[Nayoro Winter Festival] High Quality Snow Sculpture Can Be Enjoyed in Nayoro Best Quality Snow in Japan Festival

Nayoro Winter Festival

Nayoro Winter Festival (なよろ雪質日本一フェスティバル * The formal name is Nayoro Best Quality Snow in Japan Festival) is a snow event held in Nayoro city located between Asahikawa city and Wakkanai city, and has been held since 1952. Open period is 3 days in mid February, and about 20,000 tourists come to see. The Best Quality Snow in Japan is related to the climate of the Nayoro, and it is dry in a winter, and the temperature is from -5 to -25 degrees Celsius. The snow that is more superfine than Powder Snow turns into Silky Snow depending on that environment, and the Nayoro city appeals the excellence of the snow quality. The venue is Minami-hiroba Open Space (南広場) near Saijo Depart (西条デパート) and Komyo Kindergarten (光名幼稚園). Admission free. A parking lot for the tourists is not provided at the venue. But some parking lots for the tourists are provided in the downtown.

In the Nayoro Winter Festival, snow sculptures made by the Self-Defense Force and Nayoro citizens are displayed, and International Snow Sculpting Competition (国際雪像彫刻大会) is held at the same site while the opening the festival, too. Some teams from the wrold compete in the artistry snow sculpture by hands and the silky snow without using electric tools. It features that the competition compel engravers and professional artists join the teams, so high-quality snow sculpture art can be enjoyed.

Speaking of tasty restaurants in the Nayoro, Brazil (ブラジル) and Mitsuboshi Shokudo (三星食堂) are popular in particular. I ate foods at the Brazil, the Mitsuboshi Shokudo, Toyoken (東洋軒) and Tamasaburo (たまさぶろう), and those were tasty. As for the onsen, Nayoro Onsen (なよろ温泉) is at the foot of Piyashiri Ski Resort (ピヤシリスキー場). By the way, a highway bus, Express Nayoro-go (高速なよろ号), runs between the Nayoro and Sapporo.

List of Means of Transportation

Highway buses run between the Nayoro and the Sapporo. Refer to following the means of the transportation in the Hakodate. As for car rental comparison websites, you can compare vehicle rental prices on Tabi-Plaza Rental Car Reservation (旅ぷらざレンタカー予約), Jalan Rental Car (じゃらんレンタカー) and Rakutem Travel Rental Car (楽天トラベルレンタカー).

Chuo Bus(中央バス)	From Sapporo to Nayoro	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Chuo Bus(中央バス)	From Nayoro to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Toyota Rental Lease(トヨタレンタリース)	Their office is near the komyo Kindergarten.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

Nayoro Onsen

Nayoro Onsen (名寄温泉) is a hot-spring place in Nayoro city located between Asahikawa city and Wakkanai city. Nayoro Onsen Sun Pillar (なよろ温泉サンピラー) is built at the end of Hokkaido Road 939, and there are Piyashiri Ski Resort (ピヤシリスキー場) and Piyashiri Ski Jumping Hill (ピヤシリジャンプ台) around here, and a building is adjacent to a ski lodge. Natural phenomena such as the sun pillar, the diamond dust and snow rime can be seen at the Piyashiri Ski Resort in a winter. There are trailheads for Mt. Kudosan and Mt. Piyashiri, too. The distance is around 10 km far away from the center of the Nayoro, and restraunts, cafes and convenience stores are not built near here. Read More

Brazil

Nayoro Confectionery Store Brazil (なよろ菓子工房ブラジル) is a popular confectionery store founded in 1955 in Nayoro city, and is near Nayoro Station. Mr. Hideaki Hirai (平井 秀明) is a store owner at present. The Brazil has been loved by local people since a long time ago, and Nayoro Pudding (名寄プリン) has a good reputation. Except it, they serve cakes, baked confectioneries, pafaits, breads and so on. A sales area and a cafe area are at the building. * I got information that the cafe might stop a business. Most of their customers are local people, and I also used to have a break here sometimes. Read More

Mitsuboshi Shokudo

Mitsuboshi Shokudo (三星食堂) is a long-established restraunt founded in 1914 in Nayoro city located in the north part of Asahikawa city, and is near Nayoro Station. Mr. Kouzo Takeda (武田 宏三) is a restraunt owner now. The restraunt is known for a wide variety dishes on a menu, and is loved by Nayoro people. Special Mayonnaise Grilled Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce Set Meal (鳥の照焼特製マヨネーズ炒定食) and Nayoro Stewed Mongolian Barbecue Set Meal (なよろ煮込みジンギスカン) are popular, and the Mitsuboshi Shokudo is crowded with customers at lunchtime in particular. A lot of familiar restraunts such as the Restaurant Midoriya (レストラン緑) that local people often went to eat a dish used to be near the Nayoro Station in old days, but many restraunts has already closed their business. I think that the Mitsuboshi Shokudo keep doing their business. Read More

NAYORO

Nayoro (名寄) that about 30,000 people live is the 24th largest commercial city in Hokkaido, and is located between Wakkanai city and Asahikawa city, and is one of regional hub cities of the North Hokkaido area. The Nayoro means "A country near rivers" in Ainu language, and the downtown is between Nayoro River (名寄川) and Teshio River (天塩川). Furen that became incorporated with the Nayoro in 2006 is well-known for glutinous rice, and the planted area is the largest in Japan. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 30 degrees in a summer, and it is cold that temperature falls to nearly -30 degrees in a winter because Nayoro is located in a basin. Natural environment of abou 60-degrees temperature difference is one of features of the Nayoro. So natural phenomena such as SunPillar and Diamond Dust can be enjoyed. The Nayoro is just beside Bifuka town recorded the coldest temperature, -41.5 degrees, in Japan, and is one of the coldest region in the Hokkaido. Read More

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. Read More

Look of Venue

The venue is not so large, so visitors can see the snow sculptures without looking around very much. A large snow sculpture made by the Self-Defense Forces, about 15-20 small snow sculptures made by the citizens and a snow slide are built at the venue. The large snow sculpture in 2015 was Jibanyan (ジバニャン * Yo-Kai Watch). The Nayoro city has a base for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and it has been in charge of the production, administration and management of the large snow sculpture since the old days. I that used to be born and live in the Nayoro had a member of the Self-Defense Forces play in old days, but that do not still change. Children looked like their's having fun playing. In the daytime, snow sculptures look only white, but those turn into colourful themselves according to illumination in the evening. By the way, the Nayoro 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.

The International Snow Sculpting Competition is held at same time, too. All works are molding such as the art, and adults can enjoy the snow sculptures, too. The quality of the snow sculptures including the snow sculptures made by the citizens are high probably because the snow quality is very good. Except the snow sculptures, Winter Marche (ウィンターマルシェ) that local gourmets of various places in Hokkaido can be eaten and concerts are held, too.

Nayoro Winter Festival Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Nayoro Winter Festival

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Nayoro. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Teshio Yayoi Station "Tabibitoyado and Inaka Shokudo"(天塩弥生駅「旅人宿&田舎食堂」)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Nayoro Sun Pillar Youth Hostel(なよろサンピラーユースホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Guest House Nisshin(ゲストハウス日進)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Mystays Nayoro(ホテルマイステイズ名寄)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Grand Hotel Fujika(グランドホテル藤花)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
B&B Hotel Bird Inn(B&B ホテル バードイン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Nijo Ryokan(二条旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Business Hotel Sunflower(ビジネスホテル サンフラワー)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Yojo Ryokan(四条旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Sengokuya Ryokan(千石屋旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kameya Ryokan(かめや旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Furen Bokodai Nature Park Auto Campsite(ふうれん望湖台自然公園オートキャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Nayoro Onsen Sun Pillar(なよろ温泉サンピラー)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten