Each year during the winter months, Hokkaido's Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival brings a dose of colorful magic to this corner of Japan with numerous illuminated ice sculptures. The event also typically includes other fun events like ice skating, ice slides, fireworks, and food booths.
The event runs from 10 am until 8 pm daily, but the illumination starts from 4.30 pm. Admission is priced at 500 yen.
Getting there
The Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival can be accessed within around 40 minutes by taxi from Sapporo's New Chitose Airport. Bus services are also available from the airport at a cost of 1050 yen - it's definitely a more cost-effective option than the price of a taxi (around 7000 yen!) and only a slightly longer travel time at around 55 minutes. Look for the Lake Shikotsu Line bus.
More info
Find out more about Lake Shikotsu.
