Otaru Snow Light Path

Otaru’s beloved Yukiakari no Michi, commonly known in English as the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival, is a breathtaking winter celebration where countless candles and handcrafted lanterns illuminate the quiet, snow-covered streets of Otaru. This enchanting event dates back to 1999, and was inspired by the poet Ito Sei’s collection "Yukiakari no Michi", aiming to provide a serene space for warmth, reflection, and communal spirit amidst Hokkaido’s harsh winter.

Every year from early to mid-February the festival lights up multiple venues: the historic Otaru Canal, the old Temiya Railway Line, the Otaru Art Village, and even atop Mt. Tengu where visitors can enjoy candlelit paths with sweeping night views. Across the town, about 30 community-managed “light path” sites join in, draping snow and streetscapes with candles, ice sculptures, and handmade lanterns - a testament to Otaru’s deeply rooted volunteer culture.

At the Canal site, glass floats once used for herring nets - each holding a candle - drift on the water beside hundreds of small snow lanterns lining the banks. In the Temiya Line district, visitors walk through candlelit corridors and past snow-built slides and sculpted scenes that feel lifted from a fairy tale. Meanwhile, the Mt. Tengu venue pairs winter night views with the flicker of candles along its trails.

Volunteers play a central role: over 2,000 come together each year to craft 100,000 candles, light and maintain them nightly, rebuild when snow douses them, and welcome visitors with warmth and care. Beyond illumination, the festival offers more: wax bowl workshops, message-candle activities for visitors, photo contests, and guided backstage tours that share stories of Otaru’s heritage and light-making.