Sapporo

Sapporo Snow Festival in February

Hokkaido in winter is a different Japan - quieter, colder, and covered in snow so perfect it looks like it was designed. Sapporo is the gateway, and it earns its reputation.

The Snow Festival fills the city with ice sculptures at a scale that makes no sense until you see them. Everywhere else, the city just gets on with being excellent: ramen, fresh dairy, seafood, and ski slopes within an hour.