Photo/Illutration Visitors wearing facial masks attend the Sapporo Snow Festival held at Odori Koen park in Sapporo’s Chuo Ward in February 2020. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

SAPPORO--The Sapporo Snow Festival will be held on-site for the first time in three years, running for eight days from Feb. 4 to 11, the Sapporo Tourist Association announced.

The city’s annual winter tradition was held online for the past two years due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

For the next year, its signature massive statues will be set up at its usual venue of Odori Koen park in the city’s Chuo Ward. The Susukino entertainment district will serve as another venue.

Past editions drew more than 2 million visitors annually, both domestic and from overseas, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The park venue will feature five large-sized snow statues, in addition to mid- and small-sized ones and sculptures created by local residents.

Winter-themed attractions will also be offered.

To ease congestion to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the international contest for teams from outside Japan has been called off. In addition, there will be no food and drink stalls.

Anti-virus measures require that visitors wear facial masks.

The theme for large sculptures and other details will be announced in December.

The festival was held in February 2020, soon after the virus first flared in Wuhan, China.

The number of group visitors declined due to steps taken to contain the virus. However, a staff member working at the venue was found to have been infected.

The festival was held online in 2021 when the pandemic was raging in Japan.

In 2022, it was initially decided to hold the event on a reduced scale with mid- and small-sized statues. But the organizer had no choice but to hold it online due to a resurgence in infections.

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