Complete Guide to the Sounkyo Onsen Ice Fall Festival 2025: Dates, Highlights, and More!

If you’re looking for the ultimate wintertime festival, look no further. In Hokkaido’s hot spring town of Sounkyo Onsen, you’ll find a winter wonderland of illuminated ice sculptures lighting up the land as far as the eye can see. While Hokkaido’s winters are famously chilly, this magical sight more than makes up for the cold! Check out our complete guide to the Sounkuo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival below. 

If you’re visiting from Tokyo or Osaka, take a flight to New Chitose Airport, then hop on the limited express train to Sapporo Station. Transfer from Sapporo to the Lilac-Kamui Line en route to Asahikawa Station, then take a direct bus to Sounkyo Onsen. These buses run every one to two hours, making it the most convenient option! Alternatively, you can rent a car from the airport and take three- or four-hour drive to Sounkyo Onsen.

The Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival has been going on for over 40 years and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025! The festival began in 1976 under the guidance of Toshihiro Takenaka, a renowned sculptor from Eniwa, Hokkaido. It was initially conceived as a local event to showcase the region’s natural beauty and foster a sense of community during the harsh winter months. Over the years, the beautiful ice sculptures have attracted attention from both domestic and international visitors, becoming one of Hokkaido’s most well-known winter festivals.

Months before winter arrives, locals collect water from the nearby Ishikari River to pour over log skeletons, which are then frozen as the temperature drops. Layer by layer, water is added, and once fully frozen, it’s carefully carved to create intricate and breathtaking designs. By the time the festival begins, these icy masterpieces are ready to dazzle visitors. At night, the sculptures are illuminated with vibrant, colorful lights, transforming them into a magical, otherworldly spectacle.

At the festival, you'll find the famous Hyobaku Shrine, which is said to provide good fortune and blessings. Visitors often wedge coins into the shrine’s icy walls, a symbolic gesture representing the ability to succeed as the coins remain in place without falling.

Another of the festival’s standout attractions is the awe-inspiring ice tunnel, which stretches over 328 feet (100 meters) long. Created through a meticulous process of repeatedly pouring water over the structure and allowing it to freeze, the tunnel takes months to complete. This cave is truly unlike any in the world — particularly when the colorful lights come on at night. 

In celebration of the festival’s 50th anniversary, there will be a fabulous fireworks show set off every day during the festival period! The colorful fireworks light up the dark sky above the illuminated ice sculptures, creating a truly magical environment. Be sure to check the official fireworks schedule in advance, so as not to miss this highlight of the festival!

Make sure you bundle up, as the winters in Sounkyo are frigid; temperatures regularly drop below 32°F (0°C). Because of the ice and snow, the ground is quite slippery, so wear appropriate footwear. If you’d like, you can buy anti-slip wraps for your shoes at the venue.

Sounkaku Grand Hotel is a resort-style hotel with chic Japanese and Japanese-western style rooms, as well as outdoor natural hot spring baths for guests. The hotel is home to a premium restaurant with an open kitchen and a bar lounge serving the hotel’s original pure rice sake. It’s conveniently located only a few minutes from the Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival venue and the visitor center, where you can take the popular ropeway to get to Daisetsuzan National Park. 

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