Hokkaido Skiing
Hokkaido skiing is incredibly rewarding for powder hounds. Hokkaido, the north island of Japan, is ideally located in the path of consistent weather systems that bring the cold air across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. This results in many of the Hokkaido ski resorts being absolutely dumped on with powder that is renowned for being incredibly dry. Some of the ski areas receive an amazing average of 14-20 metres of snowfall annually! You can check out the
Hokkaido snow stats to compare some of the resorts.
Hokkaido Ski Resorts
Niseko is the powder capital of the world and as such is the most popular international ski destination in Japan. It doesn’t seem to stop snowing in
Niseko, which is the major drawcard. Other famous destination ski resorts in Hokkaido (i.e. good for a multi-day stay) include
Rusutsu,
Furano,
Tomamu,
Sahoro and
Kiroro.
Hokkaido Japan skiing also consists of many ski areas that are somewhat off the beaten track for international tourists. These may be small or quasi-destination ski areas where you’d only want to stay for 2-3 days (e.g.
Asahidake,
Kurodake) or ski areas that are only for day trips or better suited to day trips (e.g.
Kamui,
Teine,
Pippu).
Ski Hokkaido or Ski Honshu? How Do They Compare?
The Hokkaido snow is generally superior to the powder in Honshu, the main island of Japan, and our
Japan ski resorts ratings indicate that Hokkaido comes up trumps with respect to the snow, with many ski areas scoring full marks. Even though many of the ski resorts west of
Sapporo (such as
Niseko,
Sapporo Kokusai and
Kiroro) are in close proximity to the ocean, the cold temperatures tend to keep the powder dry. The volume of snow that dumps on these coastal mountains is also generally higher than that in Honshu (with some exceptions such as the snow factory at
Tenjindaira and at
Hakkoda in the far north of Honshu). Further inland in
Central Hokkaido there’s slightly less snowfall, but the quality of the powder is even better.
Hokkaido skiing has a reputation for being deep not steep, and whilst this is true of many of the Hokkaido ski resorts,
Sapporo Teine and backcountry areas such as
Kurodake and
Tokachidake blow this myth out of the water. As a generalisation, Hokkaido ski resorts are less steep than many of the high profile Honshu ski resorts, but when you compare skiing in Japan to some of the gnarly North American ski resorts such as Silverton, Whistler, Jackson Hole and Kicking Horse, all the Japan ski resorts seem really mellow!
The Hokkaido ski season generally starts earlier than Honshu because the north island of Japan tends to do much better for early season snow than Honshu, particularly at resorts such as Kiroro and Niseko. You can see the
Japan ski resort stats for an indication of the Hokkaido skiing season opening and closing times at the big resorts.
Hokkaido is not densely populated and has more of a rural feel to it than Honshu. Generally everything is cheaper in Hokkaido than Honshu (Niseko, Rusutsu and Kiroro are exceptions), and the more you get off the beaten track, the cheaper it is. The cuisine is also somewhat different to other regions of Japan, with much more emphasis on ramen and seafood specialties such as crab.
Hokkaido provides a great taste of Japan, but if you want to combine a ski holiday with some historical sightseeing, temple hopping, traditional Japanese architecture spotting, and generally just absorbing the Japanese culture, then Honshu is better than Hokkaido.
Where are the Hokkaido Ski Resorts?
See the map of the Hokkaido ski resorts by clicking on the map icon on the images at the top of this page. Many of the ski resorts are close together so you can easily sample multiple resorts, particularly if you go on a
Hokkaido ski tour or snowboard trip. The following are some of the ski resorts in Hokkaido, grouped according to location and also type of resort where:
- 1 = destination resort (could stay there for a week)
- 2 = quasi-destination resort (could stay there a few days)
- 3 = ideal for day trip (could stay there but more suited as a day trip)
- 4 = only for day trips from resort/city nearby
West of Sapporo
- Niseko (1) – 100km southwest of Sapporo and the New Chitose Airport (2.5 hours drive)
- Moiwa (1) – next to Niseko
- Rusutsu (1) – 75km southwest of Sapporo (90 minutes) and 89km west of the New Chitose Airport
- Kiroro (1/2) – 43km west of Sapporo
Near Sapporo
- Sapporo Teine (4) – 20km northwest of Sapporo (45 minutes)
- Sapporo Kokusai (4) – 46km west of Sapporo (1 hour)
- Kiroro (1/2) – 43km west of Sapporo
East of Sapporo
- Asarigawa Onsen (3) - 35km northwest of Sapporo (40 mins drive)
- Furano (1) – 113km northeast of Sapporo (2:15 hours)
- Tomamu (1) – 150km east of Sapporo (1:20 hours by train from Sapporo; 1 hour by train from the New Chitose Airport)
- Sahoro (1) – 179km east of Sapporo (3 hours)
- Mount Racey (Yubari) (2) – 77km east of Sapporo (1.5 hours)
Near Asahikawa (Central Hokkaido)
- Furano (1) – 59km south of Asahikawa (1 hour by train)
- Kamui Ski Links (4) – 20km southwest of Asahikawa (20 minutes)
- Asahidake (2/3) – 47km east of Asahikawa (1 hour)
- Kurodake (2/3) – 66km east of Asahikawa (1:20 hours)
- Tomamu (1) – 125km south of Asahikawa (2 hours)
North of Asahikawa
- Pippu (3) - 26km NE of Asahikawa
- Piyashiri (3) - 89km north of Asahikawa
Near Hakodate (Southern Hokkaido)
Skiing with the Family
The main destination Hokkaido ski resorts have well developed facilities and some have lots of activities to keep the little folks entertained (e.g.
Tomamu). Ski areas that offer group ski and snowboard lessons for kids include
Niseko,
Furano,
Rusutsu,
Tomamu (resort and via
Club Med Tomamu), and
Sahoro (via
Club Med Sahoro).
Also Japanese ski resorts typically have only hotel or pension accommodation, so if you want the family to stay in self-contained accommodation (e.g. an apartment or house) you’ll find lots of options at Niseko and Furano, and a few options at Rusutsu.
Check out the
ski Japan family page for more information.
Cat Skiing Hokkaido
Hokkaido cat skiing is growing in popularity, because it's a great way to access backcountry fresh powder without having to hike for it. Cat skiing operations include
Iwanai Cat Skiing (near Niseko),
Shimamaki Cat Skiing (with transport from Niseko),
Rising Sun Cat Skiing (near Niseko),
Chisenupuri cat skiing at the former Chisenupuri ski resort (adjacent to Moiwa Niseko), and
Otoe Cat Skiing (near Kamui, with transport from Furano). And for those new to cat skiing or riding powder,
Niseko Weiss Powder Cats is a great choice.
Check out the
Japan cat skiing page for more information.
Heli Skiing Hokkaido
Or for the ultimate in scoring fresh powder, there’s also Hokkaido heli skiing near Niseko and Rusutsu with
Shiribetsu Heli Skiing.
Other Hokkaido Backcountry Skiing
Hokkaido is a treasure trove of powder stashes for backcountry skiing and split boarding aficionados. Some of the Hokkaido ski areas offer fantastic backcountry ski touring opportunities with initial lift assistance, with some of the best options at Niseko, Kurodake, Asahidake, Kiroro, Tomamu and Furano.
For backcountry ski touring and split boarding with nil lift assist, Hokkaido provides plenty of options. The Daisetsuzan National Park is primo, particularly around the
Tokachidake area, and there are plenty of other amazing zones for powder in Central Hokkaido. Zones around Niseko are also rather popular, and a climb up Mt Yotei is almost a rite of passage if you can find the right weather for it. Or to really get away from it all,
Rishiri Island off the NW coast of Hokkaido, is a coveted destination, once again if the weather plays ball.
Check out the
Hokkaido backcountry ski tours options for more information on trips where you have to earn all your turns, or at least some of them.
Getting to Hokkaido Japan
For information on getting to Hokkaido, see our
travel to Hokkaido page, which includes tips on flights to Sapporo and Asahikawa. And see the
travelling around Hokkaido page for info on ski buses and other transport options.