Japan has some incredible snow festivals, but most of them take place far from Tokyo in the country’s freezing corners. But the Kanda Ogawamachi Yuki Daruma Fair (or Snowman Fair) brings the snow to us in the city.
The event has support from several associations in Gunma prefecture’s Tsumagoi village, and more than 80 tonnes of natural snow from Tsumagoi is used for the Yuki Daruma Fair. This snow isn’t just used for building snowmen to line the pavements along Yasukuni-dori street, but also for family-friendly activities like a kamakura snow dome experience, snow castle building and snow slides.
If you start to feel a little cold after all this, you can warm up in a footbath with water from Tsumagoi’s Manza Onsen. There’s also a free lottery for the first 6,000 people, with prizes such as hotel stays in Tsumagoi.