Top10 largest ski resorts in Japan

Shiga Kogen is one of the Japananese most famous mountain resorts located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture. Shiga Kogen consists of 18 ski resorts and operate as one ski resort with 47 lifts and 75 courses. It is not only the biggest ski resort in Japan, but also the ski resort which has the highest elevation (2,307m) in Japan. Because of being located at high elevation and inland compared to other major ski resort in Nagano, it has high quality dry powder snow. It offers a variety of slopes for all level skiers from beginner to expert. The common ticket of 18 ski resorts is available and most of the resorts are interconnected by slopes. Free shuttle bus connecting resorts is also available.

Joetsu Kokusai is located to the north of Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture. It has an area of 380ha. It is the second largest ski resort in Japan. As a single stand-alone resort, Joetsu Kokusai is the biggest in Japan. It offers a wide range of courses in the vast area. At the base there is a western style ski-in ski-out accommodation, with which visitor can full enjoy ski holiday. The other advantage is the convenient access from the station of high speed train, it just takes 20 minutes by bus.

Niseko Grand Hirafu is located in Kutchan town in the western region of Hokkaido. It is one of the four connected ski resorts that share a joint lift ticket and make up 'Niseko United' and it is the most famous and popular resort among 4 resorts. Niseko's snow is called "The lightest snow on the Earth". Niseko Grand Hiraf offers not only official courses, but also very attractive gate controlled side country areas with super light snow. The Hirafu base area is the most lively in the region, which has a good choice of places for eating, drinking, and shopping.

Nozawa Onsen is located in the northeast region of Nagano Prefecture, close to the border with Niigata Prefecture. It has 20 lifts, 36 courses, an area of 297 ha. It offers a variety of slopes in the vast ski area from the beginner course to off-piste course. Especially in the mid part of the resort there are wide, comfortable slopes for beginners and intermediate. It also offers very attractive off-piste and tree-run course, especially in the Yamabiko area located near the peak. Nozawa Onsen is also well known as a famous hot spring town in Japan, which has more than 280 accommodations. "Onsen" in the name of "Nozawa Onsen Ski resort" is the Japanese word for hot springs. You can feel traditional Japanese atmosphere and enjoy Onsen experience. These days, the Nozawa Onsen become the one of the most popular ski resorts in Japan for international travelers.

Appi Kogen ski resort is located in the Iwate Prefecture, northeast of Honshu, Japan. It has a total of 21 slopes, 13 lifts, and an area of 282ha. The major draw of Appi is the existing variety of long slopes and their quality. Of the 21 courses, 12 are longer than 2 km. The quality of snow is another highlight of Appi, since it is located at 40 degrees north and most of the slopes are facing north. In recent years, Appi has enhanced its tree run zone and off-piste area. Tree run zones have been expanded to approximately 60 ha for the 2019-2020 season.Appi also offers ski-in ski-out accommodation and it realizes comfortable ski holiday.