This is the biggest little ski area from Asahikawa city. A number of ski areas with inexpensive tickets are available by a ¥500 bus trip. Great rental shop. Stay at OMO7 hotel where the bus starts or in a hotel on its route, then you have a great low budget option. I visited this 3 days in a row as there is fun in all the trees. Excellent Gondola queue management! Once you clear that, there are no more queues. Low pitched areas on return to the gondola will frustrate the snowboarders on a pow day when there is no grooming. Cool cafe tables with trail map covering the whole table. If you have enough in your legs, the bus stops at Santa’s Present on the way back to Asahikawa: some night skiing just for the experience! Last bus at 2000h. Asahikawa is a fantastic option for those not wanting expensive ski-in/ski-out options and wanting to try very authentic Japanese dining in the city. If you have a rental car, do visit the vintage/ second hand shops!! 2023/2024 was an El Niño year but still great snow the last week of January.
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It’s rather small but has so many off piste runs that’s easy to get to and from. Not very steep and not very long but accessibility is great. Not very crowded so it can last several days .
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We've had many great experiences at Kamui over the years, and this time was no exception. There was 15cm of fresh snow overnight and it was snowing and blowing through much of the day and it was mighty samui at Kamui. The lifts were running a little slower than their usual slow, and it was surprising that the lifts were running at all considering the wind. At least the gondola queues weren’t as horrific as when we visited last year.

In previous days we’d been skiing at some little northern Hokkaido ski areas with just 1 or 2 lifts and a few courses, so relatively Kamui felt huge. Of course it’s only small but we really appreciated the many nooks and crannies to find powder. Kamui is reasonably well known now, so the fresh snow in obvious areas such as the “Deep Powder” and “Fresh Powder” courses got tracked out quickly. Meanwhile in treed areas requiring more skills such as off the gondola, the fresh snow lasted until well after lunch. Similarly the outer sidecountry and backcountry areas had great powder.

We’ve seen it all too often in Japan, but we met some wallies out in the backcountry who had followed us. They had no gear and no idea where they were and they came upon us as we were transitioning. They then had to do a very very long post hole slog on our skin track back into the ski area. And then our ski track was ruined (insert smile emoji!). Just a reminder that the sidecountry and backcountry is only suitable for those with the right equipment and with a guide or with backcountry skills.
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Not too much has changed at Kamui Links since we first visited in 2008. For our visit in 2023 the powder was still divine, the old lifts were still there although a couple have been retired, and the cafeteria at the base still had the ridiculous swing out seats on one side, that anyone taller than 150cm can’t sit at. The classically inefficient processes for ordering lunch food were still evident.
What has changed is that the resort has really embraced off-piste skiing and have made designated tree zones where the trees are really widely spaced (Jonas must have only been riding the tighter trees under the gondola??). These areas get tracked out quickly and we’ve heard that many more westerners now head to Kamui. That was not our experience on the Sunday we visited, because it was absolutely teeming with locals. The queues to the gondola were horrific, mostly because of Covid related protocols and not putting mixed groups in the cabins.
Despite the local crowds, there were plenty of freshies in the sidecountry and there were still plenty of fresh lines in the tighter trees at the end of the day. The snow was gorgeous and despite a snow report of just 8cm of fresh snow, the powder was thigh to waist deep in the sidecountry. We scored lots of amazing turns.

You can see our thoughts on the pros and cons of Kamui Ski Links here, and also see how we rate it versus other Hokkaido ski resorts.

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Going off-piste is basically verboten, the trees mostly tight, the slow chairlifts without footrests....
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This was my second trip to Kamui, the last being in 2018. The piste runs are good for a couple days, but even after skiing six days this trip (end December 2022), I was still discovering new off-piste areas. The official tree runs are excellent and, with a little bushwhacking, there are many excellent unofficial ones. I highly recommend this place, especially for those of us who live in the trees.
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kamui its very good powder destination, and very cheap lift tickets
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Visited Kamui last week for two days 24-25 January 2017.
One of the most enjoyable places to snowboard.
I visited mid-week (Tue-Wed) hoping for no crowd. Unfortunately the school kids were out in force on both days.
The base and green beginner runs were very crowded as a result.
However once I ventured onto the intermediate runs, it was a non-issue.

Lunch at the main building was a simple tempura soba for JPY800. Very tasty. The hot soup was very welcome.
Ramen at the ramen house next to the main building was the best I ever had. Again only JPY800.
The steam buns are also highly recommended.

The school kids were gone by 2.30pm and the resort was deserted. Its like we hired the whole place to ourselves.

Unlike Nagano region which has been reporting up to 350cm snow depths, Kamui only had 75cm. However it was still pretty good considering it was snowing mildy through out the day. I also think Kamui understates their depths not bothering reporting if less than 5cm.

I liked the moderately long cruisy runs here. The edges of the trails where it has not been groomed were particularly good. Untracked powdery snow goodness!

I dislike that you cannot buy multi-day lift pass nor hire gear. You have to line up daily to buy it. you need to fill up the same form for hire as well. It is basic equipment but for my skill level, its fine.

Slow chair-lifts, so your best bet is to take the modern looking gondola which will take you all the way to the top.

There is no on-mountain accommodation so we based ourselves in the nearby Asahikawa city about 45mins away by shuttle bus. It costs JPY1000 per person one way. The bus snakes through several other hotels but if it went direct (or if you hire a car), it will only take 20mins approx.

Because of Kamui's size, two days is about perfect, perhaps even three.
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Go here on a week day and if the snow is there and you know where to go, you'll have one of the best days skiing that Japan can offer!
I spent 2 months in Niseko at the start of the season and then January through till the end of March based at Kamui as a ski and snowboard instructor this last season (2015/2016) and can honestly say that I would rather be at Kamui than in Niseko! The slopes are empty of people and you'd be hard pressed to find a lift que anywhere more than 3 people in front of you (unless its a weekend as locals travel from the nearby towns and city).
With exception of the brand new gondola, all other lifts are fairly dated but have been given a fresh lick of paint.
Off piste here definitely far out weighs the on slope options for intermediate/advanced/expert skiers/snowboarders and even having spent the majority of the season there, myself and other locals were still finding new spots to session. Theres several big drops, various sized fallen trees that make amazing rails, natural kickers and countless places and features to build more!
None of the runs are exceptionally long but with the lack of people there, it just means that you can get more runs in a day than almost anywhere else and also that you get to really learn the hill! Could be worth getting a mornings tour guide though just so you know the sweet spots for the rest of your time!
Beginners here will have a great time here too as the slopes here are really well marked and are wide(150meters in places) and are normally empty apart from groups of Japanese school children having ski lessons.
All in all...this is a brilliant little mountain and with an international company based at the bottom of the hill who do instructing/guiding at Kamui as well as cat tours only 15 minutes drive away if you want it, Kamui really is somewhere I would highly recommend visiting during your trip to Japan!
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The snow was kinda frozen und just a little powder on top... But I guess that's what you get in the middle of March...
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