Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival rebrands as snowfall dwindles

The Sapporo Snow Festival, a much-loved annual event in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, is transitioning its focus towards environmental protection and sustainability. A climate expert has warned that global warming and reduced snowfall across Hokkaido will make it harder to stage the event in the future. In August, the organizers unveiled a new logo, mascot, and concept for the 77th snow festival, set to take place from February 4 next year.

The updated branding expresses appreciation for the snowfall and the message is encapsulated in the phrase "A festival of gratitude for snow: blessed by the snow."

The new concept aims to shift the perception of snow from being a nuisance to something to be valued and thanked. The organizers hope that this rebranding will foster deeper collaboration with locals, visitors, and businesses who share this vision, ultimately creating a more sustainable event in the future. The festival has faced growing challenges in recent years, including rising temperatures and shortages of snow.

The local Ground Self-Defence Force (SDF) garrison has historically transported snow from outside the city to construct two of the largest sculptures at the Odori Park venue. However, recent strains on the military, including personnel shortages, mean that only one statue will be built from next year.

Other challenges include rising prices and labor costs across the three primary festival sites. While the local economy benefits greatly from the influx of domestic and international visitors, there are growing concerns about overtourism. Yoko Tsukamoto, a Sapporo resident and academic, has noticed that the city centre becomes very busy during the festival, with tourists crowding the area.

She also agrees that it is asking too much of the SDF to bring snow from far away and compact it for carving, adding to their regular duties.

Signs of changing weather conditions have been apparent for years. In 2012, a three-meter ice statue collapsed onto a tourist, causing serious injury. City officials blamed the accident on the melting base of the statue. Tsukamoto, who has lived in Sapporo for 15 years, has observed that snow now comes later and melts away earlier than in the past.

She noted that last year, despite a significant snowfall, it turned to slush quickly due to warmer temperatures. The city used to gather snow from streets and transport it to a single collection site, which would typically last until mid-June. However, in recent years, it melted by mid-May.

Data from the Japan Meteorological Agency shows that Sapporo's average February temperature has dropped from minus 3.8 degrees Celsius in 2000 to minus 1 degree Celsius today. Takahiro Oyama, a researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies' Centre for Climate Change Adaptation, explained that the Japanese archipelago is experiencing major shifts in weather patterns.

While parts of northern Japan have experienced extreme snowfall, it is unlikely to become the norm in Hokkaido. Oyama believes that snowfall is decreasing year on year in the region, and the "heat island effect" in a large city like Sapporo contributes to elevated temperatures. He imagines a future where Sapporo may no longer be able to host a snow festival due to warming temperatures, as the event requires cooler conditions for sculpting.