🗺️ Ohashi City Exchange Center Snow Cave Hall横手市ふれあいセンター かまくら館

In the park or on the roads, hardened snow is piled up and hollowed out in the middle to create small "snow caves." Every February, the "Yokote Snow Festival" is held, where around 80 snow caves are constructed in the city. This event is a traditional activity of "Yokote City," which has the highest snowfall in Akita Prefecture and has been passed down for about 450 years. In the city's Snow Cave Museum's "Fantasy Gallery," snow caves made during the winter are preserved in a space maintained at -10 degrees Celsius, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of the snow country throughout the year. There is also a rental service for "DONBUKU," a traditional Japanese cotton jacket, which visitors can wear while entering the snow caves to immerse themselves even more in the snow country ambiance. In the nearby shops, you can find famous local products such as "Yokote Yakisoba" and various original souvenirs from Yokote. The museum also houses an office of the Yokote City Tourism Association, where you can gather sightseeing information before starting your tour of the city.

You can experience the traditional activity of "Yukidō" (snow cave) at any time. The snow caves made in winter are preserved in an environment of minus 10 degrees. Inside the facility, there is a shop and a tourist information center run by the Yokote City Tourism Association.