Otaru Snow Light Path 2027 Confirmed

小樽雪あかりの路 — Otaru, Hokkaido (Hokkaido)

Last updated: Sun, October 11, 2026

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For eight evenings each February, Otaru sets snow lanterns and candles along the Otaru Canal and the disused Temiya railway line, turning the old port town into a quiet, glowing walk. The 29th Snow Light Path runs February 6–13, 2027. In 2026 the candles were lit from 17:00 to 21:00 every evening, and walking the venues is free. It overlaps with the Sapporo Snow Festival (February 4–11, 2027), and Otaru is as little as 32 minutes from Sapporo by train, so the two combine easily.

Background

The Snow Light Path began in 1999 and is named after Yukiakari no Michi, a collection of poems by Sei Ito, a writer with close ties to Otaru. It is deliberately hand-made rather than commercial: residents, neighbourhood associations and volunteers from Japan and overseas (a cumulative total of more than 1,900 in 2025) build the snow lanterns and ice objects, light the candles about 15 minutes before 17:00, and relight any the wind blows out. Around 120,000 candles are used over the event. In 2026 there were four main venues. At the Canal, about 200 old glass fishing floats with candles inside drift on the water, with snow objects along the promenade and on Asakusabashi bridge. The former Temiya Line was part of Hokkaido's first railway (laid in 1880, closed in 1985) and its rails are still under the snow. The Otaru Art Base square has a big snow slide plus a cappella and YOSAKOI performances. On Mount Tengu, reached by ropeway, snow hearts frame the night view of the city. Shops, schools and households across town also light lanterns of their own.

Getting there

Otaru Station is as little as 32 minutes from Sapporo on the JR Rapid Airport train, and about 75 minutes from New Chitose Airport without changing. The Canal venue is about a 10-minute walk downhill from the station. You cross the former Temiya Line venue on the way, and the Otaru Art Base venue is near the canal. The Mount Tengu venue is at the top of the Tenguyama Ropeway.

Tips

• The 2027 dates (February 6–13) are fixed, and the full programme appears on the official site closer to the event. In 2026 the lights ran from 17:00 to 21:00 every night.
• Arrive a little before 17:00 to watch volunteers light the candles. In 2026 a Backyard Tour led by volunteer guides (with English interpretation) set off from the Otaru Literature and Art Museums at 15:00 on four of the eight days.
• At the canal venue near Asakusabashi you can buy a message candle (¥100 in 2026), write a wish on the paper cup, and set it in the snow yourself.
• In 2026 a wax-bowl workshop in front of the Literature and Art Museums let you make one of the candle bowls you see around the venues and take it home: ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,000 for children, generally 16:00–19:00.
• Wear boots with grip. The slopes between the station and the canal get icy, and the volunteers spreading sand cannot cover every path.
• Pair it with the Sapporo Snow Festival (February 4–11, 2027) by staying in Sapporo and taking the train out for an evening.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Sun, October 11, 2026