Asahi Shizenkan Ski Resort
Asahi Shizenkan Ski Resort is one of those quiet Yamagata ski resorts that’s only frequented by the locals. The town of Asahi (different kanji to that of
Asahi-dake) has a dwindling population, so competition for fresh powder is minimal and lift tickets are really cheap.
Officially known as Asahi Shizenkan Snow Park (aka Asahi Nature Snow Park), this is a ski area that you could hit up for a day whilst also taking in other
Yamagata ski resorts.
Pros and Cons of Shizenkan
Pros
- Lift tickets are cheap and on top of that there are often heavily discounted days such as ladies’ day, seniors’ day, and even a men’s day.
- It’s a quiet ski resort.
Cons
- Fresh is best as the aspect of the ski hill is not ideal for powder retention, except in the trees where the canopy protects the sun.
- Like most other Yamagata ski areas, it’s small.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- The beginner area is disconnected from the main part of the ski resort.
- Asahi Shizenkan has some fun tree skiing, but it’s a small area that wouldn’t take long to track out.
Shizenkan Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Asahi Shizenkan is a pint-sized ski resort with 4 lifts, 5 courses, and 320 metres of vertical from 760m to 440m, although the vertical isn’t really skiable in one pitch. The beginner course is in the lower part of the Shizenkan and is separated from the main part of the ski area. This means that novices can learn in peace without faster skiers hooning past, but it’s a pain if you want to move between the two areas.
The mid segment of the resort consists of intermediate groomers, whilst the upper run has a short pitchy section that reaches a maximum gradient of 34 degrees.
Off-piste tree skiing can be found between the two sides of the ski area. Officially tree skiing is not permitted, but a few of the locals do it and it’s not policed, and once in the trees you won’t be visible. The trees are mostly evergreens and the canopy shades the snow, and like a lot of trees in Tohoku, they don’t grow too close together.
Depending on how you want to define terrain, the sidecountry to skiers’ right outside the ski area boundary also provides some tree skiing. The top part has evergreens and you can travel back in via a summer road or drop a little lower into deciduous trees, although the bump back up to the lift is a little further.
Like any small Japanese ski area, only head off the courses if you have the right skills and equipment because the ski resort has limited resources, if any, to assist if things go awry.
Asahi Snow
Shizenkan isn’t positioned quite as favourably as
Yudonosan Ski Resort for massive amounts of snow because it’s a little to the southeast where the snowstorms peter out a little, but it still receives moderate amounts of snowfall. Asahi Shizenkan Snow Park commonly has a 2 metre base by the end of January. Whilst the snow quality in the trees is usually fine, the snow on-piste can get sun affected considering that the ski resort is mostly southeast facing.
One of the advantages of sitting on the leeward side of big mountains such as Gassan is that the storms are not as ferocious and strong winds are not usually a problem.
Where is Asahi Shizenkan Snow Park?
The Shizenkan Ski Resort sits in the Asahi Mountain Range in the central region of the
Yamagata Prefecture. The town of Asahi is 12km to the east.
You’ll want a 4WD or AWD to drive there as the access road is steep and winding. There are various car parks and you can ski down to the lift and ticket office. P3 and P4 are for the main ski areas whilst P1 and P2 are for the beginner ski area. The telephone number for GPS navigation is 0237-83-7111.
Ski Areas Nearby
Accommodation
There is no village per se at Asahi Shizenkan, although there is a hotel with Japanese and western rooms, an onsen, and banquet meals. There are also a few ski-in ski-out cabins. See
Asahi Shizenkan accommodation here.
Otherwise you could stay at
Gassan Pole Pole Farm as part of a
Ski Gassan package.
Facilities
The ski resort facilities are adequate for the locals. There is a cafeteria at the beginners’ area and another day lodge with a cafeteria up at the main zone. Hopefully you don’t need to rent equipment because it’s from the dark ages.