Shibetsu Hinata

Shibetsu Hinata is a little gem of a ski area in Dohoku (northern Hokkaido) that is low elevation and ideal for the height of winter when the temps are low. Hinata Ski Area (also translates to Hyuga) is one of two ski resorts run by the little town of Shibetsu, and this one is steeper and slightly bigger, whereas Asahi is even smaller and very mellow. Shibetsu-shi Hinata Ski Area offers enough variety for a day or half day, so it’s best combined with other northern Hokkaido ski areas on a road trip. 

Pros and Cons of Hinata Ski Resort

Pros 

• Shibetsu Hinata is a locals’ ski area that is usually very empty.
• Shibetsu Hinata has a small amount of pitchy off-piste and sidecountry terrain, and there’s a high likelihood of minimal competition for the fresh powder.
• Hinata has ridiculously cheap lift passes, although you don’t get a lot on offer for your yen.
• It’s positioned in a very cold and snowy region so despite the low elevation, the snow quality is usually very good in winter and the aspect is reasonable.
• You can top off your ski day with a soak in the onsen at the Hinata / Hyuga ski area.

Cons

• It’s a small ski area with very little terrain variety.
• The lifts are basic.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• It takes effort to get to Shibetsu-shi Hinata, which helps to keep the skier/snowboarder numbers down.
• Even though there’s a good chance no one else will be there chasing powder, it’s a petite ski area that would only support a small number of powder hounds.

Hinata Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Shibetsu Hinata is a little ski resort with only 5 courses and 227 metres of vertical, from 178 to 405 metres of elevation. Hinata Ski Area has 2 fixed grip chair lifts. The double chair lift has received a recent upgrade and even has a safety bar (which is not something you take for granted in Japan!). A single chair lift starts a little higher up the hill and almost runs the full vertical of the ski area.

A beginner run skirts the skiers’ right of the ski area and whilst it’s wide, it’s not mellow and nervous nanna beginners would be better placed at nearby Asahi. There are a few intermediate piste, and one advanced run that has some pitch at the top and reaches a maximum gradient of 36 degrees.

Off-piste skiing is officially not permitted, but the locals have a crack at it, especially in the bowl to the skiers’ right of the single chair. The off-piste trees are also an option if you can navigate a gully that runs parallel to the single chair, and as skiing under the chair lift is completely taboo, you’ll need to cross the lift line discretely and quickly.

The sidecountry (lift-accessed backcountry) at Hinata offers plenty of fun. Skiers’ left is quite manageable whilst skiers’ right requires a little work and a mighty lot of snow stability and avalanche safety nous. As with any off-piste and backcountry skiing at these little Japanese ski areas, you’ll want to do it with a guide or undertake your own risk assessment and have the appropriate gear and knowledge. Keep in mind that Hinata doesn’t have much in the way of resources to provide any rescue assistance.

You can see how we rated the Hinata ski terrain and compare it to other ski areas on our Hokkaido ski resort ratings.

Hinata Snow

Hinata gets a decent amount of snow, although it’s not known how much as snowfall volumes are not measured.

Despite Hinata meaning “facing the sun”, the ski area doesn’t get lots of sun, in part because northern Hokkaido is often very snowy during winter. The aspect of the ski field is primarily ENE and the low elevation can play out with respect to snow quality if the sun is out and/or temperatures rise. One plus of the low elevation is that it’s a good pick when strong winds have put lifts on wind hold at other ski areas around Asahikawa.

Where is Shibetsu Hinata?

The Shibetsu-shi Hinata Ski Area is located 13km northwest of the town of Shibetsu and 18km southwest of the town of Nayoro. It is 69km north of the city of Asahikawa, a drive that takes about 1:15 hours. See the Hinata travel page for more information and nearby ski areas.

Hinata Accommodation

Shibetsu Hinata is a locals’ ski area so there is no lodging at the base. One option would be to stay in nearby Shibetsu at the inexpensive Shibetsu Grand Hotel.

If you’re combining Hinata with the Piyashiri Ski Resort, you could stay in the town of Nayoro.

Nayoro Accommodation Listings

Or you could stay in the city of Asahikawa and visit Hinata along with various other ski areas within easy driving distance.

Asahikawa Hotel Listings

If you’ve found the information on this page helpful and would like to thank us, you could consider booking your accommodation via us.

Ski Resort Facilities

Services and amenities are mostly low frills. Equipment rentals are very basic and as to be expected, ski lessons are only available in Japanese.

There are two day lodges at Hinata. The main lodge has a classic cafeteria whilst the onsen building a little further up the hill has a restaurant with upscale décor and a smaller menu.

Hinata Onsen is located at the upper base of the ski area. It only has indoor baths that are middle of the road with respect to aesthetics, yet it’s modern and inexpensive and it’s lovely to have a soak at the end of the day.