Sapporo's famous snow festival , the Yuki Matsuri , has its origins in the winter of 1950, when six small snow statues were created by high-school children in Odori-koen, the city's main park. The idea caught on and, by 1955, the Japanese army, known as the Self Defence Force (SDF), was pitching in to help build the gigantic snow sculptures, which included intricately detailed copies of world landmarks such as the Taj Mahal.

Running from February 5 to 11 every year and spread across three sites (the Susukino entertainment district, Makomanai, south of the city centre, and Odori-koen), the festival now includes an international snow sculpture competition and many other events, such as co-ordinated ski jumping and nightly music performances in the park. Arrive one week in advance and you'll be able to see the statues being made, and even take part in the construction, since at least one giant statue in Odori-koen is a community effort - all you need do is turn up and offer your services. Be aware of the need to book transport and accommodation well ahead of time. With two million visitors flooding into Sapporo during the matsuri , finding last-minute accommodation in the city centre, and even arranging a flight or train to the city, can be very difficult.