How to get there

Where is Asahikawa? Asahikawa is north east of Sapporo (approximately 1.5 hours by train) in Hokkaido, Japan.

Ski Resorts Nearby Resorts close to Asahikawa include Kamui Links ski area (20 minutes away), Asahidake (an hour away), Furano ski resort (1 hour away), Kitataisetsu (1.5 hours), Pippu (30 mins), Kurodake (1.5 hours), and Tokachi-dake. Niseko ski resort is about 3.5 hours away by train.

Getting to Asahikawa Domestic flights are available into Asahikawa from Tokyo (1.5 hour flight) or Sapporo. It’s about 30 minutes by bus from the Asahikawa airport to the city, so if you’re travelling from Sapporo, it might be quicker and less costly to catch the train.

From Sapporo, JR trains depart every 30 minutes and cost only ¥4,480. The trip takes about 80 minutes. From the New Chitose Airport to Asahikawa it’s approximately 2.5 hours by train.

Getting to the Ski Resorts from Asahikawa Hiring a car provides the most flexibility to sample multiple ski resorts, but as an alternative there are shuttle buses or public bus travel options to get to some of the resorts.

There’s a smorgasbord of car rental outlets near the train station such as Matsuda, Toyota, Orix, Nissan, and Nippon rent-a-car. We rented a large 4WD people-mover for ¥10,000 per day, which had plenty of room for skis, equipment and 4 people. Car rental outlets can enter GPS details to aid your trip, but maps are often available in Japanese and English, and road signs are commonly in English. Alternatively you navigate via the road numbers.

From Asahikawa, Kamui Links ski area can be accessed by car (no parking fees) with an approximate travel time of 20 minutes. Use the GPS, or it’s fairly simple to take the no. 12 out of Asahikawa. To get to Kamui Links, there are also shuttle buses from the major hotels in Asahikawa and the train station.

For information on how to get to other resorts see:
Getting Around Asahikawa It’s easy to get around Asahikawa on foot, although take care with the slippery roads and footpaths. The city is really easy to navigate as the streets are on a numbered grid system. There are also lots of taxis available.