The First-Timer’s Winter Travel Guide to Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan

There are many reasons to love Hokkaido. It’s Japan’s northernmost prefecture and one of its most beautiful.

We attended the 2017 Sapporo Snow Festival and remember it fondly. Every trip to Japan is memorable but that one trip was particularly special because it was a good mix of experiences, some of which we had never had before.

It was our first time riding a snowmobile and experiencing the magic of an onsen. We enjoyed miso ramen and Sapporo beer at its birthplace and tasted jingisukan for the very first time. It also rekindled our love for skiing, something we hadn’t done in over twenty years.

And let’s not forget about the festival itself. Held every year in the first week of February, it featured large and highly detailed sculptures made of snow or ice, some of the most impressive…