Furano Facilities & Services

The Furano ski resort is reasonably well developed, with good services and facilities, especially when compared to many other Hokkaido ski resorts.

Furano Ski Hire and Snowboard Rentals

There are various Furano ski rental and snowboard rental shops located at or near the ski area, however the quality of the Furano ski hire varies dramatically and quite a few of the shops only have basic snow equipment for beginners. You may also need to scratch around to find decent fat skis to rip up that deep powder.

Rhythm is a good Furano ski rental shop in Kitanomine inside the Fenix, with a decent range of standard and premium ski and snowboard equipment.

For backcountry equipment rentals such as touring skis, split boards and skins, you could head to Summit Ski at Fenix or Whiteroom.

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Furano Ski School

There are a few Furano ski schools that cater well to English speaking clients. You should pre-book lessons because English speaking instructors can be in short supply.

The Furano Snow School offers ski and snowboard lessons for kids and adults. Group lessons are held in English for kids ages 6 to 12 in both the morning and afternoon so you’ll have to pick the kids up for lunch, or private lessons can be provided for children ages 3 and up. Furano Snow School offers group adult lessons for teens and adults (ages 13+), as well as lessons in a private format. Furano Snow School offers ski school from either the Furano or Kitanomine side of the ski resort.

The Furano International Snowsports School (FISS) also has ski and snowboard lessons from instructors that are fluent in English or are native English language speakers. They only provide lessons in a private format. The Furano International Snowsports School Office is located on the top floor of the Kitanomine Gondola building yet they run lessons from either side of the resort.

Or for the ultimate learning experience, book a private lesson with Whiteroom. These lessons can be for beginners or for advanced riders wanting to progress their powder riding experience. For all-day lessons, your instructor will pick you up from your accommodation and drop you back at the end of the day. There is also the option to get driven to another ski resort such as Kamui, Tomamu or Sahoro, to build your skills on different terrain.

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Furano Child Care

Furano International Snowsports School has a child care centre in the Kitanomine Gondola with qualified English speaking staff. The childcare caters for kids 1 to 5 years of age (you can enquire re babies and they may be able to assist). It is recommended to pre-book this service. The childcare can be provided for a half day or for the full day. FISS can also provide a child care/ski lesson combo if you want your child to have a one hour private ski lesson. NB This Furano day care did not operate in the 2023-24 season due to building renovations and it’s unclear as to whether it will be open for the 2024-25 season.

A couple of the hotels may be able to arrange babysitting, but this is not something they advertise and there is no formal Furano babysitting agency.

Other Kids Facilities

There are two magic carpet escalators accessed slopes for children at both the Furano and Kitanomine bases, although the latter isn’t necessarily always open. These areas are free for kids to learn to ski but they are not open for sledding.

The Furano base also has a strider area with strider equipment available to rent. And below the New Furano Prince Hotel is Furano Snowland which has various kids activities. 

Eating On Mountain

Furano Ski Resort has a lack of on-mountain eateries. The only on-mountain cafeteria is Restaurant Downhill at the top of the Furano Ropeway, which isn’t very large and gets busy. During the 2024 season the cafeteria was closed due to fire damage.

Otherwise for lunch, you have to return to the base area.

At the base of the Furano Ropeway is Ramen Corner on the ground floor. There is also a restaurant at the gondola station in Kitanomine but it’s only occasionally open. If you want a substantial lunch, you can pop into the New Furano Prince Hotel for a buffet feast.

Banking Facilities

Furano is established enough to have some access to the all important yen, with international ATMs with commands in English. These are at the Lawson in Kitanomine near the intersection with route 38, the lobby of the New Furano Prince Hotel, and the Hokkaido bank one block from the train station, and a couple of 7-Eleven stores in downtown Furano town.

Credit cards are accepted for lift ticket purchases, but there are still some restaurants and bars that only accept cash.