Ski resorts in Japan

A resort in central Hokkaido with a reputation for consistent dry snow and a good deal less crowding than Niseko, which is around two and a half hours away. The terrain is spread across two linked zones with a substantial vertical for Japan and a mix of groomed runs and tree skiing, and the mountain has hosted World Cup races. Furano town below is a working agricultural centre known for its lavender fields in summer, and it has a normal Japanese life rather than an international resort scene. Asahikawa airport is around an hour away and there are onsen baths in the area.

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The most reliable deep snow in the world. Cold dry Siberian air crosses the Sea of Japan and drops metres of it on this Hokkaido volcano, week after week. Four linked areas offer tree skiing and open bowls, and the floodlit night skiing is genuinely worth doing rather than a novelty. Beginners are well served and lessons are widely available in English. Visibility is often poor, which is the price of the snow. Hirafu at the base is a dense international village of bars and restaurants, and the other sides are quieter and more Japanese. Hotels, ryokan and apartments, with onsen hot springs almost everywhere. Niseko eats extremely well and the good places fill up, so arrange dinner ahead. Rusutsu is close enough for a day, and Sapporo airport is around two and a half hours away.

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A thousand year old hot spring village in Nagano prefecture with a large ski area rising directly above it, and one of the most atmospheric places to ski in Japan. Thirteen free public bath houses are scattered through the village streets, maintained by the residents, and using them is part of the day rather than an extra. The skiing has a substantial vertical with a good spread of terrain, deep snow through midwinter and long descents back to the village. The Dosojin fire festival in January is one of the great festivals in Japan and worth planning a trip around. Tokyo is around three hours away by bullet train and local connection.

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A resort in central Hokkaido built around two towers of hotel rooms rising out of the forest, which is an unusual sight and sets the tone for a place that is as much a winter destination as a ski area. The snow is the dry Hokkaido powder that draws people to this island, and the terrain is mostly gentle and intermediate with good tree skiing between the runs. Beyond the skiing there is an indoor wave pool, an ice village built fresh each winter with an ice chapel and ice bars, and a viewing platform above the clouds. It is designed for families and for people who want more than skiing in a day. Shin Chitose airport is around ninety minutes away and there is a railway station at the resort.

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A large area in Yamagata prefecture in northern Japan, famous for the juhyo, the snow monsters, which are trees encased in wind driven ice into shapes that are floodlit at night. Those formations are the reason most people come, and they are unlike anything elsewhere in the skiing world. The terrain is extensive with a fair amount of levels and a long vertical, and the snow is deep and consistent through midwinter. Zao Onsen is a hot spring village with baths that have been in use for centuries, strongly sulphurous and traditional. Sendai is around ninety minutes away and Tokyo about three hours by bullet train.

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