There is a lot of good news for people looking to travel to Japan during February. Tickets tend to be cheaper because it’s the off season for travel. Also, if you time it right you can get up to Sapporo for the annual ice festival which is to be held from February 7th to February 13th in 2011.
The festival is not your typical Japanese festival. In addition to wonderful foods made fresh and sold at stands, and cool ice sculptures, there are events scheduled through three locations.
Running through downtown Sapporo is the main site called the “Odori Site”. Here there will be performances, food, and sculptures.
The “Tsudome Site” in will play up the outdoor aspects and have snow slides, mazes, and Hokkaido regional foods among other events.
Another branch of the festival will be featured in Susukino. The Susukino sight will have an ice sculpture contest, an ice queen, and other events. The official site advertises there being sculptures “with real crabs, squids, and salmon featured in the show”. I can’t imagine what they will do with real crabs (note it doesn’t say “live”), but it sounds delicious.
The photo below shows the 2010 Snow Festival winner, Thailand with Krai Thong who was a legendary Thai hero who fought the largest crocodile in the world, Chalawan. (The photo links to the page with all the winners on the official Sapporo Snow Festival Homepage.)
