Okura Snow Story is a winter event held in Okura Village, Yamagata Prefecture, celebrating the unique attractions of life in a snowy region. Okura is known as one of Japan’s heavy-snow areas, where snowfall can sometimes exceed 3 meters. The event transforms the snow that defines everyday life in winter into a variety of memorable experiences and seasonal attractions.
From late January through February, the “Fantastical Snow Corridor” illuminates towering snow walls with candlelight. In late February, visitors can watch participants compete to dig through the snow until they reach the ground. Then, in mid-March, the giant snowman “Okura-kun” makes its seasonal appearance.
The event also features winter fireworks lighting up the night sky and a new sake festival hosted in connection with the area’s traditional breweries. Together, these activities create a distinctive winter celebration rooted in the snow culture of Okura Village.
One of the symbols of Okura Snow Story is the enormous snowman known as “Okura-kun.” It appears in front of Hijiori Ideyukan as part of the event held every year in mid-March.
Okura-kun was first created in 1995. Construction took approximately 10 days, resulting in a giant snowman measuring 29.43 meters high—roughly equivalent to an eight- or nine-story building.
Upon completion, Okura-kun was registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest snowman, establishing it as one of Okura Village’s best-known winter attractions.
The sight of an enormous snowman standing in a deeply snow-covered mountain hot spring village is particularly impressive. It demonstrates how Okura has transformed one of the harshest aspects of its winter climate into a distinctive attraction.
The mid-March celebrations of Okura Snow Story also include a winter fireworks display. Fireworks are launched into the night sky above snow-covered Hijiori Onsen, creating a striking contrast between the darkness of the mountains, the white snow, and bursts of light.
Combined with the unveiling of Okura-kun, the fireworks provide a festive finale to the long winter season and are enjoyed as one of the highlights of the event.
One of the most atmospheric attractions of Okura Snow Story is the “Fantastical Snow Corridor” in Hijiori Onsen. It is held mainly on weekends from late January through February, when candles are placed along the massive snow walls created by the region’s heavy snowfall.
When tiny flames illuminate snow walls measuring more than 3 meters high, the familiar winter landscape takes on an entirely different appearance. Visitors can walk through the corridor while enjoying the soft candlelight reflected by the snow.
In Hijiori Onsen, accumulated snow can form enormous walls along roads and around buildings. During the Fantastical Snow Corridor, this symbol of the harsh winter environment is transformed into a beautiful nighttime landscape.
The gentle glow of the candles creates an atmosphere that can only be experienced in a snow-covered Japanese hot spring village, offering visitors a chance to appreciate the beauty hidden within the region’s severe winter climate.
In late February, visitors can witness another unusual event known as the “Ground-Revealing Competition.” Participants dig through the enormous amount of accumulated snow, competing to be the first to uncover the ground beneath it.
In a heavy-snow region, the ground can remain hidden beneath a thick blanket of snow throughout the winter. This competition turns that challenging reality into a playful contest, allowing participants and spectators alike to experience both the intensity and the unique character of winter in Okura.
Okura Snow Story is not limited to snow-related activities. The event also provides an opportunity to experience the area’s traditional sake culture through a new sake festival.
Okura Village is home to Koya Brewery, said to be one of the oldest sake breweries in the Tohoku region. During the new sake festival, freshly brewed sake from Koya Brewery is served at liquor shops in the village.
Enjoying freshly made sake in the middle of winter offers another way to experience the traditional food and drink culture that has developed in this snowy mountain region.
The setting for Okura Snow Story, Okura Village is a mountainous community surrounded by rich natural scenery. Hijiori Onsen is particularly famous for its heavy snowfall. During winter, enormous snow walls form around roads and buildings, creating scenery that is dramatically different from that of the warmer months.
The local community makes creative use of this snow to create a variety of winter attractions, including the snow corridor, giant snowman, ground-revealing competition, and winter fireworks.
Okura Snow Story is a distinctive winter event that turns the severe natural environment of a heavy-snow region into a source of culture, community activities, and tourism.
From late January through February, the Fantastical Snow Corridor creates a magical scene as candlelight shines against towering snow walls. In late February, the Ground-Revealing Competition celebrates the extraordinary depth of the region’s snowfall. Then, in mid-March, visitors can see the giant snowman “Okura-kun,” enjoy winter fireworks, and experience the area’s new sake festival.
For travelers interested in experiencing a different side of Japan, Okura Snow Story offers a rare opportunity to see the magical winter scenery of deeply snow-covered Hijiori Onsen and discover the local culture that has developed through generations of living with snow.