Each year from November to December just when the bite of harsher cold winds hit Hokkaido, the illuminations bring bright colors to Odori Park in central Sapporo City. Even if you’re not so fond of the cold, that can drop down as low as -8°C (+18°F) at night, you can still take a brief stroll to enjoy the mystical glow of the thousands of lights, and quickly escape to the Sapporo underground for warmth. For the Odori Sapporo White Illumination site, be sure to visit before Christmas, as it ends on December 25th each year. The illuminations turn on daily from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM. From December 23rd
to the 25th, the lights viewing time will be extended until midnight.
What I wanted to highlight in this post is: have you ever heard the music selected for the Sapporo White Illumination festival? Each year, Sapporo City and a local Hokkaido radio station selects specific artists to be the BGM of the illumination. Local Hokkaido musicians, and up and coming artists add some magic to the whole park. I have been doing the English Narration announcement at Odori Park introducing these tunes. The songs change each year, did you know that? 🙂
The “Sapporo White Illumination Collaboration Music” introduces Hokkaido-
related artists, and new songs from promising musicians.
The Sapporo White Illumination Collaboration Music chosen for this year 2023 are:
– The pop unit showmore, with the song “pure.” Showmore wrote this song especially for the illuminations this year!
Other artists include…
– Violinist Mayumi Oohira, with the song “From my Heart, Kokoro Kara”
– Artist Tadayoshi Fukagawa, with the song “Kirameki”
– And an additional artist, the band FIVE NEW OLD with the song “Kiss Me Winter”
Please enjoy the themes of “light” and “snow” with the sounds of music at the Sapporo White Illumination.