Activities at Tomamu

The list of Tomamu activities is endless. No one will ever be bored at the Tomamu ski resort, especially children because there are lots of kids activities.

Most of the Tomamu activities are organised by the resort and are not independently owned and operated. Many of the outdoor activities are based at the GAO Outdoor Center which is located near Tomamu The Tower hotel. Some of these can be pre-booked (such as cat skiing) whilst others can be arranged on arrival. Many of these activities require a minimum number of people, so if you only have one or two people interested in an activity, don't try to book the day prior or you may be disappointed.

Tomamu Ski Guiding

The resort offers backcountry ski tours which are mostly introductory. Some are just for 2 hours so they are unlikely to venture too far into the backcountry.

A better bet would be to book a Tomamu ski guide (based out of Furano) for the day or for multiple days. The Tomamu guiding could be for the sidecountry (lift-accessed) or the backcountry that requires ski touring or splitboarding. These day trips are for private groups only (ie you can’t join a group) and they book out well in advance – see the Furano/Central Hokkaido ski guiding options here.

Or Tomamu is commonly included on multi-day guided tours of Central Hokkaido. There are various options for group tours whereby solos or small groups can join, or bespoke private multi-day tours are another option.

Tomamu Cat Skiing

Tomamu used to be one of the few areas within Hokkaido with a heli ski operation but unfortunately it no longer operates (you can check out the Shiribetsu Heli Skiing near Niseko and Rusutsu instead).

The Tomamu Cat Skiing operation is very popular. It operates from mid to late January through to mid March, and only on the weekends or select days, so it's often booked out well in advance.

Other Tomamu Ski Activities

Tomamu Resort also offers introductory cross country skiing tours on a very short course.

Tomamu Ice Village

Tomamu comes with its own ice village that has lots of snow domes, which is an amazing spectacle at night because it is all lit up with coloured lights, although it can be a bit cold at night with temperatures sometimes around -15 to -25 degrees C. Brrrrr….. The ice village is located behind the Alpha Tomamu building which you can walk to via the indoor passageways or get a shuttle bus. From the building it’s a bit of a walk along an icy path with steps so wear very sensible shoes, and perhaps don’t take your grandma on her Zimmer frame.

The ice village is popular with children. There is a short firework display each evening, an ice slide, tubing and ice skating, that’s if they’ve cleared all the powder off the rink. There is also a small zip line.

Adults who love kitschy touristy activities will enjoy the Tomamu ice village. The ice chapel is very Instagram worthy, although it’s only open to tourists for 15 minutes each hour because it’s used for weddings the rest of the time. Of course, feel free to pack your wedding outfit if you want to get married in an ice chapel! There is also a very instagrammable ice hotel if you’re game.

The ice village has an ice bar where you can buy a really colourful, really expensive drink in an ice cup. Or you can spend more money at one of the ice gift shops. It’s such a retail hub, that there is even a Seicomart in an ice dome!

The Tomamu Ice Village also has an ice theatre, with an ice screen and ice bench seats. There may be cartoons playing and it’s a bit of a cute novelty for the kids, although unless they’re really rugged up they may not be able to watch the screening for too long.

Mina Mina Beach Wave Pool

Tomamu has one of the largest wave pools you will ever see. Evidently it cost US$50 Million to build the complex. Labelled the Mina Mina Beach, it is like a tropical oasis heated to 30 degrees C with palm trees and deck chairs, and sometimes there is Hawaiian music playing in the background! It has a beach entry to the pool and gentle waves that periodically roll in. There is an abundance of inflatable toys to play with, SUPs, and even slack lines. The complex includes little kiddies pools and Kirin-no-yu, an outdoor public bath which is not officially a natural hot spring.

Entrance is free for guests of Tomamu The Tower and Risonare, otherwise it attracts a hefty fee.

Mina Mina Beach is located opposite Club Med Tomamu and can be readily accessed from the resort hotels by shuttle.

Other Kids Activities

The GAO Outdoor Center has a tobogganing area and equipment rental is free for resort hotel guests.

There are various other family activities at Tomamu and many of these are also suitable for others looking for a bit of fun. Some of the activities include the snow raft park, banana boating, horse riding, snowmobiling, curling, horse riding, snow shoe tours, and ice fishing. You can also go snow camping during the day or overnight.

Other Activities Tomamu

The Tomamu Unkai Terrace Cloud Walk is ideal for non-skiers/riders and provides an opportunity to head up the gondola towards the top of the mountain on an overhanging walkway and enjoy views of frosty trees and feel like you’re in amongst the clouds. Sounds cheesy eh?!

Another Tomamu activity is snow karting which is like snow biking except on a scooter. You can rent the snow kart at the Resort Center, head up the gondola, and then ride down a designated beginner ski slope. It’s a great spectator sport!

Day Spa

There are a few options for massages if your body is shattered after too much skiing or snowboarding (is there such a thing?!). There are massages available at Tomamu The Tower, and the Risonare has a day spa offering the full gamut of massage and beauty treatments.