Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) 2027
In a Daisetsuzan gorge, ice domes and towers fill a riverside field, lit nightly in shifting colors with weekend fireworks over the snow.
When · Where
- When
- 2027/01/23 04:00 – 2027/03/14
- Where
- Sounkyo Onsen riverside venue, Daisetsuzan National Park（Sounkyo, Kamikawa-cho, Hokkaido）
- City
- Across Japan
- Getting there
- ~30 min by bus from JR Kamikawa Station; ~2 hrs from Asahikawa.
- Price
- Cooperation fee around ¥500 (junior-high+); free for younger children.
- Organizer
- Sounkyo Onsen Hyobaku Matsuri Executive Committee
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- ~30 min by bus from JR Kamikawa Station; ~2 hrs from Asahikawa. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Cooperation fee around ¥500 (junior-high+); free for younger children.. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families
Highlights
- Ice domes and towers built from frozen river water
- Multicolor nightly illumination
- Weekend winter fireworks over the gorge
Background & story
Held since 1976 along the Ishikari River below Sounkyo Onsen, the festival builds a sprawling field of ice structures and is a signature Hokkaido ice festival.
Good to know
Combine with the dramatic Sounkyo gorge cliffs and an onsen stay; check fireworks nights.