Outdoor Activities at Tsudome
The Tsudome venue is located about 10 kilometers away from Odori Park and offers a variety of outdoor winter sports and recreational activities. Nearly two dozen options offer fun in the snow for all ages.
Slides
The Tube Slide runs down a 100-meter-long slope. The slide has high sides to keep both adults and children safe, and there are six lanes to minimize wait times. The Waku-Waku Slider has several lanes for sleds and tubes, including two designed for tandem tube rides for an adult and a child. The Ice Slide offers two “family lanes” for paired riders as well as lanes for single sliders. Toddlers and younger children can whoosh through tunnels in the snow at the Tunnel Slide.
Other activities
The Waku Waku Snow Park includes four areas: a snow maze, a snow tunnel, a site for building snowmen, and an area for general snow play. At Tsudome, two types of snow golf are on offer: a six-hole snow golf course and snow “footgolf,” a fusion of soccer and golf. Another option is the Snowball Challenger, a simple game of throwing snowballs at a target to win a prize. Something popular with visitors of all ages is the “snow rafts” pulled over snowy fields by snowmobiles. There is also a slope for traditional sledding, too.
For Younger Children
Several options are open to children under four. Snow Kids Adventure offers snow striders (ski-equipped push bikes for the snow), which kids as young as two years old can use. There are ski-equipped kick scooters as well.
Quieter Pursuits
Activities at Tsudome include a number of more sedate options, including observing snow crystals through a magnifying glass, and being partially buried in snow and having a commemorative photo taken. At the Snow Festival Ice Café, visitors can make a glass out of ice and then enjoy a soft drink or alcoholic beverage in it. Still another option is to walk around appreciating the “welcome” snow sculptures created by local residents and the “snow objects” made by high school students.
General Information
Tsudome opens on the last day of January, several days before the other venues, and remains in operation for two weeks. The venue opens daily at 9 a.m. and closes around sunset. When visiting Tsudome, warm ski clothing or snowsuits are strongly recommended, including hats and gloves. Shuttle buses and taxis run regularly between Tsudome and the center of the city.
