Lake Akan Ice Festival “Fuyu Hanabi” 2027: When Is It? Fireworks on a Frozen Lake, Daytime Activities and Parking by Campervan

The 2027 dates for the Lake Akan Ice Festival “Fuyu Hanabi” have not been announced yet. The most recent edition, in 2026, ran from Sunday, February 1 to Sunday, March 1, and only the fireworks continued until Sunday, March 15 (HOKKAIDO LOVE, checked 2026-10-07). The Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site does not list 2027 dates either (checked 2026-10-07).

This article builds on the official 2026 information and lays out what happens at what time, what you can do during the day, how many minutes it takes from Kushiro Airport and Memanbetsu Airport, and how to think about parking. Please read it with the understanding that the 2027 details may change once they are announced. Winter at Lake Akan is also one of the entries in our list of 14 Hokkaido winter events; this page covers Fuyu Hanabi in detail.

When is Fuyu Hanabi 2027? Not announced yet. In 2026 it ran Feb 1 to Mar 1, with fireworks only until Mar 15

The official page gives the event period as “February 1 to March 1,” followed by “March 2 to March 15” as fireworks only. During that second period you cannot go up onto the ice (Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site, checked 2026-10-07). The page shows no year and contained nothing that could be read as a 2027 announcement.

The most recent edition with a confirmed year is 2026: February 1 (Sun) to March 1 (Sun), with the fireworks-only period from March 2 (Mon) to March 15 (Sun) (HOKKAIDO LOVE, checked 2026-10-07). For the days of the week and weekends in 2027, wait for the dates to be announced before you check.

Year	Event period	Fireworks only (no access onto the ice)
2026 (actual)	Feb 1 (Sun) – Mar 1 (Sun)	Mar 2 (Mon) – Mar 15 (Sun)
2027	Not announced	Not announced

For inquiries, contact the Akan Tourism Association Machizukuri Promotion Organization (0154-67-3200, tour@lake-akan.com). Their official site will be the first place the dates are announced.

What time does it start? The welcome ceremony is at 19:45 and the fireworks begin at 20:00

According to the official page, the welcome ceremony runs 19:45–20:00 and “Fuyu Hanabi” (the fireworks) starts at 20:00. It is free of charge (Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site, checked 2026-10-07). The 2027 times have not been announced.

At 20:00 the venue is dark and cold, more than three and a half hours after sunset. For sunset times, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan publishes figures for Nemuro, an observation point in eastern Hokkaido: 16:29 on February 1, 2027 and 17:06 on March 1. Kushiro and Lake Akan lie west of Nemuro, so the times are not necessarily the same. Please treat them as a rough guide. (Sources: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, sunrise and sunset (Nemuro), February, same, March, checked 2026-10-07)

The official pages we checked did not say how long the fireworks last. Do not plan your return trip around a fixed finishing time.

Where is the venue? A special venue on frozen Lake Akan. From March 2 you cannot go up onto the ice

The venue is the “Lake Akan Ice Special Venue,” located in Akan Onsen, Akancho, Kushiro City. The frozen lake surface is the stage, and the fireworks are launched from the ice (HOKKAIDO LOVE, checked 2026-10-07).

The venue is described as offering amazake (sweet sake), hot milk, and wakasagi (smelt) tempura (same page). A warm drink helps while you wait outdoors for 20:00.

During the fireworks-only period from March 2, you cannot go up onto the ice. If you want to watch from the ice, you need to plan your visit within the event period (up to March 1 in 2026).

What about the ceremony before the fireworks and Ainu dance? The Kotan theater runs at 20:00 and 21:00

HOKKAIDO LOVE says that before the fireworks, a “Ceremony of Fire” is performed by Ainu people who have a deep connection to Lake Akan (HOKKAIDO LOVE, checked 2026-10-07). It is one of the highlights of Fuyu Hanabi, so the event is not only about fireworks.

At Ainu Theater Ikor, the indoor theater of Akanko Ainu Kotan, traditional Ainu dance (30 minutes) is performed daily from 20:00 and Lost Kamuy (about 30 minutes) from 21:00, from November 1 to April 30.

Traditional dance costs ¥1,500 for adults and ¥700 for elementary school students; Lost Kamuy costs ¥2,200 for adults and ¥700 for elementary school students. Neither requires a reservation (performance schedule, traditional dance, Lost Kamuy, checked 2026-10-07).

The traditional dance at the theater starts at 20:00, the same time as the fireworks. If you want to see both on the same night, decide in advance which one comes first.

For the five days from February 25 to March 1, 2026, a dance performance took place within the Ice Festival, so the theater’s start time was delayed by 15 minutes (Akanko Ainu Kotan announcement, checked 2026-10-07). This changes from year to year, so check the official announcements for the week you visit.

The official site states that the Kotan has a free parking lot for 50 vehicles (Access, checked 2026-10-07). This is information for Kotan visitors and is not parking for the Fuyu Hanabi venue.

What can you do during the day? Snowmobiles, banana boats, and smelt fishing at Ice Land Akan

During the day you can play at “Ice Land Akan,” a leisure park that appears on the frozen lake only in winter. It operates from January to March, and the schedule may change depending on ice conditions (Ice Land Akan (Koudai Co., Ltd.), Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site guide, checked 2026-10-07). All prices include tax.

Attraction	Price (tax included)
Snowmobile (2,000m course)	¥2,200 (4,000m: ¥2,750, 7,000m: ¥3,300, 10,000m: ¥3,850)
Banana boat (up to 8 people)	Adults ¥550, children ¥330
Four-wheel buggy (300m per lap)	Adults ¥330, elementary school students ¥220
Ice skating (within 1 hour)	Rental skates ¥1,100, bring your own ¥220 (rink fee)
Natural wakasagi (smelt) fishing (with tempura)	¥2,200 per set (fishing gear and fishing license included). Open from 8 a.m. until sunset
Wakasagi fishing pond	¥660 per set for 30 minutes

The official page we checked did not say whether a reservation is required. The contact listed on the page is the Ice Land Akan telephone number (0154-67-2057).

The 2026 season ended on March 31. Snowmobiles stopped on March 27 because of poor course conditions (Ice Land Akan announcement, checked 2026-10-07). The closer it gets to spring, the sooner the ice activities end, so it is safer to plan them for February.

Can it be canceled or changed because of the ice? What the official pages say, and a 2026 example

The official page says, “It may be canceled depending on the weather” (Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site, checked 2026-10-07). Ice Land Akan states that “the schedule may change depending on ice conditions.” A real example came in 2026, when the snowmobiles ended on March 27 because of poor course conditions (Ice Land Akan announcement, checked 2026-10-07).

The official pages we checked did not say how bad the weather has to be for a cancellation, or where cancellations are announced. If you are traveling from far away, call the Akan Tourism Association at midday on the day, or ask at your accommodation the night before.

As preparation on your side, do not build your whole itinerary around a single night of fireworks. Lake Akan has the nighttime fireworks, Ice Land during the day, Ainu dance at night, and hot springs. Plan so that your trip is not empty even if you miss one night.

How cold is it and what should you wear? Lake Akan’s normal daily minimum in February is -16.8℃

The Japan Meteorological Agency’s normals (1991–2020) for Akanko (elevation 426m) are, for January, a daily maximum of -4.2℃ and a daily minimum of -16.7℃; for February, -3.1℃ and -16.8℃; and for March, 1.4℃ and -10.8℃ (Japan Meteorological Agency, monthly normals for Akanko, checked 2026-10-07). These are typical figures, not a forecast for the day.

The February normal for Kushiro City is a daily maximum of -0.1℃ and a daily minimum of -9.4℃ (Japan Meteorological Agency, monthly normals for Kushiro, checked 2026-09-02). Akanko’s daily minimum is 7.4℃ lower than Kushiro’s. Do not decide what to wear at the lakeside based on how it felt when you set out from Kushiro.

HOKKAIDO LOVE says the venue can be extremely cold, down to minus 20℃ (checked 2026-10-07). Waiting for the fireworks means standing still and getting cold. As for snow depth, Akanko’s maximum snow depth is 103cm in February and 112cm in March (same Japan Meteorological Agency table).

• Footwear: shoes that grip even on ice, and thick socks.
• Outerwear: layers you can adjust, kept in the vehicle.
• Gloves: two pairs, including a spare.
• So that you can return to your vehicle after the fireworks, check the heating fuel and power supply in the vehicle beforehand.

Temperatures and how to stay warm in the vehicle are summarized by month in our article on Hokkaido winter temperatures.

How many minutes from Kushiro Airport and Memanbetsu Airport? 55.6km and 69.0km; avoid driving after dark in winter

Akanko Ainu Kotan’s official site says it is about 56km and about 1 hour by car from Kushiro Airport, and about 74km and about 1 hour 30 minutes from JR Kushiro Station (Access, checked 2026-10-07).

Starting point	Distance	Travel time without snow
Tancho Kushiro Airport	55.6km	49 min
JR Kushiro Station	74.0km	62 min
Memanbetsu Airport	69.0km	61 min
Tokachi-Obihiro Airport	135.0km	116 min
New Chitose Airport	265.3km	198 min

In winter, packed snow and ice make the trip longer. We could not find an official estimate of how much longer, so allow yourself a generous margin to arrive before dark.

This site’s guideline for a day’s driving is a maximum of 200km and 9 hours behind the wheel (this is not an official standard). Akan Onsen is 265.3km from New Chitose Airport, so do not try it in one day. Stay somewhere along the way and split it over two days. From Kushiro Airport it is 55.6km, a distance you can cover on the day you pick up the vehicle.

After the evening fireworks, you will not leave the venue until after 21:00. Ice on mountain passes in winter gets worse at night. Avoid an itinerary that has you driving a long way after the fireworks. For roads that close in winter, see Hokkaido roads that become impassable in winter, and for winter driving basics, see the complete guide to winter campervan driving.

If you rent a campervan in Kushiro, see our article on the two rental companies in Kushiro; if you arrive via Memanbetsu, see how to rent a campervan at Memanbetsu Airport.

What about parking? It is not stated officially, so staying overnight and walking is the safest

Neither the official Fuyu Hanabi page nor HOKKAIDO LOVE gives the number or location of parking spaces (Kushiro-Lake Akan official tourism site, HOKKAIDO LOVE, checked 2026-10-07). We also could not confirm whether campervans can park there.

Within what we checked, there was no official parking guidance. We do not recommend driving to the venue at night and looking for a space on the spot. In winter, snow banks from plowing can also reduce the number of spaces.

The reliable approach is to stay at an accommodation in Akan Onsen and walk to the venue, leaving your vehicle in the accommodation’s parking lot. If you plan to stay in a campervan, confirm when booking whether the lot can fit your vehicle and whether it can be used in winter.

If you want to know about parking around the venue, contact the Akan Tourism Association Machizukuri Promotion Organization (0154-67-3200).

Where to stay? Akan Onsen, and winter at an RV park in Kushiro

If you want to see both the evening fireworks and the Ainu dance at 20:00, staying in Akan Onsen makes getting around easier. Some accommodations offer stay plans timed to Fuyu Hanabi (announcement by THE FOREST Akan TSURUGA RESORT, updated 2026-01-29, checked 2026-10-07). Check each accommodation’s official site for rates and rooms.

If you are staying in a campervan, one candidate is “RV Park Akan Tancho no Sato” in Kamiakan, Akancho, Kushiro City. It is open year-round, and in winter only the sites with electric hookups are available (our article on four RV parks in Kushiro and Nemuro, checked 2026-09-05). Assuming winter ice, scout the distance to the venue and the route back at night while it is still light.

An overview of winter-capable overnight facilities is in 13 RV parks and Michi-no-Eki where you can stay overnight in winter. Do not sleep with the engine running: if snow buries the exhaust pipe, exhaust gas can enter the vehicle.

What to do before and after Fuyu Hanabi? Kawayu Onsen, the Kushiro wetlands, and 10 days of winter

Kawayu Onsen, north of Lake Akan, is covered in our Kawayu Onsen driving guide. The snow-free highlights of the Kushiro wetlands and marimo are in the Kushiro and Lake Akan driving guide. To see what else Hokkaido offers in winter, see 43 things you can only do in Hokkaido in winter.

For how to fit Fuyu Hanabi into a single winter trip to Hokkaido, see the model 10-day winter route around Hokkaido.

Besides Fuyu Hanabi, Lake Akan also has projection mapping at the Akanko Marimu-kan from 17:00 to 21:00, from December 1 (Mon) to February 28 (Sat) in winter 2025–26 (Lake Akan Winter Illumination, checked 2026-10-07). It gives you something to do in the evening on nights without fireworks.

Pages to read next

• 14 Hokkaido winter events on a map and period calendar
• 43 things only possible in winter Hokkaido, and where you can stay nearby
• A model 10-day winter route around Hokkaido
• Hokkaido roads that become impassable in winter
• Four certified RV parks in Kushiro and Nemuro