The village of Nakasatsunai in Hokkaido is known for its “snow art” that appears on snow fields during winter. These are created by Tomohiro Kajiyama, an artist who uses the snow-covered fields as his canvas, creating vast geometric works of art with his own footprints. In this tour, you can try making your own geometric snow art together with Kajiyama-san, then enjoy lunch while viewing drone footage of your work of art. It is a unique winter experience that can only be done in the vast snow fields and clear blue skies of Tokachi, along with the expertise of a local artist.

The snow art created by Kajiyama-san are all based on his original designs. One of his famous works is a geometric image resembling the Hidaka mountain range that cradles Nakasatsunai Village. This design has even been used in the bottle label of a local brand of wine.

The dimensions of the snow art you will make will be approximately 30 or 50 meters square (depending on the number of participants). After wearing your snowshoes, follow Kajiyama-san’s instructions as you take one careful step at a time on the snow field, gradually creating your very own work of art on the snow.

One of the things that make this kind of snow art unique is that you cannot see the whole picture while you are making it. In order to let you see how your work turned out, a drone will be flown to capture a video of the snow field from the sky.

After moving to a warm indoor location, you can enjoy a hearty lunch made with local Nakasatsunai ingredients. The food is prepared by Kajiyama-san’s wife Chihiro, who operates a local wine shop and food truck called “le bleu wine & food”. As you savor the food, you will also get to see the drone footage of your work of art. The feeling of awe you get when you finally get to see your finished work on a snowy field backed by the Hidaka mountains is sure to be a lasting memory.

Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.

Schedule

9:00	Meetup at Michi-no-Eki Nakasatsunai
9:05	Orientation and preparation
9:30	Snow art making
11:30	Filming and photography of the snow art by drone
12:00	Lunch and drone footage viewing
13:00	Tour finish