Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival

With ice floes and drift ice in the winter seas around Abashiri in the far north of Hokkaido, it gets very, very cold – so what better place to have a festival with giant carved ice sculptures?

Sculptures large and small along with figures shaped from snow will fill the seaside venue. After dark, the sculptures will are spectacularly illuminated, transforming the atmosphere.

To get to the venue, it’s a ten minute bus ride from Abashiri Station on the “Tourist Facility Rounds Route”. Get off at Ryuhyo Saihyosen Terminal. From there, it’s another 10 minutes of walking to get to the venue.

(Greg Lane)