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Akita Prefecture · Yokote City (From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)

Yokote’s Little New Year, bright with illuminated snow huts and elaborate bonden

Yokote Snow Festival

Cultural propertiesCompetitions and tournamentsSnow and ice
An illustration of a festival themed around the Yokote Snow Festival
Create Carry on one’s shoulders Compete

The 2026 edition of Yokote Snow Festival has ended.

Festival information

EVENT INFORMATION
Dates
2026/02/13 〜 2026/02/17Ended
Season / frequency
Mid-February every year / Every year
Location
In front of Yokote City Hall’s main building, Yokote Park, Futaba-cho, and locations throughout the city; Asahiokayama Shrine
Area
Akita Prefecture・Yokote City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)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.
Highlights and activities
CreateCarry or liftCompeteSnowEat
Participation / viewing
Spectators welcome
Last updated
2026/10/19

Kamakura snow huts, where the water deity is enshrined, and events featuring the dedication of elaborately decorated bonden brighten Yokote’s winter streets.

Photo credits and terms of use Photographer: Rarisan File:Yokote's Bonden at Kajimachi 202402.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.
Photo credits and terms of use Photographer: Rarisan File:Bonden Dedication at Asahiokayama Shrine 202402a.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.
Photo credits and terms of use Photographer: Rarisan File:Yokote's Bonden at Heiwa-cho 202402.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.

About Yokote Snow Festival

The Yokote Snow Festival is a traditional Little New Year event held every year in February in central Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.

The festival comprises “kamakura,” snow huts where the water deity is enshrined; “bonden,” dedicated at Asahiokayama Shrine; and “Snow Art,” displays of snow sculptures.

At the kamakura, children serve amazake and mochi, offering a glimpse of local prayers and life in a snowy region.

Kamakura is said to have a history of about 450 years, and was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Yokote City in 2000.

Source: かまくら – 一般社団法人 横手市観光協会 / 横手の雪まつり - Wikipedia

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the kamakura, a snow hut with an altar inside where the water deity is enshrined.

At night, lights glow inside the kamakura, and you can enjoy the wintry scenery along with the children’s hospitality.

At bonden, large decorative tops adorned with colorful fabric, dolls, and other ornaments are lined up and judged for their craftsmanship.

The different snowy scenery at each venue is also part of the appeal, including samurai residences in Haguro-machi and venues with Yokote Castle in Yokote Park as a backdrop.

Yokote’s Little New Year, bright with illuminated snow huts and elaborate bonden

What to expect

At the kamakura, you can enter a room made of snow, look at the altar enshrining the water deity, and hear children call, “Please come in” and “Please pray,” while being treated to amazake and mochi.

At the Bonden Competition, bonden from various groups gather to compete over the splendor and craftsmanship of their decorative tops.

The following day, participants carry bonden through the streets, calling out and singing bonden songs before dedicating them at Asahiokayama Shrine.

At the Snow Art displays, you can compare snow sculptures made by neighborhood associations, businesses, and others.

How to take part

Children welcome visitors inside the kamakura and serve them amazake and mochi, so visitors can enter a kamakura and experience the atmosphere of the event.

Meanwhile, the creation and hono of bonten and snow sculptures are described as activities undertaken by neighborhood associations, businesses, schools, students, volunteers, and others.

No information is provided on how general visitors can enter as competitors in the bonten or snow sculpture events.

This is a festival best enjoyed by watching.

Location and access

Venue and address

Across Yokote City, including in front of Yokote City Hall’s main building, Yokote Park, and Futaba-cho.

The Bonten Contest is held in front of Yokote City Hall’s main building, and the Bonten Hono Festival is held at Asahoka-yama Shrine.

Train and bus

It is about a 10-minute walk from JR Yokote Station to the area around Yokote City Hall’s main building and Yokote Park.

During the festival, shuttle buses run between the kamakura venues.

By car

About 15 minutes from Yokote IC.

Asahoka-yama Shrine is about 15 minutes by car from JR Yokote Station.

Parking

A temporary parking lot at Yokote Gymnasium and the municipal parking lot at the east exit of Yokote Station are listed.

The municipal parking lot is free for up to 2 hours; after that, it costs 100 yen per hour.

Source: 横手の雪まつり かまくら | 観光・体験スポット | アキタファン / 横手の雪まつり ぼんでん | 観光・体験スポット | アキタファン

Address Yokote City (roadside park in front of Yokote City Hall’s main building, Yokote Park, and Asahiokayama Shrine)

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Dates and season

2026 Event Information (The listed dates have passed)

In 2026, kamakura and Snow Art were scheduled for February 13 (Friday) and the 14th (Saturday), the Bonden Competition for February 16 (Monday), and the Asahiokayama Shrine Bonden Dedication Festival for February 17 (Tuesday).

Kamakura dates have been changed from their traditional fixed dates to the second Friday and Saturday of February on a trial basis from 2026 through 2029.

Kamakura are open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

As bonden are a ritual observance, they continue to be held on the fixed dates of February 16 and the 17th.

Source: 令和7年度(2026年)「横手の雪まつり」開催日程について – 一般社団法人 横手市観光協会

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Tips for your visit

In 2026, the dates and venues for kamakura and the Snow Art displays differed from those for bonden, so you will need to plan around the events you want to see.

Kamakura are spread across locations including in front of Yokote City Hall’s main building, Yokote Park, and Futaba-cho, and take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

A shuttle bus runs between the venues during the festival, making it useful when visiting several locations.

Bonden are held in front of City Hall on February 16 and at Asahiokayama Shrine on the 17th.

Nearby attractions

At Yokote City Fureai Center “Kamakura-kan,” kamakura are displayed year-round in a “Kamakura Room” kept at temperatures below −10°C.

Except on days when the snow is being replaced, you can also experience entering a kamakura. The site includes a museum where you can learn about Yokote’s traditional culture and a shop selling local specialties.

Yokote Park is one of the festival’s kamakura venues, where you can enjoy snowy scenery with the replica keep of Yokote Castle as a backdrop.

You can also discover Yokote’s snow culture from a different perspective alongside the festival.

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Yokote Snow Festival

Kamakura is said to have a history of about 450 years. It is explained that it evolved into its present form through changes to customs such as the Sagicho bonfire held in samurai districts, snow pits where merchants enshrined the water deity, and children’s snow play.

In 1954, kamakura, bonden, and Snow Art began to be held together as the “Snow Festival.”

The round-roofed form seen today became established following the creation of a model kamakura in 1959.

Snow Art began in 1939 and has helped shape the history of snow-sculpture displays in Yokote.

Official information

You can check the official information from the Yokote City Tourism Association, a general incorporated association, for event dates and venues.

In 2026, the schedules for kamakura, bonden, and Snow Art differed, so it is helpful to check the information for each event you want to see.

The official website also provides an overview of kamakura, including its basic information and history, as well as the Bonden dedication festival and competition.

Source: ぼんでん – 一般社団法人 横手市観光協会

Yokote Snow Festival at a Glance

The Yokote Snow Festival is a traditional Little New Year event in Yokote City where you can enjoy the kamakura enshrining the water deity, the dedication of elaborate bonden, and Snow Art together.

In 2026, kamakura and Snow Art were scheduled for February 13 and the 14th, while bonden were scheduled for February 16 and the 17th.

Each event offers different highlights, from kamakura at night and snowy scenery framed by samurai residences and Yokote Castle to bonden parading through the streets.

As the venues are spread out, it is easier to enjoy your visit if you check which events and locations you want to see.

#Create#Carry on one’s shoulders#Compete#Snow#Eat#Held at night#In town

Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team

Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19

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