Believe the hype!
Japan is next level when it comes to skiing & snowboarding destinations and the Hakuba Valley delivers on all fronts.
36ft (11m) of snow per season, powder for days and a cultural experience unlike any resort you have likely been.
With the valley made up of 10 ski resorts in Hakuba, it will cater to all levels or skiers and riders.
Why Choose Hakuba for Skiing?
The Hakuba Valley is easily accessible from Tokyo. In less than 3 hours from Tokyo station, you can get access to world class, quality facilities.
The valley was home to a number of events, held at Happo One, during the 1998 Winter Olympic games. These included skiing events of Downhill, Super G and Ski Jumping.
Hakuba Valley is made up of 10 resorts with each offering their unique take on combining Western and Japanese ways, to deliver a unique skiing and apres ski experience.
Each year, the valley receives over 11 metres (36 feet) in snow, with unique weather conditions that produce consistent, quality powder snow.
The Top Ski Resorts in Hakuba Valley
Below is a summary of the best resorts in the Valley that offer something for everybody within your travel party, from complete beginner, solid intermediates or advanced powder hunters.
Happo One Ski Resort
Well straight off the bat, its pronounced Happo (On-Ay), rather than Happo (1) and this resort well and truly delivers in terrain, snow quality and the largest village of all the resorts in the Hakuba Valley.
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 16
- Skiable Area: 220ha (544 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 30% Beginner / 50% Intermediate / 20% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 22
Higlights
The are some great intermediate courses with long, challenging runs such as Skyline and Panorama. For advanced skiers and riders there is also the Olympic Course 1 and 2 and there are also dedicated off-piste areas such as Omusubi or Urakuro.
Tips
Happo One is a popular resort with locals and international visitors, with peak numbers during January and February. The resort also offers Spring skiing discounts with reductions in lift tickets from March onwards.
The village areas of Happo and Echoland have a good range of restaurants and bars to select from. It is advisable to book seats during the peak period, as queues and wait time can be long for the small capacity venues.
The iconic Hakuba Lawson also seems to be a must visit and is well visited! A short walk from from the bus terminal, the Lawson is stock with all of your favourite convenience goodies and food, for a post ski snack or supplies stock up.
Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort
Located next to Happo One and easily accessible via the free shuttle buses, Goryu is a popular choice for families and intermediates alike. Wide runs and variety of terrain, make Goryu a great alternative when in Hakuba. The key stand out is that Goryu is the only resort in the Hakuba Valley that offer night skiing daily.
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 17
- Skiable Area: 120ha (297 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 35% Beginner / 40% Intermediate / 25% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 11
Highlights
One of the great highlights when skiing and riding at Goryu is that they are the only resort in the Hakuba Valley that offers daily night skiing. The night skiing is on the Toomi run and operates from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, each night.
Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park
Hakuba 47 is right next to Hakuba Goryu and both resorts can be accessed under the one lift ticket. You can take the gondola up on Hakuba 47 and navigate the ski runs to end up at the base of Goryu. Cruisey runs, a quality terrain park and they even play chilled jazz music through the speakers on the runs!
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 8
- Skiable Area: 32ha (79 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 30% Beginner / 40% Intermediate / 30% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 6
Highlights
Hakuba 47 offers visitors the longest season in the Hakuba Valley (December to May), due to the north facing runs. Whilst not as large as its neighbouring resorts, its makes up for in excellent skiing and riding, particularly for intermediates, below the tree line.
Hakuba 47 also offers tree skiing & riding with dedicated areas called the TRZ (Tree Riding Zone). There are both open areas for anyone to access and dedicated areas (TRZ zones) which can only be accessed if you are wearing the TRZ armband . See the details of how to get access here on tree skiing in Hakuba 47.
Tsugaike Mountain Resort
Tsugaike is a large ski area is is well geared towards beginners. With a large beginner area and wide slopes, it makes Tsugaike and ideal choice for beginners and family skiing.
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 14
- Skiable Area: 196ha (484 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 50% Beginner / 30% Intermediate / 20% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 13
Higlights
The key highlight for Tsugaike is that this is a very beginner friendly resort with large, wide open areas to learn and half of the mountain’s terrain dedicated to green runs.
Hakuba Cortina Snow Resort
Located at the northern end of th eHakuba Valley, Cortina is well worth the trek out there, if staying in the Happo area, especially on powder days. Look for the striking red roofed Green Plaza Hotel, you can’t miss it.
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 16
- Skiable Area: 50ha (124 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 40% Beginner / 30% Intermediate / 30% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 6
Hakuba Cortina recieves the large ammounts of snow, consistnetly recording the highest snowfall of any resort in the Hakuba Valley. This makes it a beacon to visit, especially on powder days.
Cortina is an excllent place for intermediates & advanced wanting improve their powder skiing & riding and for advanced skiers utilising the off-piste and tree skiing options.
Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort
Located next to Happo One, Iwatake is known for its gondola accessed mountain top with 360 views, making for a spectacular vista on clear days. The terrain is geared towrds intermediates, and would be well classed
Overview
- Number of Ski Runs: 13
- Skiable Area: 125ha (309 acres)
- Difficulty Levels: 30% Beginner / 50% Intermediate / 20% Advanced
- Number of Lifts: 9
Highlights
The key highlight for Iwatake is that this resort is ideal for intermediate skiers and riders with a good range of advanced green and red run options to keep you happy. The 360 views from top. also make for a unique experience in the Hakuba Valley.
Other Ski Resorts in Hakuba Valley
The above gives a short overview of the top ski resorts in Hakuba, however there are a couple of other smaller resorts, that are beginner and young family focussed, which are also worth considering. These resorts include:
- Hakuba Norikura Onsen Snow Resort
- White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka
- Kashimayari Snow Resort Family Park
- Jigatake Snow Resort
Tips for a Great Ski Trip in the Hakuba Valley
See below a couple of tips to make your visit to the various ski resorts in Hakuba a little easier.
The best time to visit for good ,consistent snowfalls, also corresponds with the peak season across January and February. However, if you can push you trip to March, there are a number of Spring discounts on lift tickets, lessons and reductions in accomodation prices that you can take advantage of.
Plan your restaurants reservations ahead of time, especially during peak period, to ensure you get a seat. Your accomodation provider can help with reservations and in some cases can provide shuttles for a drop off/pick up service. It can get busy in the Happo, Wandano and Echoland areas ,when looking for places to eat out.
Enjoy one of the great experiences of a Japanese ski vacation is the unique experience of an Onsen. There are many onsen options in Happo and across the valley and often the accomodation has Onsen for guests only. Soaking your muscles in mineral rich, hot thermal water is the perfect apres activity, after your day.
Final Thoughts – Ski Resorts in Hakuba
The Japanese ski experience is truly one of the great holiday / vacation experiences you can have. Especially if you love the mountains and skiing & riding is on top of the list, for winter sports.
From the natural beauty and quality of the snow, to the warm and friendly hospitality and unique cultural experiences, its hard to top it for a fully immersive experience. Its hard to go wrong with any of the highlighted ski resort options above.
The Hakuba Valley is relatively easy to get to from Tokyo airports and is well set up for international visitors coming to Japan for exceptional skiing and snowboarding.
Start planning it out for one of the more memorable holiday experiences you will encounter!
