See the Beauty of Japan Blanketed in Snow! Top 15 Scenic Winter Escapes

The "Shirogane Blue Pond" in Biei is renowned as one of the area's top tourist attractions, with its captivating vivid blue waters. This man-made lake was formed accidentally when a dam, built to prevent mudflows from Mt. Tokachi, filled with water. The lake's mysteriously beautiful blue, combined with the surrounding lush nature and the withered larch trees, creates an atmosphere reminiscent of a fairy tale world.
In winter, the frozen lake surface is blanketed with snow, turning the entire area into a silvery expanse. From November to April, the pond is lit up, and the illuminated icy and snowy landscape emerges, offering a profoundly beautiful sight.

The Otaru Canal is a quintessential tourist spot in Otaru, lined with 63 gas lamps that light up at dusk. Along the canal, stone warehouses from the past remain intact, now repurposed as restaurants and boutiques. As the gas lamps illuminate at twilight, the stone warehouses are also lit up, offering a charming, retro ambience. The wintry scene of the "Otaru Canal" covered in snow is particularly splendid, inviting a sense of nostalgia. Don't miss the winter events that add to the charm of "Otaru Canal." The "Otaru Snow Story" is held annually from November to mid-February. During the event, the area is bathed in a uniform blue light, creating a fantastical and romantic atmosphere, making it a recommendation for couples.

Located in the heart of Hakodate, Hokkaido, "Goryokaku Park" is a star fort, meaning it has five protruding angles in its walls or fortifications. It was Japan's first Western-style fort, built at the end of the Edo period (end of the Shogunate era) to administer Hokkaido and protect it from foreign forces. It's designated as a special historic site by the country. The park spans a vast area of approximately 120,000 square meters, where one can enjoy the beauty of each season. From December to the end of February each year, "Goryokaku Park" hosts the "Goryokaku Star Dream Illumination." Around 2,000 lights are set up around the moat, outlining a star shape. Stroll along the pedestrian path around the moat's perimeter and enjoy the fantastical space of snow and light.

Zao in Yamagata Prefecture is the largest mountain resort in the Tohoku region.
In winter, it becomes a mecca for winter sports and attracts many tourists eager to see the frost-covered trees.
These ice monsters are created when snow and ice accumulate repeatedly on the leaves and branches of the Aomori fir trees native to the area.
They form under specific conditions such as temperature, wind direction, and snowfall, making them a rare sight seen only in certain mountainous areas of the Ou Mountains.
Their beauty, combined with their monster-like appearance, has earned them the nickname "Snow Monsters."
The best time to see them is usually from late December to early March, with the peak period being late January to early February.

A hot spring resort with a history intertwined with the prosperous Enzawa silver mine of the Edo period.
The mixed Japanese-Western style multi-story wooden buildings, reconstructed in the early Showa period, line both banks of the Ginzan River, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. The hot spring town also features footbaths and communal bathhouses.
From December to late March each year, a fantastical view unfolds as the town, illuminated by the orange light of gas lamps, is covered in snow.
Snow bathing, a unique winter experience, is one of its charms.

The JR Tadami Line is a 135.2 km railway connecting Aizuwakamatsu Station in Fukushima Prefecture and Koide Station in Niigata Prefecture.
Winding through the deep valleys of the Tadami River, it offers a window view of the changing seasons—spring cherry blossoms, summer greenery, autumn foliage, and winter snow.
The train slows down at scenic points and offers audio guides introducing the attractions, as well as sales of local specialties on board.
Among the numerous scenic spots along the line, the First Tadami River Bridge is particularly popular.
The snow-covered valley seen from the First Tadami River Bridge is truly a spectacular sight.
The experience of racing through a world resembling a painting on a train is unique and difficult to find elsewhere.
Not just at the First Tadami River Bridge, but throughout the journey, the scenes of snowy landscapes continue, offering endlessly captivating views from the train window.
The peak of the snowfall usually occurs from late January to mid-February.

Counted among Japan's three most scenic views alongside Miyagi's Matsushima and Hiroshima's Itsukushima, "Amanohashidate" is a stunning sandbar stretching approximately 3.6 km long and 20 to 170 meters wide, densely covered with about 5,000 pine trees. It's been sculpted by nature over thousands of years and is renowned, being selected for various Japanese top 100 lists such as the Best 100 Pine Groves, Best 100 White Sands and Green Pines, Best 100 Beaches, and Best 100 Historic Natural Features of Japan.
In winter, the snow-covered frozen pine needles and the white sandbar extending into the deep blue Miyazu Bay create a breathtaking sight. The transient beauty of the snowy landscape, which melts as the temperature rises, has earned the nickname "Gensetsu no Hiryukan" (Phantom Snow Dragon View). For the best experience, visit in the peak snow season, from January to February, in the morning before the snow melts away.

Nestled along the Kibune River in Kyoto's Sakyo District, Kifune Shrine is renowned as the head shrine of nearly 2,000 water deities across Japan. While its origins are obscure, records date back to at least 1,300 years ago, making it one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Surrounded by nature's bounty, it offers a view of the changing seasons and is also known for its night-time visits, adding to its charm. In winter, Kifune Shrine becomes enveloped in a blanket of white snow, creating a mystical and solemn setting. The nighttime illumination further enhances the ethereal snow-clad scene.

Along the Makino Highland approach road, Prefectural Road Kora Makino-sawa Line, approximately 500 Metasequoia trees line the 2.4km straight stretch, known as "Metasequoia Avenue." With the distant Nosaka Mountain Range as a backdrop, the avenue offers a picturesque view. The "Metasequoia Avenue" set against the silvery world of winter is not to be missed. The snow-dusted Metasequoia trees and the snow-covered pastoral landscape boast exceptional beauty. The snow starts settling as early as mid-December, with the last chance to see this snowy landscape usually around mid-February.

Shirakawa-go, a region where Japan's pristine landscapes remain beautifully intact, is home to the largest number of traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, with over a hundred still standing. It's the largest such village in Japan, designated as a national area for the preservation of traditional buildings and also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From late December to late February, Shirakawa-go is blanketed in snow. In this heavy snowfall region, the depth can exceed 170cm in February. The snow-covered mountains and the gassho-zukuri village offer a quintessentially Japanese beauty. During January and February, the village and surrounding mountains are illuminated on six special occasions, creating a truly breathtaking scene.

Kenroku-en, one of the three great gardens of Japan, was created over a period of approximately 180 years by successive lords of the Kaga Maeda clan. This stroll-style garden spans 34,600 tsubo (about 28 acres) and features ponds, streams, and man-made hills, designed to be enjoyed from various stopover points. Known for its beauty throughout the four seasons, the garden transforms into a fantastical sight during the night illuminations, which are held regularly and are quite popular. In winter, the beauty of the trees with yukitsuri (snow supports) set against the silver snow can be enjoyed. For those wishing to see Kenroku-en in its snow-covered splendor, plan a visit between mid-December and early March.

Jigokudani Monkey Park lies along the Yokoyu River that flows from Shiga Kogen, situated at an altitude of 850 meters where snow covers the ground for a third of the year, making it an extremely cold and harsh environment. The area is named Jigokudani (Hell's Valley) due to the steep cliffs and the steam rising from the hot springs everywhere. Wild Japanese macaques inhabit this area and almost daily descend from the mountains to the park in search of food provided there. In winter, many monkeys can be seen entering the monkey-only hot spring within the park to escape the cold. The sight of monkeys soaking in hot springs while snow falls is rare and has garnered attention from all over the world. With snow usually present from mid-December to early March, those who want to see this uniquely Japanese landscape of monkeys, snow, and hot springs should adjust their travel plans accordingly.

On the Sea of Japan side of Tottori City in Tottori Prefecture lies the largest sand dunes in Japan, stretching 16 km east to west and 2.4 km north to south. The Tottori Sand Dunes, designated as a Special Protection Area and a national natural monument, are one of the prefecture's premier tourist attractions. The dunes are known for their ever-changing landscape and the natural artistry that the wind sculpts in the sand. What might not be as well-known is that the Tottori Sand Dunes also offer a spectacular winter vista when covered in snow. The silver world of snow-dusted dunes creates an almost unreal beauty. It's a sight where nothing but snow and sea stretch to the horizon, and it's something to behold at least once in a lifetime. Snowfall begins in mid-December and can last until March in Tottori, with the highest likelihood of accumulation from January to February.

Fukuroda Falls, one of Ibaraki's leading tourist destinations, is located on the Takigawa, a tributary of the Kuji River in the Okukuji region. The falls are 120 meters high and 73 meters wide, ranking alongside Tochigi Prefecture's "Kegon Falls" and Wakayama Prefecture's "Nachi Falls" as one of the three great waterfalls of Japan and also selected as one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls. In winter, the breathtaking ice falls and snowscapes weave a tapestry of mystical natural beauty. An icefall occurs when the water flowing from the waterfall touches the cold air and freezes. Observing the massive Fukuroda Falls frozen in time can make it seem as if time itself has stopped. The icefall season spans from late December to February, and early morning, when temperatures are lowest, is recommended for viewing the icy spectacle.

Among the numerous waterfalls in Nikko, Kegon Falls stands out as perhaps the most famous. The waters of Lake Chuzenji plunge down a 97-meter cliff in a magnificent cascade, offering a spectacle of natural power and beauty. Visitors can take an elevator down to a viewing platform near the base of the falls, where the thunderous sound and spray of the waterfall can be experienced up close. From January to February, the slender side streams known as "Juni-taki" freeze to form what is called "Blue Ice," a phenomenon where the icicles shine with a blue hue. The sight of the ice falls and the surrounding snow is both powerful and ethereal.

One of the world's three major snow festivals, the "Sapporo Snow Festival" began in 1950 when local high school students set up six snow statues in Odori Park. Now held in early February at three venues: the Odori site, the Susukino site, and the Tsu Dome site, it attracts about 2 million visitors from Japan and abroad, making it one of Sapporo's major winter events. During the "Sapporo Snow Festival," a variety of events are held at each site. Be sure to check the schedule in advance to fully enjoy Hokkaido's charm, not only viewing the snow and ice sculptures but also enjoying local gourmet food and snow activities.

The 'kamakura,' a snow-made hut with a shrine inside to worship the water deity, is a traditional event of Little New Year transmitted in regions like Akita and Niigata. The "Kamakura Festival" held annually on February 15th and 16th in Yokote, famous as one of Japan's leading heavy snowfall areas, is counted as one of the "Top 5 Snow Festivals in Michinoku" and boasts a tradition of about 450 years.
There are four main venues. If you want to immerse yourself in the festival atmosphere, visit the "Yokote City Hall Main Office Building," where the largest number of kamakura and food stalls are lined up. To enjoy the original landscape of Japan, head to "Yokote Park," where Yokote Castle is located.

Since its establishment in Showa 12 (1937), this long-standing inn has captivated many literary figures and intellectuals. The inn's interior, subtly decorated with tea flowers and wild grasses, reflects a commitment to the original ambiance cherished since its inception. All rooms face the Kurobe Gorge, ranging from spacious Japanese-style rooms with wide verandas to luxurious suites with reception rooms and open-air baths. The inn boasts hot springs with a reputation for clarity touted as the best in Japan, complete with two open-air baths and separate large communal baths for men and women. Guests can enjoy a variety of hot spring experiences, including an open-air bath made from 400-year-old hinoki cypress wood, a craftsmanship marvel by master carpenters, and a rock bath designed to resemble the flow of the Kurobe River. In winter, the open-air baths offer views of the deeply snow-covered Kurobe Gorge, a sight akin to an ink painting.

Situated along the Okawa Gorge, a valley sculpted with strange rocks and precipices by rapid streams, the Ashinomaki Hot Spring is said to have opened about 1200 years ago. The Ookawaso ryokan, facing the Aga River, allows guests to appreciate the beauty of the gorge from its rooms and open-air baths. The ryokan's boastful open-air baths offer terraced pools reminiscent of rice terraces in 'Shiki Butai Tanada' or a stage overhanging the gorge similar to Kiyomizu Temple's stage, as well as indoor baths that also allow guests to enjoy the changing beauty of the gorge through the seasons. While the vista is always beautiful, the snow-covered mountains and the green shimmering Okawa River are particularly magnificent in winter.

Tsurunoyu Onsen, a beloved hot spring lodging amidst the secluded Nyuto Onsenkyo, is one of the most popular destinations representing the hot springs of Akita. Nestled deep in the mountains, its presence evokes the serenity of a samurai's hidden retreat. The onsen offers four different sources of spring water—white water, black water, middle water, and waterfall water—enjoyed across eight baths. The main mixed outdoor bath, famous for its scenic views, allows guests to immerse in tranquility while surrounded by snow-laden trees and structures—a unique experience offered by this secluded hot spring.