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[Asahikawa Winter Festival] Gigantic Snow Sculpture That Used to Be Placed in The Guinness Book of Records Is Highlight
February 11th, 2015
CONTENTS
Asahikawa Winter Festival
Asahikawa Winter Festival is a snow event held in Asahikawa city, and has been held since 1960. The snow event that about 1 million tourists come to see is one of the 2 major winter festivals in Hokkaido together with Sapporo Snow Festival. Open period is from 4 to 6 days in early February. Asahikawa Winter Festival has 2 venues, Asahibashi Bridge Venue (旭橋河畔会場) and Heiwadori Shopping Park Venue (平和通買物公園会場), and those are different from those atmospheres. As for the Asahibashi Bridge Venue adjacent to Tokiwa Park (常磐公園), it features a gigantic snow sculpture, and World Ice Sculpture Contest (氷彫刻世界大会) is held at the Heiwadori Shopping Park Venue, and fine ice sculptur works are displayed. In the daytime, snow sculptures look only white, but those turn into colourful themselves according to illumination or projection mapping in the evening. By the way, the Asahikawa is too cold in the February, so you had better wear a warm outfit. Especially, you had better wear a warm outfit carefully in the evening.
Movie of Opening Show
Movie of Arranging Main Venue
Mizuno that is famous for Ginger Ramen is close to the Asahibashi Bridge Venue. By the way, High Speed Asahikawa-go (高速あさひかわ号) and Express Nayoro-go (高速なよろ号), express buses, runs between the Asahikawa and the Sapporo, and Taisetsu Liner (たいせつライナー), an express bus, runs between the Asahikawa and the New Chitose Airport, and Sunrise Asahikawa-Kushiro-go (サンライズ旭川・釧路号), an express bus, runs between the Asahikawa and Kushiro, and Limited Express Sekihoku-go (特急石北号), an express bus, runs between the Kitami and Asahikawa, and "North Liner-go (ノースライナー号)", an express bus, runs between the Asahikawa and Obihiro.
List of Highway Bus
Refer to following companies for the highway bus service between the Asahikawa and the Sapporo, the New Chitose Airport, the Kitami, the Obihiro and the Kushiro.
| Chuo Bus(中央バス) | From Sapporo to Asahikawa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuo Bus(中央バス) | From Asahikawa to Sapporo | |||
| Chuo Bus(中央バス) | From Asahikawa to Sapporo | Jalan |
Rakuten |
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| Chuo Bus(中央バス) | From Sapporo to Asahikawa | Jalan |
Rakuten |
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| Asahikawa Denki Kido(旭川電気軌道) | From New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa | Jalan |
Rakuten |
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| Asahikawa Denki Kido(旭川電気軌道) | From Asahikawa to New Chitose Airport | Jalan |
Rakuten |
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| Hokkaido Kitami Bus(北海道北見バス) | From Asahikawa to Kitami | |||
| Hokkaido Kitami Bus(北海道北見バス) | From Kitami to Asahikawa | |||
| Takushoku Bus(拓殖バス) | From Asahikawa to Obihiro | |||
| Takushoku Bus(拓殖バス) | From Obihiro to Asahikawa | |||
| Akan Bus(阿寒バス) | From Asahikawa to Kushiro | |||
| Akan Bus(阿寒バス) | From Kushiro to Asahikawa |
JalanMizuno
Mizuno (みづの) is a popular ramen restaurant near Tokiwa park in Asahikawa city and is a long-established ramen restaurant founded in 1967, and a building has a traditional atmosphere. I visited here around 17:00 on weekdays. There was no customer. Autographed cards are closely stuck on a wall at the ramen restaurant. There are some tables, so family customers seem to enjoy. Article is here
ASAHIKAWA
Asahikawa (旭川) that about 340,000 people live is the 2nd largest commercial city in Hokkaido, and has flourished as the center of the North Hokkaido area. Woodworks have been prosperous since the old days, and furniture is famous. Because water is clear, a liquor such as sake of Otokoyama (男山) and Godo Shusei (合同酒精) are famous, too. Popular tourist attractions such as Asahiyama Zoo (旭山動物園) and Biei (美瑛) are around the Asahikawa, so a lot of tourists use tourist bases in the North Hokkaido. As for a climate, the Asahikawa is located in Kamikawa Basin, the largest basin in the Hokkaido, so it is hot that temperature rises to 30 degrees C in a summer, and it is cold that temperature falls to -25 degrees C in a winter, and it snow very hard, too. So a winter festival using the snow is famous. Article is here
Winter Festivals in Hokkaido
Snow often begins to fall around Christmas season, and Hokkaido is covered with the snow until late March that snow begins to melt, the ground turns into the white world in a winter. The snow falls in silence, and the temperature falls, too, and its peak is February, and various winter events that snow, ice and coldness can be enjoyed are held all over Hokkaido around the February. Article is here
List of Venues
A main venue is the Asahibashi Bridge Venue, and the World Ice Sculpture Contest is held at the Heiwadori Shopping Park Venue.
Asahibashi Bridge Venue
Snow sculptures, activity fields and food stalls are built at the Asahibashi Bridge Venue. The venue is particularly famous for the gigantic snow sculpture, and the snow sculpture of Ultraman Ginga S and Ultraman Victory's (ウルトラマンギンガストリウムとウルトラマンビクトリー) with 17 m height and 35 m width is a main hero in 2015. A motif of the gigantic snow sculpture is changed every year. A castle of Gulliver, the largest snow sculpture in the world, made in 1987 used to be placed in The Guinness Book of Records. It was geat job. The gigantic snow sculptures have been created by the Self‐Defense Forces, and production period is about a month. Small and medium snow sculptures are made by Asahikawa citizens around the gigantic snow sculpture, and a large snoe slide with 100 m in length, a mini-train, a snow banana, a huge snow maze, tubings can be enjoyed at the venue, too. Admission free. Because a parking lot for a privately-owned car is not provided, visitors can use a free shuttle bus from Asahikawa Station to here.
Atmosphere of Asahikawa Snow Festival in Evening Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Asahikawa Snow Festival in Evening
Except the snow sculptures and the snow activities, the food stalls called Winter Marche (冬マルシェ) that tasty meals of various places in Hokkaido can be eaten and restrooms are built, too. Fireworks and a video made with projection mapping techniques is shown in the evening, too. The snow sculptures are broken on the next day after finishing the snow festival. A tour seems to be held to see the destruction.
Movie of Snow Sculptures Destroying Performance
Atmosphere of Asahikawa Snow Festival Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Asahikawa Snow Festival
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | A parking is not provided |
| Business hours | 09:00-21:00 |
| Regular closing day | From mid February to late January |
| Telephone number | +81-166-25-7168 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 79 403 012*00 |
Heiwadori Shopping Park Venue
The World Ice Sculpture Contest is held at the Heiwadori Shopping Park Venue, and ice works are displayed along a shopping street with about 1 km in length. The contest seems to be the only international contest in Japan, and is competed with 2 awards, an individual match and a team game. The production time is fixed within 40 hours, and the entrant vie with each other for the prize in those. Admission free. Because a free parking lot for privately-owned cars is not provided, visitors must park their cars at the paid parking lots.
Atmosphere of World Ice Sculpture Contest Can Be Watched on Youtube
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Movie of World Ice Sculpture Contest
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | A parking is not provided |
| Business hours | 09:00-21:00 |
| Regular closing day | From mid February to late January |
| Telephone number | +81-166-25-7168 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 79 343 740*64 |
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Asahikawa. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
| Hotel WBF Grande Asahikawa(ホテルＷＢＦグランデ旭川) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Inn Asahikawa(ＪＲイン旭川) | ||||
| Hoshino Resorts OMO7 Asahikawa(星野リゾート ＯＭＯ７ 旭川) | Jalan |
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| Premier Hotel -CABIN- Asahikawa(プレミアホテル―ＣＡＢＩＮ―旭川) | ||||
| Hotel Trend Asahikawa(ホテルトレンド旭川) | ||||
| Super Hotel Asahikawa(スーパーホテル旭川 天然温泉 大雪山の湯) | ||||
| Asahikawa Toyo Hotel(旭川トーヨーホテル) | ||||
| R Hotels Inn Hokkaido Asahikawa(Ｒホテルズイン北海道旭川) | Jalan |
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| Hotel Route Inn Grand Asahikawa Ekimae(ホテルルートインＧｒａｎｄ旭川駅前) | ||||
| Smile Hotel Asahikawa(スマイルホテル旭川) | ||||
| Hotel Crescent Asahikawa(ホテルクレッセント旭川) | ||||
| Y's Hotel Asahikawa Ekimae(Ｙ’ｓ ＨＯＴＥＬ旭川駅前) | ||||
| Kuretake Inn Asahikawa(くれたけイン旭川) | ||||
| Art Hotel Asahikawa(アートホテル旭川) | ||||
| Dormy Inn Asahikawa(天然温泉 神威の湯 ドーミーイン旭川) | ||||
| 9C Hotel Asahikawa(９Ｃホテル旭川) | Booking |
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| Hotel Liberte Asahikawa(ホテルリベルテ旭川) | ||||
| Hotel Mates Asahikawa(ホテルメイツ旭川) | Booking |
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| Court Hotel Asahikawa(コートホテル旭川) | ||||
| Asahikawa Park Hotel(旭川パークホテル) | ||||
| Asahikawa Plaza Hotel(旭川プラザホテル) | ||||
| Asahikawa Sun Hotel(旭川サンホテル) | ||||
| Toyoko Inn Asahikawa-Eki Higashiguchi(東横イン旭川駅東口) | Booking |
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| Asahikawa Mongoru-mura(旭川モンゴル村) | Booking |
Jalan |
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| Guest House Asahikawa Ride(ゲストハウス アサヒカワライド) | ||||
| Hotel Tetora Asahikawa Station(ホテルテトラ旭川駅前) | ||||
| Sora E Hotel Asahikawa(ソラヘホテル) | Jalan |
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| Hotel Route-Inn Asahikawa Ekimae Ichijodori(ルートイン旭川駅前一条通) | ||||
| Yado Retro House Ginza Asahikawa(宿レトロハウス銀座旭川) | Jalan |
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| Toyoko Inn Asahikawa Ekimae Ichijodori(東横イン旭川駅前一条通) | Booking |
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| Hotel Penthouse Asahikawa(ホテルペントハウス旭川) | HP |
Jalan |
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| Asahikawa Capital Hotel(旭川キャピタルホテル) | HP |
Booking |
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| Business Hotel Asuka(ビジネスホテル飛鳥) | HP |
Booking |
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| Ryokan Fujien(旅館 不二苑) | Booking |
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| Ryokan Senshoen(和風旅館扇松園) | ||||
| Takasago Onsen(高砂温泉) | ||||
| A-Gate Hotel(えーげーと ほてる) | Booking |
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| Ryotei Yukinoya(旅亭 雪の屋) | Booking |
Jalan |
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| Ospa Court Miyamae(オスパーコート宮前) | HP |
Booking |
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| Ryokan Tsuji(旅館 つじ) | HP |
Booking |
Jalan |
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| Toukaen(東花苑) | Booking |
Jalan |
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| HOTEL KANDA(ホテル カンダ) | Booking |
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| Platon Hotel(プラトンホテル) | Booking |
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| Guest House Ito(ゲストハウス 伊東) | HP |
Booking |
Jalan |
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| Tabi-no-Yado Patchwork(旅の宿パッチワーク) | Booking |
Jalan |
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| Tatsu-no-Yu Onsen(龍乃湯温泉) | HP |
Booking |
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| Yumin Backpackers(遊民バックパッカーズ) | Jalan |
Rakuten |
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| M's HOME(えむずや) | HP |
Jalan |
Rakuten |
A page of Asahikawa is here
Asahikawa
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