Shikoku Snowball Tournament 2026

❄️ Shikoku Snowball Tournament 2026 ❄️ 第22回 雪合戦四国大会 ❄️

 

The Shikoku Snowball Tournament was held this past Saturday, January 24th! ❄️🔥Every year, this event takes place on the grounds of a former onsen in East Iya, a region known for its bone-chilling cold! And although the snow was only a skiff this year, the frosty winds were definitely bone-chilling! 

 

 

Here, the temperatures can be up to 5 or 6 degrees colder than West Iya, so usually you can count on finding snow here. As such, it’s the perfect region for a snowball fight. ☃️ That being said, the tournament itself isn’t just random snow-tossing, there’s actually rules, with a goal of capturing the other team’s flag. This year, teams traveled from as far as Osaka to compete in the frosty cold and win tons of prizes! The event itself is a lot of fun to watch, but being outside all day means you definitely need to bundle up. Vendors serving homestyle curry and ramen and freshly baked bread kept us warm and fed, though… there’s nothing like a hot meal when it’s that cold!

Until next year. ✨

 

 

To learn more, visit the official website (Japanese):
https://www.shikoku-yukigassen.jp/ 

~

Article and Photos by Bethany

January 2026 | Miyoshi, Tokushima

徳島県三好市