Information about Skiing in Japan
Information about Skiing in Japan
Appi and the Hachimantai region are located at 40° North in the northwestern part of Iwate prefecture, Honshu, Japan. This region is famous for "Ultralight Powder Snow," whose quality is the finest in Honshu and as good as in Hokkaido. In recent years, numerous ski resorts in Nigata and Nagano have suffered from a lack of snow, but Appi and the Hachimantai region have remained insulated, experiencing stable snowfalls.
The Appi ski resort is one of the largest in the Tohoku region, with a wide range of long courses, off-piste courses, and incredibly well-developed facilities. The resort offers a vareity of accommodation options, including several large western style hotels.
1.&2.Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski resort 3.Hachimantai Resort Shimokura
Hachimantai is 18 km south of Appi ski resort and has two sister ski resorts, the Hachimantai Panorama and the Hachimantai Shimokura. The former offers many ideal slopes for beginners and children (long and very gentle), while the latter is more attractive to intermediate/expert skiers, particularly with its excellent off-piste course. The two resorts share a common lift ticket and a shuttle bus service between them is also available.
| Resort | Vertical | Course | Lift | Longest | Level | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Min | Beginner | Inter-m | Advanced | ||||
| Appi Kogen | 1304m | 684m | 13 | 21 | 5500m | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama | 1000m | 540m | 7 | 4 | 2700m | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura | 1130m | 580m | 7 | 3 | 2700m | 40% | 30% | 30% |
From Tokyo, the most popular way to reach Appi and the Hachimantai region is by train and bus. The high speed train (Tohoku Shinkansen) from Tokyo to Morioka takes approximately 2.5 hours, followed by a one hour bus ride to the ski resort. Hanamaki Airport is located in the Iwate prefecture, but it is not served by direct flights from Tokyo.
In the Appi ski resort, there are three nice western style hotels, two of which are ski-in, ski-out style. As a more budget oriented option, Appi has a pension village about a kilometer away from the ski resort. As for Hachimantai, there are several western style hotels and a nice Onsen-ryokan (hot spring inn) near the ski resort. At the Hachimantai Resort, Panorama ski resort, a ski-in, ski-out style hotel, is available. The journey from Morioka City to Appi and the Hachimantai region takes approximately one hour by bus, allowing a single day trip to be made from Morioka City.
