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Hokkaido: Top 5 Ski Resorts for Winter 2023-2024

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Hokkaido, the northernmost area in Japan, offers powder snow in the winter and wonderful ski resorts. This article introduces five ski resorts and their operating season for 2023-2024, as well as information on hotels and transportation in the area.

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Skiing on Powder Snow - The Highlight of Winter in Hokkaido

skiing in hokkaido

Hokkaido, with a total area of about 83,450 square kilometers, is the northernmost of Japan’s main islands and is well-known for its great winter sports facilities.

Hokkaido naturally receives heavy snowfall in winter due to its northern location. As the largest prefecture in Japan, its many mountains and valleys have resulted in many ski and winter sports resorts. Moreover, winter is longer in Hokkaido, which gives you more time to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and other snow play. In this article, we introduce our top five ski resorts selected based on the skill level required and overall quality, as well as the season for each.

In order to go from Tokyo to Hokkaido, we recommend using the New Chitose Airport to get to areas such as Sapporo and Otaru, and Asahikawa Airport for Furano and central Hokkaido. A flight from Haneda Airport or Narita Airport would take roughly 60 minutes to 90 minutes to any of these airports. For further information, please refer to our article on traveling from Tokyo to Hokkaido.

For a comprehensive guide to the best 15 ski resorts in Hokkaido, please refer to the article below:



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1. Furano Ski Resort: For Beginners and Experts

Top 5 Ski Resorts In Snowy Hokkaido For Winter 2021-2022

Furano Ski Resort, situated in Furano City, in the heart of Hokkaido, is a historic, full-scale ski resort where many international ski contests were held. It takes only one hour and 20 minutes to reach (by bus) from Asahikawa Airport.

Ski slopes are available in two areas, the Furano ski area with long ski slopes and the Kitanomine ski area with a wide variety of ski slopes. The view of the snowy mountains from the ropeway, which accommodates 101 people, is magnificent.

There are 24 ski courses in total with a wide range of terrains here, not to mention long ski runs that go for 3000 meters or so. Furano Ski Resort is great not only for advanced skiers but also for beginners and intermediates too.

Furano Ski Resort 2023 - 2024 Season

Ski season: December 2, 2023 - May 5, 2024
Official website: https://www.princehotels.com/en/ski/furano/index.html

Find accommodation in Furano on Booking.com

2. Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area: A Spacious Resort

Top 5 Ski Resorts In Snowy Hokkaido For Winter 2021-2022

Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area offers a discounted bus package tour which includes a round trip bus ticket from Sapporo Station, Shin Chitose Airport, Otaru City, and Yoichi City, and a ski lift pass for eight hours. Its charm is its easy-to-access environment. Moreover, the ski resort itself has a lot of attractive things to offer.

Mostly wide and gentle slopes are found here which makes it ideal for beginners and intermediate guests. There are 13 ski runs available from average 6-degree slopes for kids to 24-degree slopes located in deeper snow areas with woods. The powdery snow found at Niseko is perfect and enables skiers to glide easily along.

Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area 2023 - 2024 Season

Ski season: December 2, 2023 - May 6, 2024
Official website: https://annupuri.info/winter/english/

Find accommodation in Niseko on Booking.com

3. Hakodate Nanae Snow Park: Long Ski Runs

Hakodate nanae snow park
函館スキーマップ

Picture courtesy of Hakodate Nanae Snow Park

Hakodate Nanae Snow Park attracts people with its nature-based slopes; here you can enjoy the mountains with their snow-covered peaks as you ski. There are incredible views of Mount Komagatake and the beautiful city, too.

The longest ski run here is 4 kilometers long, but there are also 2-kilometer ski runs with wide and gentle slopes for families. The advanced ski runs through natural settings too. This resort is ideal for all levels and those who want to enjoy the outdoors as much as they enjoy skiing.

To get to Hakodate Nanae Snow Park, from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station or JR Onuma-Koen Station, take a complimentary shuttle bus (20 to 25 minutes).

Hakodate Nanae Snow Park 2022 - 2023 Season

General Season: December 12, 2023 - April 7, 2024
Night Skiing: December 23, 2023 - March 3, 2024

Official website: https://hakodate-nanae.jp/winter/ (Japanese)

Find accommodation in Hakodate on Booking.com

4. Sapporo Kokusai International Ski Resort: Take a Day Trip

Top 5 Ski Resorts In Snowy Hokkaido For Winter 2021-2022

Thanks to direct bus service from Sapporo City, Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort is perfect if you want to take a one-day ski trip during your visit to Sapporo. There are not only plenty of ski runs offered for intermediates but also areas for beginners and snow playgrounds for kids as well. Even if you are a beginner, you can have a blast without any worries. Make sure to get a bus tour ticket to get a great deal, which includes a round-trip bus ticket as well as lift tickets.

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort 2023 - 2024 Season

Ski Season: November 18, 2023 - May 7, 2024
Official website: https://www.sapporo-kokusai.jp/en/

Find accommodation for Sapporo on Booking.com

5. Otaru Tenguyama Ski Resort: Superb Night View

Top 5 Ski Resorts In Snowy Hokkaido For Winter 2021-2022

Otaru Tenguyama Ski Resort is where the first All Japan Ski Championship was held in 1923. Starting from a 24-degree slope which has its nickname, Tengu (long-nosed goblin) Wall, each slope has steep sections which make this the best ski resort for experts.

Tenguyama Shrine, located at the highest point within Otaru City, is found on the top of the mountain and from here you can enjoy stunning night views. So even for non-skiers, this resort is an exciting place to visit. The resort is accessible from Otaru Station in about 17 minutes.

Otaru Tenguyama Ski Resort 2023-2024 Season

General Season: December 10, 2023 - March 21, 2024
Night Skiing: January 2, 2023 - February 19, 2024 (*until 19:00 in the evening)
Official website: https://tenguyama.ckk.chuo-bus.co.jp/

Find accommodation in Otaru on Booking.com

Prepare for Your Hokkaido Trip!

If you plan to travel to Hokkaido in the winter, make sure to be prepared against the cold. This region sees very low temperatures in the winter months. Please refer to the articles below for details:

We recommend traveling by airplane to go from Tokyo to Hokkaido. While it is possible to travel by bullet train or car, it takes much longer. International visitors can use the convenient JR PASS to save on expenses while exploring Japan by train on the JR lines.

When traveling around Hokkaido, international visitors can also use the six-day Hokkaido Rail Pass.

We strongly encourage you to travel by train in winter in Hokkaido and less by car because the region sees heavy snowfall every year. Because of the snow, the road might not be visible.

You can find good accommodation at conveninet prices by using Booking.com.

You might also need a Wi-Fi connection since the places that offer free internet connections in Japan are still quite limited. Renting a pocket WiFi is very convenient for travelers. Use the 20% discount voucher below to rent Ninja-WiFi, one of the most popular portable internet services in Japan.

Hokkaido: Top 5 Ski Resorts for Winter 2022-2023



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*This article is a revision of an article originally published in December 2016.

Written by

The MATCHA editorial department. Our articles feature useful travel information for visitors to Japan, from how-to guides to recommended places to visit.

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