Sapporo Snow Festival

After a long and hot summer, let's think about a nice plan for this winter. The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is the most popular winter festival in Japan. Every year about 2 millions visitors join this event. Hundreds snow statues are built every year in February. In 2013, the festival will be held from February 5 through February 11.

Snow Festival in Sapporo

Hotels will quickly become fully booked, so you better arrange your itinerary soon. At Japanese Guest Houses, we will do our best to find an accommodation for you: http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/sapporo/index.htm
The festival is main organized in the Odori park This is where you will find the most popular snow sculptures. While some statues are human size; other ones are huge !

Light up in Sapporo

The Susukino Site, in this "bubbling neighborhood" (especially at night), ice statues are exhibited. We recommend you to visit it at night; there is a light up until midnight, every day.

Finally the Tsu Dome Site; this one entertains families. There are several snow slides around the dome. Inside the dome; like in every Japanese festival you will find numerous food stands. The Tsu Dome Site opens daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
Interesting numbers;

• Number of Snow or Ice Sculptures in 2012: 228
• The amount of snow transported for the festival is around 32,500 tons
• 2.416.000 visitors for the 62nd Snow Festival (2011).

Snow slides in Sapporo

Kodaiji temple in Kyoto,

The Kaisan-do hall view from the main hall at Kodaiji temple

Kodaiji, one of the greatest temple in Kyoto. It's located up on the hill above the Gion district. It's very quiet and always get some wind that you really enjoy during hot summer days! It was established in 1605 by the noblewoman "Nene" (Kita-no-Mandokoro) in memory of her husband Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598).
Kodaiji gives a very good representation of Japanese architecture and Zen Buddhism with exquisite craftsmanship and Japanese gardens.

Zen garden at Kodaiji

The garden was redesigned by the well known architect Kobori Ensyu (1579-1647). The garden is particularly famous for its stone layout. It is said that the in the south section a group of stones represents a crane and in the north section, in the pond an island has the shape of a turtle; however I guess this depends on everyone’s imagination. Personally I couldn't see the crane or the turtle !

The Iho-an tea ceremony house

 The Iho-an is a tea ceremony room. This house and the Onigawara-seki (two other tea houses located on the top of the hill) are good examples of the design of the Kodaiji.

Bamboo grove at Kodaiji

Down from the hill, visitors pass throw a bamboo grove, another typical element of Japanese gardens.

Looking for a good place to stay near the Kodaiji:
Ryokan Motonago: www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/db/kyoto/motonago.htm
Tamahan: www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/db/kyoto/tamahan.htm
Rikiya: www.JapaneseGuestHouses.com/db/kyoto/rikiya.htm