The longest ski runs in Japan, top to bottom
Looking for the ski resort in Japan with the longest run from summit to base? Some of these are one named piste and some are top-to-bottom descents that link several courses, and each entry says which. Here are our top 16, from Nozawa Onsen's roughly 10km down to Hachimantai Shimokura's 2.7km.
Nozawa Onsen
A descent from the Mount Kenashi summit commonly quoted at around 10km, though it links several courses down into the village rather than being one continuous named piste.
Read the Nozawa Onsen guide
Zao Onsen
A longest run of 9 to 10km, among the longest single descents in Japan, from a 1,661m summit reached by ropeway.
Read the Zao Onsen guide
Suginohara
8.5km from the summit gondola station to the base, skiable top to bottom without a lift break, which is rare in Japan.
Read the Suginohara guide
Hakuba Happo-One
An 8km run from the 1,831m summit down to the 760m base, host to the 1998 Winter Olympics downhill.
Read the Hakuba Happo-One guide
Ryuoo Ski Park
A 6km run from the 1,930m summit, reached by a ropeway that carries 166 people at a time.
Read the Ryuoo Ski Park guide
Niseko United
5.6km, the longest run across the four linked areas that make up Niseko United.
Read the Niseko United guide
Sapporo Teine
5.4km, the named Rainbow Course, from a 1,023m summit within Sapporo city limits.
Read the Sapporo Teine guide
Kiroro
The longest named course, Asari Dynamic, runs just over 4km, but you can link roughly 5km top to bottom.
Read the Kiroro guide
Tsugaike Kogen
4.9km from a summit of around 1,700m, reached by the 4.1km Eve Gondola.
Read the Tsugaike Kogen guide
Naeba
4km from a 1,789m summit, with the Dragondola running on to Kagura across the valley.
Read the Naeba guide
Sugadaira Kogen
4km, from a resort with a steepest pitch of 36 degrees.
Read the Sugadaira Kogen guide
Ishiuchi Maruyama
A contested figure: the resort's own overview page states 4km, most likely a combined descent, while its lift-and-course page names the longest single course at 1.35km.
Read the Ishiuchi Maruyama guide
Hakuba Cortina
3.5km, on the resort with the most snowfall in Hakuba Valley.
Read the Hakuba Cortina guide
Rusutsu
Isola Grand, a top-to-bottom red down the mountain's spine, runs to about 3.5km.
Read the Rusutsu guide
Fujimi Panorama
3km from the summit station, on a resort about two hours from Shinjuku.
Read the Fujimi Panorama guide
Hachimantai Shimokura
2.7km, described by the resort's own guide directly as the longest way down, top to bottom.
Read the Hachimantai Shimokura guide