Iwate Kogen
Iwate Kogen Ski Resort is another one of those little Tohoku ski resorts that is worth visiting for a day as part of a DIY road trip of the
Iwate Prefecture or a
guided tour. Westerners are few and far between at the Iwate Kogen Snow Park, and off the slopes you’ll experience the real Japan.
Pros and Cons of Iwate Kogen
Pros
- Iwate Kogen Japan has a range of good trees, and the fall line is more consistent and there are steeper pitches than at neighbouring Amihari Onsen.
- Rivalry for fresh lines is low.
- It’s cheap to ski/snowboard, stay and soak.
Cons
- It’s not a big ski area.
- All three of the Shizukuishi ski areas (Shizukuishi Resort, Amihari, Iwate Kogen) are situated on the southern side of Mt Iwate which is not perfect for snow quality. Of the three ski resorts, Iwate Kogen has the least favourable aspect and relies on cold temperatures to keep the snow nice.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- You’ll need to have a car to get to Iwate Kogen and your accommodation, go out for dinner (if you’re not dining at your hotel or pension), and travel to neighbouring ski resorts.
- The region is pretty quiet at night.
- The area is not well geared up for English speaking guests, but the lack of international tourists is a major part of its appeal.
Iwate Kogen Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Like a lot of its nearby contemporaries, Iwate Kogen is a small ski resort that will only entertain you for a day or two. Iwate Kogen Ski Resort has 6 lifts and 10 courses spread across a vertical drop of 583 metres (630-1,213m).
The trail statistics are 30% beginner, 40% intermediate, and 30% advanced, but like a lot of these little
Tohoku ski areas, Iwate Kogen is ideally suited to powder hounds and not those that want to ski or snowboard the piste, so the stats probably don't matter.
Iwate Kogen has some “low-hanging-fruit” trees in-bounds that can be easily scoped from the chair lifts, and there are also some super steep slopes that are a bit harder to recon without ending up in a no-mans-land gully. Sidecountry to the immediate skiers’ right has mellow trees, or if you go further skiers’ right you’ll find the big backcountry bowl between Amihari Onsen and Iwate Kogen. Your nose should help you find it because the bowl is littered with stinky fumaroles!
Lifts
Iwate Kogen has 6 lifts made up of 5 fixed grip double chair lifts that run at an OK speed, and a gondola. The gondie runs the full length of the ski area, although if it goes on wind hold, it is possible to ride the whole mountain via the chair lifts. The gondola even accommodates fat skis and snowboards in the racks, which is quite progressive for a Japanese ski resort, and nice so that you don’t have to wrestle yourself and your gear inside the cabin along with an equipment condom.
Iwate Kogen Snow
Like a lot of Japanese ski resorts, the snowfall statistic is unknown because Iwate Kogen doesn’t see the need to measure it or boast about it. The snow is best ridden when fresh or when it hasn’t warmed up, due to its mostly south facing orientation. The snow on the open piste can become pretty snotty, whilst as to be expected, the snow in amongst the trees is a little more protected from the sun, particularly on the skier’s right aspect.
Where is Iwate Kogen Snow Park?
Iwate Kogen (ie Iwate Highlands) is located in Shizukuishi, about 17km from the actual town of Shizukuishi and a 12km drive from the
Shizukuishi Ski Resort. The
Amihari Onsen Ski Resort is next door to Iwate Kogen Snow Park (3km by road).
The ski area is located on the southern flanks of the imposing Mt Iwate in the NW of the
Iwate Prefecture of Tohoku. The telephone number for GPS navigation to drive there is 019-693-4000.
Iwate Kogen Accommodation
There is no accommodation on-mountain at Iwate Kogen, but there is the
Iwateyama Pension Village just 2km down the road where you’ll find inexpensive and friendly lodgings such as
Pension Sanrinsha. Or alternatively you could stay at the base of the Amihari Ski Resort at the
Amihari Onsen Hotel or at the ski-in ski-out
Shizukuishi Prince Hotel at Shizukuishi Resort.
Iwate Prefecture Accommodation Listings
Facilities
The base facilities at the Iwate Kogen Snow Park cover the usual suspects: a cafeteria; small retail shop; equipment rentals (including lots of retro rear entry ski boots!); snowsports school (no lessons in English); kids play room; and lockers. There is a snowpark just in front of the day lodge with slides and other kids’ play equipment.
Evening Activities
As to be expected for a rural area that hasn't been taken over by the westerners, the nightlife is close to non-existent. You can have dinner at your hotel or pension, otherwise you’ll need to drive your car in search of a feed. There is a pizza and steak restaurant not far away at Genbu Onsen, or you can drive into Shizukuishi town and eat all the meat your stomach desires at one of the many yakiniku BBQ restaurants.