Kamui Ski Links Japan

Kamui Ski Links in Japan is a fantastic little cheap ski resort that provides plenty of opportunities for powder skiing and snowboarding. “Kamui” means “god” or “divine being” in Ainu mythology and Kamui Japan is blessed by the powder gods and a divine place where you can have an all-you-can-eat powder buffet!

Kamui Ski Links is not a destination resort and is best visited from either Asahikawa or Furano. If the snow’s on, which it frequently is, there’s enough terrain to keep powder hounds interested for a couple of days.

Pros and Cons of Kamui Ski Resort

Pros 

• Lift passes are very cheap at the Kamui Ski Area.
• Despite the moderate altitude, the aspect is very good, temperatures are usually really cold, and the quality of the powder is often exceptional.
• Kamui Ski Links offers some fun lift-serviced off-piste and sidecountry riding.
• The Kamui ski area is a great little powder hound treasure. More powder hunters are heading there now, but it’s uncrowded compared to the high profile resorts and there are usually freshies on offer.
• One advantage of skiing at Kamui and staying in Asahikawa is that you don’t stay at a resort where the cultural experiences can sometimes be artificial. There aren’t many gaijin in Asahikawa and you will absolutely experience the real Japan. 

Cons

• There is no on-mountain accommodation but staying in Asahikawa is pretty cool and being a non-destination resort keeps the international crowds down.
• It’s a small ski area so there’s not huge terrain variety and is therefore ideally visited as part of a multi-resort trip.  
• Like a lot of other Japanese ski resorts, the lifts are old and slow.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Kamui has some lovely sidecountry although there’s a lot of traversing to get back into the resort, which may not excite some snowboarders, and it's easy to get lost if you don't have a guide.

Kamui Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Kamui Ski Links is a reasonably small to mid sized ski resort with 25 courses and about 600 metres of vertical (150 to 751 metres). There are 6 lifts that consist of one gondola and 5 pair chair lifts. There are great groomed runs for beginners and intermediate riders, and the trail statistics are pretty typical of many Japanese ski resorts: 40% beginner; 40% intermediate; and 20% advanced.

A very relaxed approach to off-piste and tree skiing is a major plus for Kamui Links, as are the out-of-bounds (sidecountry) areas that are easily accessible via the lift system and a bit of traversing.

This resort has a reputation for being uncrowded, but there can be queues for the gondola, especially on weekends, and the groomed runs can be busy with school children. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why this resort has the reputation of quietness. Away from the groomed runs there are generally very few people, and there are fresh tracks to be ripped up.

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Kamui Snow

Like its central Hokkaido counterparts, Kamui Ski Resort doesn’t receive as much snowfall as the coastal resorts (8m per season on average), but the quality of the snow is often outstanding! It’s up there as some of the best in the world!

Where is Kamui Links Ski Resort?

Kamui Ski Links is only 30 minutes drive from downtown Asahikawa on the north island (Hokkaido) of Japan. Asahikawa is 1.5 hours northeast of Sapporo, and from Asahikawa, Kamui Ski Area is easily accessible via car or bus.

Furano ski resort is a little further away, but it’s also commonly used as a base for Kamui Links.

Accommodation

Kamui Ski Links is a small no-frills resort with no associated town or accommodation. Accommodation options include Asahikawa hotels or Furano hotels.

The lack of on-mountain lodging is likely to change in the future, with plans afoot for the development of Kamui Resort, a ski-in ski-out village.

Facilities

The facilities at Kamui Links include a few on-mountain restaurants, a retail shop, and equipment rentals. There are a handful of ski and snowboard schools where private lessons in English or Engrish are a possibility.

Of course there are plenty of vending machines (this is Japan after all) and you’ll need to rely on these if you want to partake in an après ski drink.

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