Kawaba is a snowboarders’ only resort. OK it’s not really, but it sure felt like it because the resounding majority of people there were snowboarders. The Kawaba Resort has plenty of potential for tree skiing and it’s worth adding to your road trip of the Gunma ski resorts.

Japan wasn’t having the best snow season and Kawaba had been through a melt-freeze cycle because it had been uncharacteristically warm in Honshu. It really showcased the many different aspects of the slopes at Kawaba, because the snow quality varied significantly and as to be expected, the runs off the A chair had the best snow.

The off-piste terrain at Kawaba is fantastic and there are plenty of options, however the resort is currently not playing to its best asset because in most areas, off-piste riding is discouraged (but not necessarily fully prohibited). The resort has allocated a tiny little area where it’s permissible, which seems to indicate that they’re at least thinking of their potential. Of course, a resort that doesn’t officially allow off-piste can be advantageous, because it means that those that can do it discretely can have more fresh lines to themselves.

Even though the resort attracts mostly snowboarders, the resort could do a lot more to cater for them. It seems they haven’t figured out yet that many snowboarders don’t enjoy riding moguls, and none of the somewhat mellow black runs had any grooming. The black runs were almost deserted, whilst the handful of groomed rooms were absolutely packed and a bit on the scary side due to the congestion and lack of etiquette. We visited on a weekday, so we’d hate to think what those groomed trails must be like on a weekend.

You can see more on our thoughts on the pros and cons on the Kawaba overview page and see how we rate it versus others on the Japan ski resort ratings page.
See our video here