[Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival in Chitose] Illumination of Ice Art Works Particularly Look Beautiful

Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival

Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival (支笏湖氷濤まつり) is a snow event held around Lake Shikotsu in the south part of Sapporo city, and the venue is Shikotsuko Onsen (支笏湖温泉) in the east part of the lake. The festival has been held from late January to mid February since 1976, and about 260,000 tourists come, and it can be said that the festival is a specialty event in the Lake Shikotsu. The venue is near Yamasen Iron Bridge (山線鉄橋). There are ice sculptures, an ice slide, Hyoto Shrine (氷濤神社), a resting place, a food stall, a public restroom at the site. It is very cold, so you had better wear a warm outfit. Admission free. But they collect a assistance fund. As for a parking lot, the parking lot at the Shikotsuko Onsen is open to visitors for free.

The Shikotsu means "Large valley" in Ainu language, and was named because of the source of Chitose River. The Lake Shikotsu is well-known for farm-raised Kokanee (ヒメマス), and it is a noted product eaten at various restaurants in the Shikotsuko Onsen Resort. The Kokanee season opens from June to August, and popular fishing can be ejoyed if you pay recreational fishing fee. In the Lake Shikotsu, something can be enjoyed in all seasons. Cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in a spring, Fresh green, hiking, the fishing, camping, a canoe, a kayak, diving, a bicycle, a boat and a sightseeing boat can be enjoyed in a summer, Fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and a snow scenery can be enjoyed in a winter.

Lake Shikotsu

Lake Shikotsu (支笏湖) in Chitose city is the 2nd largest caldera lake after Lake Kussharo in Japan, and was born by large-scale eruptions 40,000 years ago. In Shikotsu-Toya National Park, the perimeter of the lake is about 40 km, and the maximum depth is 360 m, and is the 2nd deepest lake after Lake Tazawa in Akita prefecture in Japan. It is said that the Lake Shikotsu is an unfrozen lake in the northernmost of Japan, but it sometimes is frozen actually. It is famous for clear water of the lake, too, and has transparency as well as Lake Mashu and Lake Baikal. Because the lake is close to New Chitose Airport, Sapporo city and Tomakomai city, it is a popular tourist attraction that a lot of tourists visit. Around the Lake Shikotsu, there are Shikotsuko Onsen Resort (支笏湖温泉街), Marukoma Onsen (丸駒温泉), Former Poropinai Camping Ground (ポロピナイ元キャンプ場), Bifue Camping Ground (美笛キャンプ場), Okotan Camping Ground (オコタン野営場), Lake Okotanpe (オコタンペ湖), Morappu Camping Ground (モラップキャンプ場), Mt Eniwadake (恵庭岳), Mt. Fushidake (風不死岳), Mt. Tarumae (樽前山) and Mt. Monbetsudake (紋別岳). Article is here

Shikotsuko Onsen

Shikotsuko Onsen (支笏湖温泉) is a hot-spring resort surrounded by forests and the lake in the east side of Lake Shikotsu (支笏湖) located in the western part of Chitose city. It succeeded in drilling hot springs in 1974, and is close to New Chitose Airport, Sapporo and Tomakomai, and 0.95 million people visit here annually. It features a few large buildings due to building restrictions. The hot-spring resort is not large, and there are 7 accommodations, a ferry port, Shikotsuko Visitor Center (支笏湖ビジターセンター), restaurants and souvenir shops. Sweets Shop Patissier Labo (スイーツショップ パティシエ・ラボ), Healthy Buffet Amamu (ヘルシービュッフェ アマム), Shokujidokoro Kotobuki (食事処 寿), Shikotsuko Daiichihotel Suizantei Taian (支笏湖第一寶亭留 翠山亭 苔庵) and azzurro (アズーロ) are popular in particular. Unfortunately, there is not a convenience store. 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