Abashiri’s winter festival, where you can discover the appeal of ice and snow sculptures and sea ice
Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2027/02/06 〜 2027/02/07Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Every year in February / Every year
- Location
- Abashiri Port Pier venue
- Area
- Hokkaido・Abashiri City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
A winter celebration in Abashiri, where sea ice reaches the Okhotsk Sea, featuring ice and snow sculptures, illuminations, hands-on activities, and local specialties.
About Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival
The Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival is one of Abashiri’s signature winter celebrations, held during the season when sea ice reaches the Okhotsk Sea.
The sea-ice fairy “Ryūhyō Patara” welcomes visitors to the festival, where they can enjoy ice and snow sculptures and local specialties.
Events are also held to share the current state of the sea ice and what makes it special, under the theme “SAVE THE ICE SAVE THE EARTH.”
Festival highlights
Highlights include ice and snow sculptures gleaming against the blue sky during the day and illuminations that light up the entire venue at night.
The program also features hands-on activities that make use of the ice and snow, including an ice slide and “Sea-Ice Ring Toss,” where you can win seafood such as crab.
Stage events and the festival’s signature “scallop toss” are also held, bringing together attractions that are distinctly Abashiri, as well as ice and snow.
Abashiri’s winter festival, where you can discover the appeal of ice and snow sculptures and sea ice
What to expect
At the venue, you can admire ice and snow sculptures and enjoy hands-on activities such as an ice slide and “Sea-Ice Ring Toss.”
Alongside the stage events, the festival’s signature “scallop toss” is also held.
Local specialties featured include Abashiri Champon, venison miso ramen, and clam soup made with clams from Lake Abashiri.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Abashiri Port Pier venue, 3-3 Kita 2-jo Nishi 3-chome, Abashiri
- By car
About 5 minutes from JR Abashiri Station
Address 3-3 Kita 2-jo Nishi, Abashiri, Hokkaido
Dates and season
Scheduled to take place February 6, 2027 (Sat)–7 (Sun)
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Hokkaido / Abashiri City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions introduced include the Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing and Icebreaker Aurora, Abashiri Municipal Local Museum, the Moyoro Shell Mound Museum (a branch of the Abashiri Municipal Local Museum), the Drift Ice Story Train, Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and Tentozan Observatory, Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, and Abashiri Prison Museum.
北海道立北方民族博物館
北海道網走市にある博物館
写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
網走市立美術館
北海道網走市にある美術館
写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
網走市立郷土博物館
北海道網走市にある郷土博物館
写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival
The Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival is a winter celebration in Abashiri held every year in February.
The 61st festival in 2026 was announced as being planned around the theme “SAVE THE ICE SAVE THE EARTH,” highlighting sea ice that has been declining in extent year by year due to the effects of global warming.
The festival aims to share the current state of the sea ice, what makes it special, and ways people can help protect it.
Official information
公式情報：網走市観光公式サイト「おいしいまち網走」
Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival at a Glance
The Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival is a winter celebration held at Abashiri Port Pier during the sea-ice season.
The program features a variety of attractions, including ice and snow sculptures, nighttime illuminations, an ice slide, a sea-ice ring toss, and scallop tossing. Local specialties such as Abashiri Champon and clam soup are also introduced.
In 2026, the festival was held on February 7 and the 8th. Visitors were invited to compete in the sea-ice kayak-pulling contest in teams of 4.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/12
