Snow Falling on Cedars was adapted to audio by Random House in 1998. The abridged version is narrated by B. D. Wong, and the unabridged version is narrated by Peter Marinker.

In 1999, the novel was adapted to film by Universal Pictures. Directed by Scott Hicks, this well-received film starred Ethan Hawke as Ishmael and Youki Kudoh as Hatsue. In addition to an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, the film was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Award, and Golden Satellite Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Actress, and Best Picture. The film won a number of awards for Best Cinematography from city and state film critics' groups.