Hokkaido
Hokkaido skiing is incredibly rewarding for powderhounds. It is geographically ideally located in the path of consistent weather systems that bring the cold air across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. This results in many of the resorts being absolutely dumped with powder that is renowned for being incredibly dry. Some of the resorts receive an amazing average of 14-15 metres of snowfall annually!
Hokkaido Ski Resorts
Niseko is the powder capital of the world and as such is the most popular international ski destination. It doesn’t seem to stop snowing in Niseko, which is the major drawcard. Other famous resorts include
Rusutsu and
Furano, and
Tomamu is gaining more notoriety amongst international holiday makers. Hokkaido also has many “secret” ski resorts that are off the beaten track.
How Does Hokkaido Compare to Honshu?
Hokkaido (the north island of Japan) is not densely populated and has more of a rural feel to it than Honshu, the main island of Japan. Generally everything is cheaper in Hokkaido than Honshu, and the more you get off the beaten track, the cheaper it is. The cuisine is also somewhat different to other regions of Japan, with much more emphasis on ramen and seafood specialties such as crab.
Where are the Ski Resorts in Hokkaido?
Many of the ski resorts are close together so you can easily sample multiple resorts during your ski holiday. The following are some of the ski resorts in Hokkaido, grouped according to location:
West of Sapporo
- Niseko (which incorporates Annupuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu and Hanazono) – 2.5 hours drive from New Chitose Airport and Sapporo
- Moiwa – next to Niseko
- Rusutsu – 2 hours bus from Sapporo
Near Sapporo
- Sapporo Teine – 45 minutes by bus from Sapporo
- Kiroro – 2 hours bus from New Chitose Airport, 1.5 hours from Sapporo
- Kokusai – 1 hour, 40 minutes by bus from New Chitose Airport, and 1.5 hours from Sapporo
East of Sapporo
- Furano – 2 hours drive from Sapporo
- Tomamu – 1 hour by train from New Chitose Airport, and 1 hour, 20 minutes from Sapporo
- Sahoro – 3.5 hours drive from Sapporo
- Mount Racey – 1.5 hours by bus from Sapporo
Near Asahikawa
Family Friendly Japan Ski Resort
Some of the Hokkaido ski resorts are very no-frills and they don’t cater particularly well to international families. Many of them don’t have ski lessons in English, kids’ rental equipment or child care. Niseko and Furano are an exception to this, with some facilities for children.
However if you want the ultimate family friendly ski holiday, consider Club Med at Sahoro Ski Resort. You’ll pay a pretty penny, but if you want great programs for kids and the opportunity for some parent-only ski time, this place is a great holiday destination. Unfortunately they only provide childcare for those over 2 years of age.
How to Get to Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo is the most common gateway city via the New Chitose international airport, but
Asahikawa is also a common entry point into Hokkaido.
Flying Into Sapporo
Commonly you’ll need to fly into Sapporo on a domestic flight from Tokyo or Osaka. In Tokyo this is somewhat inconvenient as the domestic airport (Haneda) is an hour plus bus ride across town from the international airport (Narita). This process can take quite a few hours, and has the hassle of having to handle your luggage, re-check bags and await the connecting flight. For some flight schedules you’ll need to stay overnight in Tokyo.
Other options of getting to Sapporo are to fly via Hong Kong or Taiwan, which takes about the same time as going via Tokyo and avoid having to re-handle bags.
Flying Into Asahikawa
You’ll need to fly into Asahikawa on a domestic flight from Tokyo or Osaka. The same problems as above will be experienced in transferring between the international and domestic airports in Tokyo.
Getting to Hokkaido from Australia
Getting to Hokkaido isn’t as simple as it used to be. There used to be some direct flights from Australia into Sapporo, but these no longer exist.
Airlines to get to Sapporo include Qantas (via Tokyo), Cathay Pacific (via Hong Kong), Singapore airlines (via Tokyo), Japan Airlines (via Tokyo), Korean Airlines (via Seoul) and China Airlines (via Taipei). Flying times via Hong Kong are sometimes the fastest or similar to some flights via Tokyo.
Below are some quotes on options for getting to Hokkaido which serve as a guide only regarding approximate costs and flight times.
- Option 1 – Melbourne to Sapporo via Brisbane and Tokyo with Qantas –cost $1,343 (flying time 18-19hours).
- Option 2 – Sydney to Sapporo via Tokyo with Japan Airlines - cost $1,510 (flying time 15 hours)
- Option 3 – Brisbane to Sapporo via Seoul with Korean Airlines – cost $1,630 (trip time 15.5 to 29 hours)
These costs were determined for flights 1st Feb returning on the 14th Feb, 2010.
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