Name: Top 5 SKI RESORTS in JAPAN for SNOW
Uploaded: 2025-03-14T06:27:04.000Z
Duration: 8 min 21 s
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Snow and Japan go hand in hand, much like milk and cookies.

Adverbs of degree

So much snow, or should we say, Japow, falls across the resorts in Japan that they can't count it in centimetres, it has to be counted in metres.

Today, we're going to take a look at the top 5 snowiest ski resorts in Japan, go through how much snow falls across these resorts per winter season, and touch on a few details of each resort.

Keep in mind, the snow season in Japan only goes from mid-December to early March, so some of these annual snowfalls are truly mind-boggling.

To learn more about each of these resorts, feel free to visit our website, snowstache.com, plus don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that bell icon to stay updated on all of our latest adventures.

This resort is located in the southwestern corner of Hokkaido, and is known for its wide variety of ski runs, insane powder snow, unique theme park, which is closed during the winter, however, where else in the world can you ski and snowboard beside roller coasters, and awesome facilities that cater to all riders.

On an average winter season, the resort will see 14 metres, or 551 inches of snowfall, which consists of incredibly light, fluffy Japanese powder.

That during a season is an average of 14 centimetres, or 5.5 inches of snow every single day during the winter season.

The resort opened to the public in 1972, and is home to 37 marked trails that cover just under 2,000 acres of terrain.

Whilst only having 37 marked trails, that doesn't cover all of the incredible tree skiing that can be found across the whole entire resort between each of the trails.

The tree skiing here is some of the best in Japan, if not the world.

This smaller ski resort flies completely under the radar, however, it's slowly becoming more commonly known, as riders are looking for deep snow, and an off-the-beaten-track experience.

Ghetto Kogen is located in the Yamagata Prefecture, and is renowned for its abundant 15 metres, or 590 inches of snowfall, which is powered by strong storms that come directly in from and just seem to dump endless Japanese powder on the surrounding mountains.

Going by the numbers, the resort looks tiny.

Five lifts, 14 marked trails, and only 430 metres of vertical, however, Ghetto Kogen punches well above its weight, and is home, like Rizutsu, to legendary tree skiing that will have your legs burning before lunch.

Number 3 on our list, is none other than the newest ski resort in Japan, Lotte Arai.

This resort is fast becoming the Deer Valley, or San Maritz, of Japan, and is the only major luxury ski resort in the country.

After closing down in 2006, the resort sat abandoned for 10 years, before the Lotte Group purchased the resort and gave it a base to summit on.

The resort is located in Myoko, and thrives on offering inbound backcountry experience. 70% of the terrain here is left ungroomed, which means when you add in the 16 metres, or 629 inches of annual snowfall, it's a recipe for incredible deep skiing or snowboarding.

Where else can you get over 1,000 metres of vertical, a luxury hotel, plus 15 centimetres to 6 inches of fresh snow on average, every day during the winter season?

Many of you have probably been wondering when this resort would make an appearance on this list.

Niseko United is actually 4 different ski resorts that climb the southern faces of Mt Niseko Anapuri, and can be located in the centre of southwestern Hokkaido.

Thanks to this prime location, the resort gets annihilated by strong storms which come in from Siberia, collect moisture from the Sea of Japan, and then just smash into this part of Hokkaido.

On average, the resort will see 17 metres, or 669 inches of snowfall, and it's not often you get a bluebird day until spring.

However, people do not travel from all over the world to ride Niseko in the sunshine.

They come for the deep, deep powder snow.

This resort is home to 38 lifts, just under 2,200 acres of terrain, and 61 marked trails.

This doesn't include everything that can be found in the trees between the trails.

Number 1 on this list is actually two resorts, which both see the same average amount of snowfall each winter season.

We are curious to know if anyone watching this has heard of either of these resorts.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Both Kuroro and Sapporo Kukasai will typically see 18 metres, or 708 inches of snowfall, each winter season.

However, in a good season, that number can go up to 24 metres, or 944 inches of snow, and the seasons in Japan normally only last 3 to 4 months, which means the resorts can typically see over 8 metres, or 314 inches of snow in a single month.

Both Kuroro and Sapporo Kukasai sit in the shadows of nearby Niseko and Rizutsu.

This means the resorts see lower number of riders, which means there is more powder for the adventurous skiers and snowboarders who do choose to visit.

Both of these resorts are smaller when compared to the other ski resorts nearby.

However, if you are visiting Hokkaido and you want deep snow, an authentic old-school Japanese experience, and some of the world's best tree skiing, a visit to Kuroro or Sapporo Kukasai is an absolute must.

It's a place of legends, and when it comes to winter, that legend is deep powder snow, which can be found across many of the resorts.

We only touched on the top 5 in this list.

However, there are hundreds of incredible ski areas in Japan, and a trip to Japan should be at the top of any avid skier or snowboarder's bucket list.

If you want to learn more about the best ski resorts in Japan, please visit our website, where we have all of the details about each resort, trail maps, weather forecasts and snow camps, which give you a snapshot view of the conditions at your favourite resort.

Thanks for watching, we'll see you in the next video.