Winter Night Festival in Sakae Village and Nodazawa Villages - Snow Castle, Sky Lanterns, and a Fantastic Night Entertained by Residents
In Sakae Village and Nodazawa Village, Nagano Prefecture, the winter night festival "Nodazawa Garden Candle Festival" will be held from 17:00 on Sunday, February 23, 2025. In addition, at the ski resort in the village, a candlelight event of about 10,000 candles is scheduled on Saturday, March 1, using the slopes of snowy mountains.
The symbol of the festival is a snow castle named "Nodazawa Castle". As a fictional castle, it was designed by a village carpenter and finished by a plasterer, and the artistic snow structure is showcased. At the end of the festival, about 50 sky lanterns light up the night sky.
At the venue, warm pork soup and amazake are served by the residents of the village. There is also a snow slide for both adults and children to enjoy.
Admission and parking are free, and the event is held from 17:00 ~ 20:00. Access to the site is by car only, about 50 minutes from the Joshinetsu Expressway "Toyota Iiyama IC" or about 1 hour from the Kanetsu Expressway "Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC".
The festival started in 2014 and is held for the 11th time this year. It was an exchange event between residents of Nodazawa village and visitors, but in the past few years it has been held only in the village due to the influence of the Corona disaster, and last year it was forced to be canceled due to snow.
The Sakaemura Akiyamago Tourism Association says, "We hope that this year we will be able to enjoy a festival full of warm handmade feelings with many customers.
In addition, "SAKAE CANDLE NIGHT 2025" (Sakae Club Ski Resort) will be held on Saturday, March 1 in Sakae Village. Approximately 10,000 candles will be lined up on the snowy mountain slopes, and visitors will be able to participate in the installation and lighting. Snow fireworks are set off at night. Admission is free, and the event is held from 11:00~19:30.
Sakae Village, located in the northernmost part of Shinshu, was located on March 12, 2011. Northern Nagano Earthquake Landslides and house collapses occurred one after another, and evacuation orders were issued to 2,042 people from 804 households. However, the Great East Japan Earthquake limited coverage, and it was sometimes called a "forgotten disaster area." Nearly 14 years have passed since the disaster, and Sakae Village continues to make progress in reconstruction.
