Travel

Sapporo Snow Festival Faces Cut in Giant Sculptures

SAPPORO, May 20 (News On Japan) - Starting in 2027, the number of giant snow sculptures produced by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) for the Sapporo Snow Festival will be reduced from two to one, due to increasing demands on personnel for disaster response and winter training.

Each year, the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) has created two of the massive snow sculptures at the festival’s Odori site in response to a request from the City of Sapporo. However, on May 19th, the GSDF formally proposed reducing its involvement to just one sculpture beginning in 2027, citing the need to secure more time for training and disaster preparedness.

In addition to the two SDF-made sculptures, three others are usually created by nonprofit organizations and other groups, making a total of five. But Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto suggested that the overall number may fall to four, as replacing the SDF’s contribution with an additional private-sector sculpture could prove difficult.

"While we want to avoid reducing the number, realistically it may be very challenging for the private sector to take on another giant sculpture," said Akimoto.

Sapporo City plans to hold discussions with the festival’s executive committee to determine the path forward.

Source: 北海道ニュースUHB

Kyoto Raises Lodging Tax as Peak Travel Season Begins

Kyoto City significantly raised its lodging tax from March 1st, increasing the maximum charge per person per night from 1,000 yen to as much as 10,000 yen, in a move aimed at tackling overtourism and funding the preservation of cultural assets, even as questions remain about its impact on visitors and the local economy.

Foreign Visitors and Ex-Rescuer Pull 80-Year-Old Woman From Hakuba Crashed Car

A former emergency responder and foreign tourists worked together to rescue a woman in her 80s who was trapped inside an overturned light vehicle in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture.

Tokyo Metro Begins Touchless Ticket Gate Trial

Tokyo Metro and Toshiba have launched Japan’s first demonstration test allowing passengers to pass through ticket gates without touching them by using their smartphones’ Bluetooth function.

Himeji Castle Hikes Admission Fee for Non-Residents

The admission fee for the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, was revised on March 1st for the first time in 11 years, introducing a dual pricing system that significantly raises costs for visitors from outside the city.

Australian Girl, 8, Dies After Snowmobile Overturns in Hakuba

An eight-year-old Australian girl died after a snowmobile overturned in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, at around 11 a.m. on February 28th, with authorities investigating the cause of the accident.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Imperial Hotel Kyoto to Open in Central Gion

The Imperial Hotel Kyoto is set to open on March 5th in the heart of Gion, one of Kyoto’s most renowned districts, with the interior unveiled to the media on March 2nd ahead of its debut.

Himeji Castle Hikes Admission Fee for Non-Residents

Tourists in Japan Flock to Capsule Toys and Food Replicas

As the number of foreign visitors to Japan continues to rise, two uniquely Japanese cultural phenomena — food replicas and capsule toys, known as gacha — are drawing growing attention as unexpected tourist attractions and potential new souvenir staples.