This winter, come to Sapporo, Hokkaido to experience the 740,000 lights illuminating the cities’ parks and streets. The combination of the colorful lights and snow is truly marvelous. In this article, we will familiarize you with the Sapporo White Illumination.
🎉 During the event 🎉
Article index
When is it?
This year’s Sapporo White Illumination will be the 42nd one, and will be held from November 22 2022 to March 14th 2023.
Please note that the opening times will vary from venue to venue.
What is the Sapporo White Illumination?
The first Sapporo White Illumination took place on December 12th 1981.
It was one object decorated with 1048 lights. Since then, it has gotten bigger and bigger every year. It is held with the intention of being an “opener” for the Sapporo Snow Festival.
Venues
The Sapporo White Illumination will be held at the following 6 venues.
Odori Venue
November 22nd 2022～December 25th 2022 at 16:30 〜 22:00 ※ Open until 24:00 on December 23rd ~ 25th
Ekimae-dori Venue
November 22nd 2022～February 11th 2023 at 16:30 〜 22:00 ※ Open until 24:00 on December 23rd ~ 25th
Minami Ichijo-dori Venue
November 22nd 2022～March 14th 2023 at 16:30 〜 22:00 ※ Open until 24:00 on December 21st ~ 25th
Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza
November 22nd 2022～March 14th 2022 at 16:30 〜 22:00 ※ Start times will vary — the event will begin at sundown
Sapporo Station South Exit Station Plaza Venue
November 22nd 2022～March 14th 2023 at 16:30 〜 24:00 ※ Start times will vary — the event will begin at sundown
Odori Venue
At the Odori venue, various illuminations will be available to view between 1-chome and 6-chome.
There is a massive christmas tree near the Sapporo TV Tower in 1-chome. Come take your Insta photos here!
Wish Bars
New decorations with symbolic wings.
Gift of Snow
Wish cards can be purchased — these can be placed upon the main work of art to create a unique piece of art created by the visitors.
Winter Blossoms
A popular work of art based on the lilac — it was created by mixing Sapporo's flower lily and Hokkaido's prefectural flower.
Snow Fantasia
A snowflake themed light tunnel.
Cosmic Square
A large plaza showing the stars among the backdrop of the universe. It can be interacted with by visitors.
Emerald Forest
This venue captures the green essence of a dense forest wilderness.
Ekimae-street Venue
The rows of trees running from JR Sapporo Station to Susukino will be dressed up in bright white lights, turning this street into one of the main attractions.
Minami Ichijo-Dori Venue
The local Ginko trees are decorated with pretty winter lights, and the bright white snow creates a marvelous backdrop for the rich color palette.
Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza (Akpla)
The three primary colors of light (red, green, blue) will be mixed to create an animated spectacle that visitors can enjoy at their leisure.
Sapporo Station South Exit Station Plaza Venue
Utilizing high-tech projection mapping, a dazzling light-show reminiscient of the biggest raves in the world is on display — a truly inervating experience.
Christmas in… Germany?
The 21st Munich Christmas City in Sapporo
Visitors may enjoy a variety of both Japanese and German foods and drinks. Some popular German foods are sausages and pretzels, and the yearly favorite drink is the German hot mulled wine which is perfect to counter the cold, snowy weather.
You can even get a exclusive, limited-time only mug cup.
The Munich Christmas City in Sapporo event is held at Odori Park between November 22nd and December 25th.
It was first held to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Sapporo and Munich, Germany, and has grown in size every year since its conception in 2002.
There are live performances held on stage, and there is also an open air market where visitors may browse and purchase various German-themed goods.
There are also stove-heated tents that you can eat where you will be nice and cozy even in the winter cold. There is even a Santa Claus who may hand out gifts to young children.
There will be english speaking staff patrolling the general area to help and guide foreign visitors.
Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor events. Please find the event you want to visit from the event schedule below.
Things to know before going
Dress Appropriately!
Hokkaido in wintertime is especially cold, with some places having meters of snowfall.
November to March are especially cold months in Hokkaido where the temperatures will regularly fall below 0.
Dress accordingly — Snow caps, mittens, thermal underwear, scarves, snow boots, and heavy, waterproof coats and pants are a necessity. Do not underestimate the cold!
November to March are especially cold months in Hokkaido where the temperatures will regularly fall below 0.
Dress accordingly — Snow caps, mittens, thermal underwear, scarves, snow boots, and heavy, waterproof coats and pants are a necessity. Do not underestimate the cold!
Due to the slippery, ice-covered streets, you must wear heavy boots with a proper grip. If you don’t have these kinds of boots, you can buy non-slip “slip-ons’ that you can wear over your shoes for ¥1,000 at any JR or subway kiosk.
Various Fees
There are no fees to enter any of the various venues. However, at the Munich Christmas in Sapporo Venue, there are a variety of events and activities which may have some fees, so it’s best to check the event pamphlet at the official website beforehand.
Parking
There is no Official Sapporo White Illumination parking lot, so please use the paid parking lots nearby if driving there.
Official Website
How to get there
Each venue can be accessed on foot from JR Sapporo Station.
When visiting the venue, we recommend heading to JR Sapporo Station first.
Please see the map below for the location of each venue.
Thanks for Reading!
We’d like to thank visitors like you who make all of this possible.
Come to the Sapporo White Illumination 2022 – 2023 and enjoy winter the Japanese way!
If you’d like to know more about what you can do in Hokkaido, please take a look at our Top 10 Things to do in Hokkaido article here!
Come to the Sapporo White Illumination 2022 – 2023 and enjoy winter the Japanese way!
If you’d like to know more about what you can do in Hokkaido, please take a look at our Top 10 Things to do in Hokkaido article here!
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