Furano is a very popular tourist destination both in summer and winter!

Many of you must be wondering, “What kind of festivals are held in Furano?” or “Is there any festival going on during the time of year I visit Furano?”
For those who are wondering, here is a yearly calendar of the most popular festivals held in Furano!
Starting from the year-end and New Year’s festivals, until summer passes and winter comes again, Furano has many interesting festivals for tourists to visit!

Must know! Festivals in Furano

Fireworks and food stalls make the heart dance at festivals.
People of all ages, including adults and children, can enjoy these festivals.
In Furano, too, there are many local festivals that take advantage of the snow, local products, and traditions that are typical of Hokkaido.
In this article, we will focus on some of the best festivals held in Furano! We hope you enjoy the festivals in Furano during your sightseeing in Furano!

Annual Festival Calendar in Furano

“Kita no Daimonji” to welcome the New Year in Furano

Quoted：Kamifurano Navi

 

“Kita no Daimonji” is the perfect festival to welcome the New Year’s Eve moment.
Held from New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day, the Kita-no Daimonji festival is an annual highlight of Furano’s year-end and New Year’s festivities.
The highlight of the festival is the flame that forms the character for “dai” (large), which is created by using 300 torches.
The “Daimonji” characters illuminated in the darkness against the backdrop of a silver world of snow in Furano is a fantastic sight.

Quoted：Kita no Daimonji

Furthermore, as soon as all the visitors release their balloons at once, approximately 1,200 fireworks will be shot off, creating a colorful fireworks display in the night sky.
This festival held during the year-end and New Year’s holidays will surely be an unforgettable New Year’s Eve memory in Furano.
Since it is naturally cold in Furano during the year-end and New Year’s holidays, the festival offers free warming cocoa at the festival site!

Venue of the festival: Hinode Park, Kamifurano Town
Dates: December 31-January 1 (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

Furano Ski Festival

Quoted：Furano Tourism Association Official Website

Generally speaking, many people think of festivals in the summer.
In Furano, however, the Furano Ski Festival, a festival unique to the snow country, is held in winter.
Held at Furano Ski Resort in Furano, which is also known as a ski resort, this festival is so popular in Furano that it attracts many people every year, even in winter!
In addition to the fireworks that light up the night sky of Furano, you can also enjoy delicious local delicacies from Furano!

Quoted：Hokkaido Jaran

In addition, the Furano Ski Festival’s specialty, “Kami Furano Wagyu Beef Grill” is a very popular Furano gourmet dish that draws a line out the door every year!
The hot meat eaten under the cold weather is irresistible.

In addition, visitors can also enjoy baby carriage tubing and snow pressing, which cannot be experienced anywhere else but in snow country.

The fireworks display from the slopes while enjoying Furano’s local delicacies is sure to be a memorable experience!
If your timing is right, please join us for Furano’s best festival in winter.

Venue of the festival: Furano Ski Resort, Furano City
Dates: Early February (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

Kami-Furano Snow Festival

Quoted：Liner Web

If you are traveling with a family with small children, we recommend the “Kami-Furano Snow Festival,” a festival for familiarization with snow held mainly by the townspeople of Kami-furano, a neighboring town of Furano.

 

The charm of this festival, which is open to non-town residents as well, is that the festival is prepared entirely by hand by the town’s residents, which is somehow heartwarming and kind despite the winter.
The snow sculptures on the stage, which are so large that it is hard to believe they were handmade, are a sight to behold.
Next to the stage is a big slide made of snow, and every year children line up to take their turn.
There are also raffles and games for children!
Don’t forget the food stalls.
They sell food such as curry and ramen noodles to warm up your cold body!
If you visit Furano on a family vacation, this is one festival you should definitely stop by.

Venue of the festival: No. 27, East 1st Line North, Kamifurano Town, Sorachi-gun
Dates: Early February (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

The Yamabe Yukinko Festival with many winter activities

Quoted：Furano Tourism Association Official Website

The “Yamabe Yukinko Festival” held in Furano’s Yamabe district in early February each year is another two-day festival created by local volunteers in Furano.
At the eve of the festival, handmade snow sculptures are lit up to illuminate Furano at night, and fireworks add to the festivities.

Quoted：Furano Tourism Association Official Website

The following day, at the main festival, visitors can experience Furano’s winter activities such as fire ladder truck rides for children, horse sledding, tube curling, snowmobiling, snow rafting, and much more!
Free cotton candy and popcorn will soothe the bodies of children after a day of fun, and handmade onigiri (rice balls) and pork miso soup will help parents cool down.
From playing in the snow to enjoying gourmet food made from delicious Furano ingredients, you will be able to have fun.
This is another festival that you should definitely stop by when traveling with your family.

Venue of the festival: Furano City Lifelong Learning Center
Dates: Early February (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

The Yamabe Cherry Blossom Festival for cherry blossom viewing in Furano with lingering snow

Quoted：Furano Tourism Association Official Website

The Yamabe Cherry Blossom Festival is held in early May, when the cherry blossoms bloom in Furano.
The cherry blossoms viewed against the backdrop of Mt. Ashibetsu with lingering snow are truly spectacular.
Furano’s cherry blossoms are at their best in early May, a little later than other areas in Japan, and during the festival, the cherry blossoms are illuminated at night, allowing visitors to enjoy the cherry blossoms at night.
The festival is held along the national highway, making it easy to access by rental car.

With approximately 100 beautifully blooming Ezo-yamazakura cherry trees in the background, the festival features a variety of activities that can be enjoyed while viewing the cherry blossoms, such as red and white rice cake throwing, outdoor karaoke, game contests, and more.
The contrast between the pure white snow-covered mountains of Furano and the beautifully blooming pink cherry blossoms attracts visitors every year.
It is very rare to see snow and cherry blossoms in such a spectacular contrast!
If you have come all the way to Furano for sightseeing, please enjoy the unique scenery of Furano.

Venue of the festival: the University of Tokyo Botanical Garden
Dates: Early May (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

Four Seasons Festival of Flowers and Flames at Lavender Hill

Quoted：Kami-furano hana to honoo no shikisai matsuri

 

In July, the height of summer, Furano’s largest festival, the “Four Seasons Festival of Flowers and Flames,” is held.
July is a beautiful time of year when lavender is in bloom.
At noon, hero shows and stage festivals are held against a backdrop of lavender blooming all over the area.

Quoted：Kami-furano hana to honoo no shikisai matsuri

In addition to the fireworks display at night, there will also be a lantern parade through the town!
The procession of lanterns, which can be up to 4 meters long, is one of the highlights of the festival.
The “Four Seasons Festival of Flowers and Flames,” where you can enjoy both Furano’s famous lavender and the festival, is so popular that about 30,000 people visit the festival every year.
Another nice feature of the festival is that shuttle buses are available on the days of the festival.
This festival is perfect for sightseeing in Furano, as you can enjoy the scenery of Kamifurano in the time leading up to the fireworks.

Venue of the festival: Hinode Park and public roads in the city center
Dates: Mid to late July (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

The local Hokkai Heso Festival

Quoted：Hokkai Heso Matsuri

I don’t know how well known it is nationwide, but here is a festival that is so well known throughout the country.
The “Hokkai Heso (Navel) Festival” features a variety of events, including a specialty market where Furano’s gourmet foods are displayed.
The festival is so popular that it attracts as many as 70,000 tourists in total.
The festival is characterized by the unusual feature of having a face painted on the belly and parading through the streets while dancing the navel dance.

Quoted：Hokkai Heso Matsuri

Participants are free to choose the face they want to draw on their stomachs.
From cartoon characters to faces like Hyottoko, the wide variety of designs is a joy to behold.

Everyone, from small children to men and women, parade around the festival dancing, and of course, it is possible to jump in and join in the navel dance!
Whether you want to watch or jump in and dance, this is a unique festival that can only be found in Furano, and is sure to become a memorable part of your Furano sightseeing experience!

Quoted：Hokkai Heso Matsuri

This event is a famous summer event in Furano, where you can experience the fun of a regular festival, such as wearing a happi coat and carrying an omikoshi (portable shrine), and a brass band playing.
The Hokkai Heso Festival is a must-see event for Furano tourists!
The festival is held every year in late July, so be sure to check the schedule for the next event and make your Furano sightseeing plans accordingly.

Venue of the festival: Furano city center
Dates: Late July (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

Enjoy the Earliest Autumn Leaves in Japan in Furano! Tokachi-dake Autumn Foliage Festival

Quoted：Furano Tourism Association Official Website

In many parts of Japan, November is said to be the season for autumn foliage, but in Hokkaido, including Furano, visitors can enjoy autumn foliage from late September.

Along with Asahidake in Asahikawa, Tokachidake is said to have the earliest autumn foliage in Japan, attracting many tourists who come to enjoy the autumn colors from late September.
In Kami-furano Town, where the “Tokachidake Autumn Foliage Festival” will be held, various events will be held at two venues: the Miharashi-dai Park venue and the Tokachidake Onsen venue.
At the Miharashi-dai Park venue, there will be a raffle for free hot spring bath tickets and lavender prizes, as well as a free sample of freshly picked Furano delicacies such as peppers, potatoes, and herb tea (limited to 100 servings each day)!
The most attractive attraction at the Tokachidake Onsen site is the Furano Autumn Taste Market.
The most attractive attraction at the Tokachidake Onsen venue is the Furano Autumn Taste Market, where you can enjoy scallops, pork miso soup, and other delicious Furano delicacies at a reasonable price.
A stamp rally is also held at both venues, and depending on the number of stamps, visitors can receive a commemorative gift and other exciting festival events.
Enjoy the autumn foliage of Tokachi-dake, famous for being the most beautiful in Japan, before anyone else does!

Venue：Miharashi-dai Park venue, Tokachidake Onsen venue
Dates: Late September (for detailed schedule, please check the official website.)

Enjoy Festivals in Furano!

How was this summary of Furano’s annual festivals?
In Furano, there are many festivals held throughout the seasons, and each one offers a different aspect of the city!
Next time you visit Furano, be sure to attend a festival where you can enjoy the tastes, traditions, and scenery of Furano!

For Hokkaido activity experiences visit Basho Trip