murmurChitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival (Hyoto Matsuri)
Chitose City · Lake Shikotsu Onsen
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Lake Shikotsu National Park Management Council · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Jan 30 – Feb 23, 2027 10:00–20:00 (illuminated 16:30–20:00)
- Usual timing
- Usually late January
- How the date is set
- Announced each year Runs each year from late January to late February; dates are announced annually
- Venue
- Lake Shikotsu Onsen
- City
- Chitose City, Hokkaido
About
Each winter, water from Lake Shikotsu is sprayed onto frames until it freezes into ice sculptures of all sizes along the shore. Begun in January 1979, the festival takes its name from the waves of Japan's northernmost ice-free lake. By day the ice glows a natural "Shikotsu blue"; from late afternoon colored lights turn the grounds into a dreamlike scene. The surrounding hot-spring village offers a range of baths to warm up afterward. Admission is higher on weekends and holidays, and free for elementary-school children and younger.
Sources
- OfficialLake Shikotsu National Park Management Council hyoutou-special.asia
- OfficialHokkaido Tourism Organization (HOKKAIDO LOVE!) www.visit-hokkaido.jp
- OfficialChitose Tourist Association www.1000sai-chitose.or.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.