The Japanese publisher Kadokawa confirmed, at the end of December, that seven of its anime franchises will have snow sculptures at the 2026 edition of the traditional Sapporo Snow Festival. The event, one of the most anticipated of the Japanese winter, takes place between February 4 and 11, 2026. Among the chosen titles, highlights include hits like Oshi no Ko, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil, demonstrating the global strength of these productions. Thus, fans visiting Odori Park in Sapporo will have a unique geek attraction to photograph and admire at any time of day or night.
The sculptures will be installed at the 11 Chome International Plaza, a dedicated festival space, and will feature special lighting until 10 PM. In addition to the artistic display, the event will also have special panels with famous voice actors. On February 7, for example, the voices of Medalist, Natsumi Haruse and Kana Ichinose, will be present. The next day, it’s time for Re:ZERO and Oshi no Ko fans to get excited, with the presence of Yūsuke Kobayashi, Rie Takahashi, and Yurie Igoma. This initiative reinforces how Japanese pop culture integrates with traditional events, creating an immersive experience for visitors.
Details and Official Visuals
Some projects have already released mockups or visual arts, giving a taste of what’s to come. Meanwhile, the Re:ZERO franchise and the cute Odekake Kozame (in collaboration with Nights with a Cat) have released key visuals for the festival. Oshi no Ko and Medalist have already presented previews of the sculptures and promotional art. The 2025 edition of the festival, which took place in February of this year, featured works based on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Monster Hunter Wilds, showing that the partnership between Kadokawa and the event is a consolidated trend. Therefore, expectations for the new ice and snow creations are high among otakus and tourists.
For Brazilian fans dreaming of visiting Japan in winter, the Sapporo Festival becomes another reason to plan the trip. Despite the distance, the news warms the heart of the anime community in Brazil, always connected to news from the other side of the world. So, even if you can’t go there in February, keep an eye on social media: photos and videos of the impressive sculptures will certainly flood the internet, bringing a bit of the festival’s magic to our Brazilian summer.
