Hokkaido Ice Hotel Reopens for Brief Winter Run

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:50 JST, January 21, 2023

SAPPORO — Hoshino Resorts has opened the doors of its Ice Hotel for the season in Shimukappu, Hokkaido.

The Ice Hotel stands inside the Hoshino Resorts Tomamu Ice Village, which features a number of attractions made of ice and snow, and started receiving guests on Friday.

A snow and ice dome 8.5 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters high caps the hotel, and the interior is furnished with chairs, tables and a bed, all made of ice.

Although outdoor temperatures in the area reach as low as minus 30 C, the temperature inside the hotel is about minus 3 C. Visitors can sleep comfortably inside winter sleeping bags, according to the hotel.

“We hope visitors will enjoy the magical world within the accommodation, which could only ever exist in such a frigid region,” the hotel’s general manager said.

The hotel will be open through Feb. 28, and reservations can be made through the resort’s website.