Kamui Ski Links: a third of the mountain ungroomed, pitches up to 35 degrees

Around a third of Kamui Ski Links is left ungroomed on purpose: gated tree runs and a dedicated "Tree Run Field" cut into the birch and pine either side of the groomed pistes, with pitches that get up to 35 degrees in the steepest sections. That is the real reason Kamui gets talked about as more than just another easy Hokkaido cruiser.

The terrain

Kamui runs on six lifts, one 2,327m gondola and five pair chairlifts, lifting skiers from a 150m base to a 751m summit for a vertical drop of 601m. Sources disagree on the exact course count, giving either 25 or 30 depending on where the figure comes from, so treat it as around 25 courses rather than a settled number; the longest run is similarly hedged at somewhere around 3.5 to 4km. Skiable area is quoted anywhere from roughly 50 to 135 hectares depending on the source, too wide a spread to give a single figure.

The terrain mix is clearer: beginner, intermediate and advanced each account for roughly a third of the mountain (32%, 36% and 32% respectively), and about 32% of courses are left ungroomed, opening into gated tree skiing through birch and pine rather than marked piste. The steepest of that terrain reaches 35 degrees. Kamui also hosts FIS-sanctioned giant slalom races, a sign of the real terrain behind it.

Snow and reputation

Kamui sits inland rather than on the coast, and the snow reflects it: described consistently as dry, light, classic inland-Hokkaido powder, with seasonal totals in the region of 8 metres or more. The resort's 2025/26 season runs 13 December to 31 March, 9am to 5pm daily with no night skiing; a season snow-depth peak of 170cm was recorded on 16 February.

"Underrated" and "quiet" are the words that come up again and again for Kamui, and it is often described as one of the easier places in Hokkaido to find untracked snow. There is no published visitor count to compare it with the big Niseko-area names, so "less crowded" here is its reputation rather than a measured figure.

Getting there

Kamui Ski Links is about 30 minutes' drive from Asahikawa city, with road access from both the Fukagawa/Takikawa side to the west and the Asahikawa side to the east; there is no train station at the resort itself. The resort's own shuttle bus, branded the Kamui Ski Links Shuttle Bus, runs four services a day each way, calling at Asahikawa Station and hotels including OMO7 Asahikawa, Hotel Crescent Asahikawa and Art Hotel Asahikawa, with advance booking required by 5pm the day before. Journey time is around 45 minutes to an hour; check the current timetable and fare before travelling. Parking at the resort is free, with around 2,000 spaces.

Where to stay

Kamui Ski Links is a day resort with no lodging of its own and no base village to speak of; the honest framing is a serious mountain with a shuttle bus instead of a hotel at the bottom of the lifts. Almost everyone bases themselves in Asahikawa city instead, around 30 minutes away, which is also where visitors base themselves for three other resorts in range, Pippu, Asahidake and Kurodake.

Need to know

Lift pass

Around ¥5,300 for an adult 1-day pass in 2025/26; check current pricing before booking.

Getting there

About 30 minutes' drive from Asahikawa city; resort shuttle bus 4x daily from Asahikawa Station and city hotels, booking required. Free parking, around 2,000 spaces.

Where to stay

No lodging at the resort; base yourself in Asahikawa city, about 30 minutes away.

Terrain

6 lifts, 601m vertical, around 25 courses. About 32% left ungroomed, with pitches up to 35°.

Season

13 December to 31 March (2025/26), 9am to 5pm daily, no night skiing.