The 10 best powder ski resorts you should know in Japan for 2022–2023
Winter is just around the corner, and we have been looking into which resorts to enjoy this season.
Today we will share the 3 best ski areas you should know, Hokkaido, Nagano, and Niigata, and the 10 ski resorts you should consider visiting for your Japow experience. Here goes!
Ski Resorts in Hokkaido
1. Niseko United
There is no doubt that Niseko United is one of the best ski resorts in Japan!
If you are there at the right time and a good amount of snow has fallen overnight, the quality of the powder is the best in Japan.
Niseko United consists of 4 ski resorts sharing the same mountain Annupuri.
The varieties of courses make them all very entertaining for skiers/boarders of all levels and the view of Mt Yotei on a sunny day is not to be missed!
It is probably the only area in Japan that has more English Speakers than Japanese, so you also won’t have any difficulties in getting around like the other resorts.
However, Niseko has become extremely popular and pricey, making it difficult to book hotels and restaurants, and you would wait 30 minutes in line just to go up the ski lift in peak hours.
That’s why we want to share with you 9 more alternatives that still have very good japow, and overall it might have the potential to be a better choice than Niseko.
2. Rusutsu Resort
The closest snow resort to Niseko is Rusutsu, which is located between Chitose Airport and Niseko and about 30 minutes car ride away from Niseko.
It’s an inclusive resort managed by Vale and Kamori Kanko, total of 37 courses are scattered across 3 mountains, with a total of 42km of distance.
The courses tend to be much less crowded than in Niseko, and the tree runs here are amazing!
The courses are very well designed, too. It's amazing how both skiiers and boarders have a really good time here. It's my favorite ski resort.
And I'm not surprised that it has even won the best ski resort in Japan for 3 years in a row!
3. Kiroro Resort
Kiroro is known to have more snowfall than Niseko, mainly due to the higher elevation!
Located between Otaru and Niseko, it is easy to access both Sapporo and Otaru, which are the major cities in the area.
The 22 courses provide something for all levels and the backcountry tours are getting extremely popular.
Club Medd is connected to the ski resort and provides great entertainment options and access to restaurants, gyms, onsen, and pools, so this is overall a very conveniently laid out resort.
In terms of the overall resort, I like Kiroro the best, and it's my home resort too!
4. Furano Ski Resort
Furano is in a different area of Hokkaido to Niseko, Rusutsu, and Kiroro.
It is about 1 hour ride from Asahikawa Airport or four hours from Chitose Airport.
Asahikawa is actually the coldest and snowiest region in Japan, so the low temperature makes it the most powdery snow resort.
The Furano area is where many Japanese tourists dream of coming for the spectacular natural scenery and great food, so there is plenty to keep you busy if you come here.
Ski Resorts in Nagano
Nagano is widely known for the Nagano Winter Olympics and is the most popular ski area for people who live in Japan.
The resorts are more accessible from major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, and are much cheaper than in Hokkaido.
There are times when Hokkaido will have less snowfall, while Nagano will have more. Many skiers/boarders from Japan monitor the snow forecast and decide which to go.
That's why we want to broaden your options for where to go for this season and introduce you to five more ski resorts that could be good alternatives to the ones in Hokkaido.
5. Hakuba Happo One Ski Resort
Hakuba Happo One Ski Resort hosted the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.
It’s famous for its 8km long nonstop ride from top to bottom that takes approximately 20 minutes to finish.
The panorama of the 3000m mountain range of the northern part of the Japan Alps also helps to make the ride that much more memorable!
Website: Hakuba Happo One Ski Resort
6. Shiga Kogen Ski Resort
This area is a plateau in Nagano and is the biggest ski area in Japan. It consists of four ski areas all linked very well with 52 lifts, gondolas, and shuttle buses.
There are courses for all levels, so there's no problem finding the perfect slope to enjoy!
Website: Shiga Kogen Ski Resort
7. Ryuo Ski Park
Ryuo Ski Park is located in the northern part of the Shiga Plateau, and the high elevation provides quality and stable powder for riders.
Powder freaks will be entertained by the 36-degree slope powder run on the Kiotoshi course.
Here is a YouTube video of a former professional boarder tackling it.
As quality parks are available, the resorts consist of more boarders than skiers.
8. Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
Those that like hot springs might like this resort a lot. Given that it's located in a very popular onsen town, it’s excellent for doing ride→onsen→ride→onsen and enjoying your vacation to the fullest.
The courses are more beginner-orientated, so the resort tends to be more suitable for families than experts.
Another thing to note is the ease of access—it's just a two-hour train ride from Tokyo Station!
Website: Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
Ski Resorts in Niigata
While Hokkaido and Nagano are the areas best known for snow sports, there is another prefecture that you should definitely check out—Niigata.
Niigata stretches northeast to southwest along the coast and the good ski resorts tend to be right in the southwest, near the border between Nagano and Niigata.
They're far away from Niigata city and are usually closer to Nagano Station, so make sure you don’t get confused when planning your transportation and hotels!
One ski area to note from Nigata is Myoko.
Myoko averages more than 3 meters of snow every winter and has even seen over 1.5 meters of snow in just 1 night!
The resorts try to have as many non-compacted snow areas as possible to make full use of a large amount of light snow it gets.
9. Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort
Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort has two courses that total 800m of powder zone called the Super Giant Course and Super mogul Course.
The Super Giant Course has a 38-degree slope, so be prepared to get absolutely covered in deep powder snow!
Website: Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort
10. Naeba Ski Resort
Lastly, Naeba Ski Resort is another popular resort in Nigata, close to the Shiga Plateau mentioned earlier.
Known as the home of the Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba is a big resort that caters to all levels and all groups from singles to families.
The resort is really kid-friendly with good classes and free lift tickets for those under elementary school age.
It is probably one of the closest major ski resorts to Tokyo station at just a 1.5-hour shinkansen ride + 30-minute drive/bus/taxi ride to the resort, which might be a plus for those that want to cut travel time.
Hope the information helps!
Although there are many other ski resorts in Japan, we think these 10 give you a general idea of the major ones.
We'll cover the snow forecast of this season for you, (it's already expected that snow will be really good this year...hint hint)
And for those living in Japan and looking for ski/board information, we hope this article helps you to plan the best-tailored trip for you possible!
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