Thursday, February 26, 2026
- 1 A fire of compassion lit in the deep blue night sky. The 5th Ice Candle Lighting in Hokuryu Town 2026
- 1.1 Breathing life into ice and snow: a crystallization of the "spirit of harmony" that transcends generations
- 1.2 A fire that awakens ancient memories. The magic of Swedish torches and roasted marshmallows
- 1.3 A beautiful cycle of unconditional love brought about by painstakingly prepared food
- 1.4 The prayers of lighthouse keepers. A ray of hope radiating from unwavering persistence
- 2 YouTube videos
- 3 Other photos
- 4 Related Sites
A fire of compassion lit in the deep blue night sky. The 5th Ice Candle Lighting in Hokuryu Town 2026
Under a slightly warmer sky than usual, the "Ice Candle in Hokuryu Town" light festival, which provided warm and gentle illumination, was held on both Saturday, February 21st and Sunday, February 22nd at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of this event. As you step into the venue, you will be greeted by countless twinkling lights from around 300 ice candles and over 80 snow candles.
The scene is of orange flames flickering in the wind inside a small, handmade vessel made of ice and snow.
These are not just lights; it is as if the compassion that resides deep in the hearts of the people of Hokuryu Town is taking shape one by one and soaring into the night sky.
It is precisely because we are in the bitter cold that the warmth of the fire penetrates deeply and painfully into our hearts.
Breathing life into ice and snow: a crystallization of the "spirit of harmony" that transcends generations
In the center of the venue, which was transformed into a sea of light, were a number of exquisitely carved ice and snow sculptures that stood out as particularly impressive and captivated the attention of visitors with their fantastical glow.
Carved out of a block of transparent ice is the image of a "dragon swimming through the sky with Himawari Saki on its back," which was brought to life by four students from the sculpture seminar at Hokkaido University of Education's Asahikawa campus.
The dynamic body of a dragon dances leisurely through the sky. On its back sits Himawari Saki-chan, the symbol of Hokuryu Town, with a big smile on her face.
This work of art was created by cutting into the cold, hard, inorganic material of ice with chainsaws and chisels using frosty fingertips, literally chipping away at the life of the material.
The reason they were able to weave such a warm and hopeful story from this is because of the passionate work of the young students involved in the production, their deep love for the town, and their desire to "bring joy to visitors."
This is because a pure prayer is contained in each and every flake of ice.
The students' interactions with the people of Hokuryu and the warmth of the local environment gave rise to the "spirit of harmony" that led to the creation of this beautiful ice sculpture.
What also warmed the atmosphere at the venue were the impressive works by reliable adults who protect the community.
An impressive "fire truck" snow sculpture created by the members of the Fukagawa Branch Fire Department, Hokuryu Branch, and a "patrol car" snow sculpture created by Sergeant Hoshino Yuki of the Fukagawa Police Station's Hekisui Substation.
This is a masterpiece created by people who work day and night to protect the lives and safety of the townspeople, finding time in between their busy schedules and battling the cold snow.
They gently transcend the strict boundaries of "working in uniform" and are a reflection of their overflowing love for the community, wanting to see the happy faces of local children and connect with the people of the town.
The innocent smiles of children cheering as they sled down a snow slide made from a fire engine, while the adults watching them with kind, squinting eyes create a heartwarming sight.
"Kitaryū Kids' After-School Light Gallery" is a collection of works made with the heart of everyone at the Genki Kids Club after-school care!
A fire that awakens ancient memories. The magic of Swedish torches and roasted marshmallows
As night fell and our breath turned whiter, the chill grew even more intense. Then, from one corner of the venue, the pleasant sound of wood crackling and a sweet, fragrant smell wafted through the air, tickling our nostrils.
This is the flame of the "Swedish Torch" carefully prepared by Tatsuya Uei, the president of the self-cutting forestry company "Shizenshita." This dynamic torch is made by standing a thick log vertically and cutting a cross-shaped hole in the trunk, which burns from the inside.
The sight of the trees, a gift from the forest, burning red as they generously provide warmth to the people gathered there seems to represent the very spirit of Hokuryu Town, which has chosen to live in harmony with nature and be grateful for its blessings rather than resisting the power of nature.
The "roasting marshmallows" experience, which was hugely popular with children and adults alike, took place around the flame of this sacred Swedish torch.
An astonishing 160 marshmallows were distributed for free, and everyone was able to return to their childhood and engage with the magic of nature that is fire.
Tsubasa Arai, a member of the local revitalization cooperation team, skillfully manipulates the long skewer in his hand and with a smile teaches the people around him the secret to roasting delicious marshmallows.
"The best tip for cooking marshmallows is not to place them directly on the fire. Place them slightly away from the heat and roast them slowly, without rushing, as if you were using an oven.
This way, the marshmallows warm all the way to the core, leaving them crispy and fragrant on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside - they're absolutely delicious," he said, sharing his secret.
The children nodded in agreement as Arai spoke, holding their breath to avoid burning the skewers, and carefully turning them with serious expressions on their faces. They then took a bite of the piping hot marshmallows, perfectly toasted to a golden brown, and exclaimed, "Delicious!" with shining eyes in a blissful moment.
Hearing the joyous cries, the adults watching nearby also naturally break into smiles, and the circle of warm smiles spreads in layers.
Since ancient times, humans have gathered around flickering fires like this, kept warm together, and shared meals, overcoming the fear of the dark night and the bitter cold and reaffirming their bonds with one another.
The small yet powerful flame of the Swedish Torch quietly and surely awakens deep within our souls a fundamental memory of the "joy of living together," something that modern society, driven by its pursuit of efficiency and speed, has gradually forgotten.
A beautiful cycle of unconditional love brought about by painstakingly prepared food
And when talking about events in Hokuryu Town, one thing that cannot be left out is the delicious food that is prepared with love and that will warm your cold heart and body from the inside out.
In the warmth of the building, all the bright-eyed children under junior high school age were given exciting gifts of sweets. The smiles of surprise and joy on their faces as they received their bags.
The sight of adults' pure wishes - "We want to see the children smile" and "We want them to make happy memories in this town" - being handed over in this tangible form is deeply warm and touches the hearts of those who see it.
The popular food truck "Kuromai Crepes" came to the outdoor venue and delighted visitors with local flavors.
In addition, piping hot roasted sweet potatoes are on sale inside the museum, produced by the women's farming group Subaru "Uzura."
The Uzura farmers cultivate these small sweet potatoes with unstinting love, as if they were raising their own children, from preparing the soil in spring when there is still snow on the ground, to weeding under the scorching summer sun, and finally harvesting the fruit in autumn.
This fruit is then slowly and carefully baked in a special stone oven, without any rush. When you put the melting golden flesh in your mouth, the deep love of the farmers spreads throughout your mouth as a refined, deep sweetness.
In today's world, where anything can be obtained instantly with the push of a button and efficiency and speed are the only things that are valued, never sparing the enormous time and effort that goes into sowing seeds, growing, harvesting, cooking, and finally getting food into someone's mouth. This is the ultimate respect for life and the supreme practice of the "spirit of harmony," which is to wish for the happiness of others and to care for them.
"Lots of souvenirs!" Children up to junior high school age will receive a gift of sweets!
The prayers of lighthouse keepers. A ray of hope radiating from unwavering persistence
Nobuyuki Murakami, the organizer and Hokuryu Town community supporter who has been at the forefront of organizing this event for the past five years since its launch, spoke quietly yet powerfully.
"This year marks the fifth year already. We have only been able to continue this way thanks to the tremendous cooperation of the local community.
This year, as in last year, the venue will be brightly decorated with an ice sculpture of "A dragon carrying Himawari Saki on its back" created by students from Hokkaido University of Education Asahikawa Campus.
In addition, snow sculptures were created by the Fukagawa Branch Fire Department's Hokuryu Branch and a police car by Sergeant Hoshino Yuki of the Hekisui Police Station, and the venue was more lively than usual.
Roasting marshmallows was also very popular with both children and adults, and I'm really happy that so many people enjoyed it," said Murakami.
Murakami's words were filled with deep and boundless gratitude not only for the visible ``result'' of the event's success, but also for all of his colleagues who had prepared together, laughed together, and endured the bitter cold together.
The flame of a single ice candle is so small and fragile that it can easily be extinguished by a blizzard.
However, as if to keep that small flame burning, each person carefully wraps their arms around it in their freezing cold hands and shares the fire with the person next to them, and when 300 or 400 lights gather together, it becomes an overwhelming sea of light of hope that completely dispels the darkness of the pitch-black night.
Dig through the cold snow to make someone smile, freeze water to warm someone's heart, light a fire to illuminate someone's future.
This chain of unconditional love, which asks for nothing in return, is the only way to eliminate conflict and strife from the world and bring true peace. Rather than shouting this out loud, the people of Hokuryu teach us this quietly with their warm backs and ever-present smiles.
The gentle lights of the ice candles flicker one by one in the deep blue night sky. Their warm light melts the icy air and rises high into the heavens, becoming an invisible, sacred prayer that will spread from Hokuryu Town to the world.
"Let's gather around the fire instead of fighting"
"Let's share instead of fighting over something"
"Everyone is beautiful just the way they are."
A mysterious light of a hopeful future shining in the winter night sky, "Ice Candy in Hokuryu Town 2026" is filled with boundless love, gratitude, and prayers for world peace.
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related Sites
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