Stephen1122
the building look alike to the movie "Frozen"the building inside is quite nice and I can see they are spending a lot of effort on it.for a festival with firework at the countryside, it look quite good to me.
o2mpx
There's fireworks at 8pm but will be finished in 30 min. Nothing spectacular. You can get some nice pictures of the fireworks above the ice buildings. The buildings are similar to one another. If you're passing through, do make a stop, but making a special trip isn't worth it unless you plan to visit other surrounding areas.
annap159
Everyone told us to take the ropeway up for the view and although I am sure it is beautiful, we opted for a walk to the gorge to see the waterfalls. We hadn't planned on it, but we hiked all the way to the first of the two dams starting from the town of Sounkyo (about 8 km one way). It was about 30 minutes along the highway (wide sidewalk and quite pretty to look around), then we took a right before the first tunnel and started hiking. We were properly dressed for snow, and although it took a while, the hike was very reasonable. The views were unbelievable! Absolutely spectacular, and we saw did not see another single soul while we hiked along the river (and at some point, along an abandoned road that was very interesting).If you're going to attempt it in winter: make sure you are wearing appropriate clothing, bring food and water and a map. After hiking for about 2 hours we reached the highway again and continued along the road to the dam (which was underwhelming in comparison to the gorge).We took the road to go back because we had to catch a bus, which involved walking over 4 km in a tunnel, which wasn't great, but absolutely worth the hike along the gorge!
Zenov
The view was magnificent at the top of ropeway and because it is off-peak (summer) season, there are not much tourists, hence the charm and tranquility of the place is amplified.
puahph
We arrived in early dec and thus the ice sculptures were still not completed. But yet we could tell how gorgeous it would turn out. the place is scenic and natural, totally covered with snow and freezing cold. Extremely enjoyable feeling. Make sure to pad yourself well as the winds are chilly.
rjasmin
a beautiful place with nature at its best. the waterfall and running stream make for picturesque photo moments. there's a parking space and shops selling souvenirs nearby. the owner of one of the souvenir shops distributed hot mushroom drink for customers during my visit as the weather was quite cold. such a nice gesture.
HappySommelier
Most people I know agree that this is a wonderful spot to simply relax as you enjoy beautiful sights.There are restaurants and a number of hotels that open their Onsen baths to the public for a fee ranging from $5 to $15We stayed at a nearby campsite for $25 a day and rode in the resort on bicycle (15 min ride) to enjoy the resort activities including visiting a few onsens at hotels. You don't need to be on a mountain trek to ride the gondola, a small fee will let you rise above the gorge for some nice photo opportunities.
735jeanl
It was a breathtaking sight! Worth the visit, consider staying a night at least in one of the nearby hotels!
kchongkong4
beautiful and quiet place especially in autumn with mountain view of colourful fall leaves.
Gngiaw
Sounkyo was one of our attractions for our Hokkaido trip in summer. We were there because of hot spring and hiking to Mt. Kurodake. We also went to waterfalls. The view of the waterfalls was really nice and the surrounding is refreshing. The view of Mt. Kurodake is even more spectacular, it is about one hour plus to get up to the top from the ski lift-car station. Highly recommend to people who love hiking and nature.
Bonasa
We briefly stopped here before heading over to the ropeway. We lucked out as there were no tour buses there at all and it was remarkably quiet. There isn't a whole lot to see here, but there are food and restroom facilities and the waterfall itself is worth stopping at before or after you head to the ropeway.
shcizmo
This place was one of the attractions we visited during our Hokkaido trip. The view of the waterfalls was really really nice and I'm sure it'll be even more spectacular when they're frozen in winter!
Ocean8282
There's a free shuttle bus from the hotel I was staying (Taisetsu) to the ice fall festival. Thanks to this free shuttle service, I got to see fabulous illuminated ice caves, icicles and ice structures. There was even a fireworks show at 8.30pm. There was even a slide for people who wanted to have some fun.
LL721
In the winter, the views here were like those we see in travel magazines! The view of the Shooting Stars and Milky Way waterfalls and the surrounding mountains were amazing. One of the waterfall was completely frozen, although the other waterfall had ice but we could see water flowing down. Amazing!We also visited the Sounkyo Ice festival and had hot sake to warm our bodies in the subzero temperatures.We did not manage to go on the Mount Kurodake ropeway as it was closed due to strong winds and heavy snow. The view was spectacular and the snow was white, soft and powdery!
morotateakira
But the day we went it was cloudy so we saw things clearly above and below the clouds. On a nice day the view would be spectacular.