“And then we walked through a literal Chinese restaurant, opened a secret door, and walked into an underground nightclub…”
Yep, sounds about right. If you’ve ever spent time with a well-traveled person, or have done an extensive amount of globe-trotting yourself, you’ll know that more often than not, the best travel stories stem from the random events and spontaneous nights out that pop-up throughout your stay–not necessarily from what you had planned on your itinerary.
So while we know that it’s well and truly the pow that keeps you all coming back year after year, we know that for a lot of you, it’s not just the terrain that made you fall in love with Japan’s winter resorts – but the towns themself.
As such, we wanted to hook you all up with a guide of the best events happening around Niseko, Furano and Hakuba this winter, so that you can book your holiday accordingly and fit in all the best pow – and all the best of Japan’s winter events!
Japan’s Winter Events in Niseko
Snow Machine
Date: Held between 4th – 9th of March, 2025, in Hakuba; and the 10th – 15th in Niseko.
Hosted between March 4th to 9th in Hakuba and March 10th to 15th in Niseko, Snow Machine guarantees punters one of the largest international events Japan’s snow resorts have ever seen, promising thousands of eager punters coming to town to revel in five days of mates, tunes, and chu-hai’s.
Mad Dog Jam
Date: Held annually at the beginning of March.
The term ‘send it’ is well and truly engrained in ski and snowboard culture, but nothing quite sums it up like Moiwa’s Mad Dog Jam. A competition without the competitive edge, Mad Dog saw Niseko locals coming together to send the biggest and most ludicrous tricks in their playbook, all with the intention of having fun.
Banked Slalom
Date: Held annually at the beginning of March.
No matter what style of rider you are, you’ll always appreciate a solid carving technique, making Moiwa’s Banked Slalom a perfect day out for riders of all ages looking to see local shredders showcasing their tight turning ability in a specially designed course.
Rhythm Rail Jam
Date: The Rhythm Rail Jam will return in March, 2025.
It gets bigger and better every year, so what should you be expecting for 2025? The BIGGEST Rhythm Rail Jam yet. Pulling a collection of Japan’s best professional competitors and a crowd of over 2,000 eager punters, Rhythm’s Rail Jam is a staple on the Niseko events calendar for a reason.
Niseko Shootout
Date: Held annually at the beginning of March.
A staple of the Niseko events calendar, the Niseko Shootout offers a large-scale event showcasing the creativity of Niseko photographers and videographers, providing local creatives the opportunity to showcase their hidden talents behind the lens in front of thousands of stoked spectators.
Otaru Light Path Festival
Date: 8th – 15th February, 2025.
See Niesko’s neighbouring town of Otaru transform into a colourful playground made up of varying light displays and small snow statues – an awesome photo opportunity.
Sapporo Snow Festival
Date: 4th – 11th February, 2025.
If you’ve ever found yourself watching Instagram reels and fantasising about your dream holiday in Hokkaido, you’ve most likely been watching videos of the Sapporo Snow Festival. Meticulously carved ice statues, snow sculptures the size of buildings, and an illustrious array of food trucks and other local attractions, the Sapporo Snow Festival is a must-visit winter attraction event for tourists and locals alike.
Spanning three different locations over a week-long event, the Sapporo Ice Festival acts as a celebration of both Sapporo as a city, and Japan as a nation, with a vast majority of the sculptures commemorating monumental moments in the history of Japan, while also offering a slew of fun activities that’ll keep you and the family well and truly entertained.
Japan’s Winter Events in Hakuba
Yukimi Film Festival
Date: The Yukimi Film Festival will return in March, 2025.
Having exceeded all expectations in its inaugural year, we are excited to announce that the Yukimi Film Festival will be returning in 2025! A showcase of art, creativity, and good vibes, all within the heart of Hakuba, the Yukimi Film Festival is quickly becoming a favourite amongst Hakuba’s event calendar and is sure to grow even bigger in size for edition number 2.
10th Annual Hatsuyuki Concert
Date: 7th December, 2024.
Held on the first Saturday of December every year, the Hatsuyuki Concert aims to provide local musicians an opportunity to perform to other local residents – acting as a perfect celebration of Hakuba’s local talent pool.
Hakuba 47’s New Years Day
Date: New Years Day, 2025.
Treasure hunts, mochi pounding and bingo – count us in, what a way to bring in the New Year!
Oh… you mean to tell us that those events are only for the young shredders out there? What about the adults?
Well, to quote straight from the source, “adults can enjoy the traditional ritual of sake drinking”… Ok, you can still count us in for that.
Nozawa Fire Festival
Date: Held annually on the 15th of January.
One of Japan’s most famous fire festivals, the Nozawa Fire Fest offers visitors the opportunity to witness a century-old tradition that involves burning a large wooden shrine, which is said to provide protection for villagers.
Hakuba Winter Comedy Festival
Date: Held from the 12 – 19th of February, 2025.
Want to know the best way to unwind after a day on the slopes? An onsen, followed by a nice glass of wine and a belly full of laughs. For the 2024/25 winter season, Hakuba’s ‘The Clubhouse’ will be showcasing the Tokyo Comedy Club’s best of the best for a handful of limited shows that’ll be sure to bring an uplifting spirit around the village – just in time for some spring skiing.
Freeride World Tour Qualifiers
Date: Held annually towards the end of January.
With the Freeride World Tour, only two things are set in stone: the starting point and the finish line, everything else is completely up to the riders individual style. As you can imagine, it makes for a pretty exciting watch, attracting visitors from all over the world, who descend upon the Hakuba valley for a one week competition in the Happo-One backcountry.
Hakuba Jazz Fest
Date: TBC
Kickstart your winter season with some sophistication this year, with the annual Hakuba Jazz Festival! Normally held towards the beginning of September, Hakuba Jazz fest sees some of Japan’s finest musicians bringing the funk to Hakuba for a very special afternoon.
Chanmero Freeride
Date: TBC
A local favourite, Chanmero Freeride sees a curated collection of Japan’s best freeride professionals come together to shred Hakuba’s extensive backcountry terrain.
Waku Waku Jam
Date: Normally held towards the start of March.
Anyone who rides park in Hakuba knows that Jigatake is one of the valley’s best kept secrets. While 47, Tsugauike and Iwatake have the established reputation of hosting Hakuba’s biggest terrain park, Jigatake’s ‘Hike Up Park’ hosts a collection of kickers, waves, rails and boxes that riders of all skill sets can enjoy, making it the perfect place to host a high energy springtime event for Hakuba’s best park riders to come out and showcase their bag of tricks.
Japan’s Winter Events in Furano
Northern Daimonji Wildfire Festa
Date: Held annually between the 31st of December and the 1st of January.
Welcome the New Year with the captivating Northern Daimonji Wildfire Festa. Witness the snowy expanse of Hinode Park transform into a spectacle of flames, forming the kanji word ‘big.’ This mesmerising event showcases a 70-metre-long and 50-metre-wide character crafted from 300 steel rods, offering an incredible sight for fortunate spectators attending the annual celebration.
Kan Kan Mura
Date: Held between late December to late February.
Embark on a truly magical New Year’s celebration at Kan Kan Mura. With an enchanting snow dome, cosy snow cafe, Japan’s longest Snow Tubing course, and a dazzling array of illuminated snow sculptures all on offer, Kan Kan Mura promises an unforgettable and festive experience to welcome the New Year.
Keen on making the most of Japan’s winter events this season? Guarantee your attendance by pre-booking your rentals now!
