Hokkaido
Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Furano. Japan's driest, most reliable powder. Big with international visitors and powder-hunters. Filter below to see Hokkaido specific guides.
Kutchan area
The working town 15 minutes below Niseko United: ordinary rents, real supermarkets, and Rusutsu, Niseko Moiwa and Kiroro all within 45 minutes.
Otaru area
A historic port city west of Sapporo, and a quieter, cheaper base than Kutchan for Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai, Sapporo Teine and Otaru Tenguyama.
Asahikawa area
Hokkaido's second city, no Shinkansen but four genuinely different resorts in reach: deep-snow Kamui, small local Pippu, above-treeline backcountry at Asahidake, and Kurodake above Sounkyo Onsen.
Niseko United
Four linked ski areas on one Hokkaido mountain under a single all-mountain pass. Japan's biggest international resort.
Rusutsu
One of Japan's best lift-served tree-run networks, no marked zones, ski anywhere in bounds.
Kiroro
One of the snowiest resorts in Japan and an easy drive from Sapporo and Otaru. Quiet weekdays.
F Village
A beginners-only snow park near Sapporo with no chairlift, a calm place for a first-ever session.
Sapporo Teine
A former Winter Olympics venue inside Sapporo city limits, with sea views and easy access by bus from central Sapporo.
Sahoro
A resort attached to a large resort hotel in central Hokkaido, near Tomamu, with groomed cruising terrain.
Tomamu
A large ski-in ski-out resort development in central Hokkaido built around two towers, with its own train station.
Furano Ski Area
One of Hokkaido's oldest and largest resorts, host to past World Cup races, known for very light, dry snow.
Kamui Ski Links
A resort above Asahikawa with a reputation for deep, reliable snow and few crowds, even in peak season.