Amahiri Ski Resort Accommodation
Amihari accommodation consists of the slopeside Amihari Onsen hotel at the base of the Amihari ski resort as well as a pension village down the road that officially is part of Iwate Kogen. Amihari is a central place to stay to access other nearby ski resorts:
Iwate Kogen - 3 km (5 mins drive);
Shizukuishi - 17 km (30 mins drive);
Shimokura - 40 km (5o mins drive); Panorama - 39km (50 mins drive);
Tazawako - 55km (1 hour drive);
Appi Kogen - 55 km (1 hour drive); and
Geto Kogen - 100km (1:30 drive).
Appi Kogen Accommodation
Appi Kogen is the largest of the Iwate ski resort and it has a good selection of hotels & pensions. At the resort there are several large ski-in/out hotels, and just a few minutes shuttle from the resort there is a fairly substantial pension village.
The benefit of staying at Appi Kogen in the Hachimantai area is that you have a fairly large ski area that can entertain you for a few days, however one potential disadvantage is that it is at the northern end of Iwate so it is not as central as Shizukuishi.
You can
see Appi Kogen accommodation options here >>
Geto Kogen Accommodation
There’s no village at Geto Kogen, just the ski resort facilities buildings and the simple Getokogen lodge. Nearby there are a few options for Geto Kogen lodgings and you’ll want to have a car.
Geto Kogen accommodation is ideal for skiing and snowboarding at Geto Kogen, but considering the distances to other Iwate ski resorts, you probably wouldn’t use it as a base for exploring the region.
Hachimantai Accommodation
Some of the Hachimantai hotels are located at or close to the Hachimantai Ski Resorts of
Shimokura and
Panorama. There are also inexpensive Hachimantai accommodation options such as pensions. More information on the
Hachimantai region can be found here and you can look at Hachimantai accommodation below. Appi is also part of Hachimantai and the
Appi hotels and accommodation have been listed separately.
Iwateyama Pension Village
Iwateyama is a small pension village located about 2km from the Iwate Kogen ski area and 2km from the Amihari Ski Resort and within easy reach of 6 other ski areas. Even Geto Kogen is doable as a day trip from this location. There is no public transport to ski areas or to the village from the station, so you will need to have your own vehicle to stay in this area. Whilst the pensions provide meals, the only downside of this area is you have to drive 15 to 30 mins to access other restaurants.
Iwate Kogen - 1-2 km (2 mins drive);
Amihari - 2-3 km (5 mins drive);
Shizukuishi - 15 km (30 mins drive);
Shimokura - 39 km (5o mins drive); Panorama - 38km (50 mins drive);
Tazawako - 53km (1 hour drive);
Appi Kogen - 53 km (1 hour drive);
Geto Kogen - 100km (1:30 drive).
Morioka City Accommodation
For those looking for a good selection of restaurants, some nightlife and Japanese culture,
Morioka City could be the ideal base for an Iwate ski adventure. The city is the largest in Iwate Prefecture with a population of approximately 300,000 people and has some great historical sites such the ruins of the 17-century Morioka castle.
RESORT DRIVE TIMES:
Iwate Kogen - 30 km (50 mins);
Amihari - 32 km (53 mins);
Shizukuishi - 28 km (55 mins);
Shimokura - 49 km (55 mins); Panorama - 47 km (50 mins);
Tazawako - 54 km (1:20);
Appi Kogen - 49 km (55 mins);
Okunakayama Kogen - 52km (60 mins);
Geto Kogen - 73 km (1:20 drive).
Iwate Area Accommodation Options
There are several places where you could base yourself to explore the various
Iwate ski resorts. Staying at or near the ski resorts provides the advantage of easy access to the slopes but it’s typically very quiet in the evenings, whilst staying in Morioka city provides the advantage of a large range of restaurants and some nightlife.
Iwate accommodation is typically more economical than what you’d find at the high profile Japanese ski resorts. Hotels and pensions are the mainstay of Iwate accommodation – don’t expect to find much in the way of self-contained accommodation (typically you only find this at the westernised ski resorts). Onsens also tend to be a common feature at many of the Iwate hotels.
Iwate ski resorts include
Appi Kogen,
Shizukuishi,
Amihari Onsen,
Iwate Kogen,
Tazawako (in the neighbouring prefecture),
Hachimantai Shimokura,
Hachimantai Panorama,
Okunakayama Kogen and
Geto Kogen (further south than other ski areas).
Shizukuishi Ski Resort Accommodation
Shizukuishi ski resort just has the one accommodation option; that being the Shizukuishi Prince Hotel. The hotel offers simple, comfortable western rooms at a reasonable price and is ski-in/ski out to the second largest ski resort in the area. The Shizukuishi ski resort is a very central location to all of the Iwate area resorts.
Shizukuishi Town Accommodation