Sapporo White Illumination

Winter in Sapporo begins when Odori Park starts to glow. From November 20 to Christmas night, the blocks from West 1 to West 6 become a garden of light, a single staircase ride up from Odori subway station. The lamps come on at 4:30 in the afternoon — northern dusk arrives early, so the evening commute walks straight into it. For three nights only, December 23 to 25, the lights stay up until midnight. And when Odori goes dark, the city does not: Ekimae-dori keeps shining into February, the Former Hokkaido Government Office and the station's south gate even longer, and Nakajima Park takes its turn in January. Each venue has its own closing date. In a snow city, even the lights take their time saying goodbye.