murmurTokamachi Snow Festival
Tokamachi City · Venues across Tokamachi City
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Tokamachi Snow Festival Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Feb 20–22, 2026 （Ended） February 20, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm; February 21, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; February 22, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
- 2027
- Feb 19–21, 2027
- Usual timing
- Usually late February
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually on a weekend in mid to late February; dates are set each year
- Venue
- Venues across Tokamachi City
- City
- Tokamachi City, Niigata
About
Tokamachi, one of the snowiest places in Japan, throws a big party every winter. The highlight is the Snow Art Exhibition, where every snow sculpture is made by local residents for the festival. They're completed in time for judging on the first day, so you can see them finished from the evening of day one until the final day. Festival plazas pop up around the city center and beyond, each neighborhood offering snow play, hot food and its own hospitality. The festival began in 1950 from a local wish to befriend snow and enjoy it. There are temporary car parks and free shuttle buses between sites. Snow in the hills can top 3 m, so bring warm clothes and non-slip shoes, and winter tires if you drive.
Sources
- OfficialTokamachi Snow Festival Executive Committee snowfes.jp
- OfficialTokamachi City Tourism Association www.tokamachishikankou.jp
- OfficialNiigata Prefecture Tourism Association (Niigata Kanko Navi) niigata-kankou.or.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.