, |
| There are also musical performances, light shows, | | | | are good places to go if you don't want to leave the |
| snow slides and massive snowball fights. | | | | main island. |
| The second biggest city in Hokkaido, Asahikawa, has | | | | If you want a truly unique winter festival experience, |
| its own Asahikawa Winter Festival in early February. | | | | northern Japan is a great place to go. Just make sure |
| It's not as big as the Sapporo Snow Festival, but it's | | | | you're bundled up! |
| good for snow lovers who want a quieter and less | | | | |