Appi Kogen
Appi Kogen Ski Resort Japan
At Appi Kogen ski resort in Japan it’s a case of “Don’t Worry be Appi”! There’s no need to worry because Appi Kogen is one of the best quality ski resorts in Japan and has been labelled the St Moritz or Aspen of Japan.
Appi was developed in the early 1980s in the peak of the economic boom, and is a fairly quintessential Japanese bubble era ski resort. The ski resort features a grand glitzy hotel and lots of first-class facilities and services. Appi caters very well to discerning skiers and boarders who are happy to pay a little more for a quality experience.
Appi Kogen Ski and Snowboard Terrain
The 282 hectare ski area is below the tree line and has 21 slopes and 828 metres of vertical. Appi Kogen is very proud of its long runs with 12 of the 21 runs being longer than 2km, and the longest being 5.5km. These lengthy runs are well renowned for the pure fall line skiing they offer – perfect for some major schussing at Mach 1.
The grooming is a highlight of Appi Kogen. It’s obvious that the groomed runs are a strong point of the resort considering that they measure the amount of snow fall AFTER they’ve smoothed it down!
At first glance you’d think that powder skiing is not Appi’s forte, but on further inspection, hidden behind the façade of the groomed runs is some fantastic powder riding. They leave quite a few runs ungroomed, and even though tree skiing is officially banned, off-piste skiing is possible with some discretion.
Powderhounds will also be kept ‘appi because the resort does well in the snowfall stakes with an average of 8 metres of “aspirin powder” per season (after it’s squashed down!), and most of the slopes are north facing which is advantageous for the snow conditions.
In keeping with the upmarket status of the resort, the lift system is reasonably well developed and includes 2 gondolas and 3 high speed hooded quad chairs, and there are also 13 dinky double chairs. Snowboarders are excluded from riding a couple of the lifts, but otherwise they have the run of the mountain.
Where is Appi Ski Resort?
The ski resort is located at latitude 40 degrees north in the western part of the Iwate Prefecture of the Tohoku region of Japan. This is the northern part of the island of Honshu, about 580km north of Tokyo.
From Tokyo the easiest way to
travel to Appi Kogen is via train and bus. The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. From Morioka there’s another train to Appi Kogen station (50 minutes) and then a 10 minute bus ride to the ski resort. Alternatively there is a bus that goes directly from Morioka Station to Appi.
Appi Accommodation
Whilst not as distinctive as the yellow
Portillo Hotel (in Chile), the golden tower of the
Appi Grand Hotel is a major feature of the landscape at Appi Kogen. This grandiose hotel is only steps away from the slopes and offers a range of quality hotel accommodation options as well as restaurants and extensive facilities.
Other
Appi Kogen accommodation includes slopeside villas which provide a more casual form of hotel accommodation. For the more budget oriented, Appi has a pension village about a kilometre down the road.
Culture and Language
Appi is a resort in the conventional sense, and it doesn’t have a village or town per se. Consequently Appi Kogen might be somewhat lacking in its ability to provide a traditional Japanese cultural experience (relative to places such as
Nozawa Onsen or
Myoko Kogen), but considering that there are very few international tourists at Appi, you’ll certainly be immersed in new age Japanese culture and the local customs.
Don’t worry if you don’t speak fluent Japanese. Appi caters really well to English speaking visitors with lots of English signage and English menus in the restaurants. They also have a fantastic English Service Centre with bilingual hosts who can assist with any queries before you arrive or during your stay, and the English concierge service at the
Appi Grand Hotel is particularly impressive. At Appi you’re not likely to have many lost in translation moments!
Why Ski or Snowboard at Appi Kogen?
Appi provides an excellent ski resort experience with superior services and facilities. The groomed slopes are a highlight, and some of the deep powder skiing may make you a very appi chappy!
Appi is also incredibly family friendly. Apart from the many beginner slopes, Appi has a child specific ski area, child care, snow play areas, activities galore, and even a small petting zoo!
Appi Kogen has lots of great things going for it. As such we’ve awarded Appi with a “
best ski resort in Japan” award for being a great overall resort. Appi also scores Powderhounds’ awards for the best family friendliness and best facilities and services in Japan.
Appi Kogen Transport Listings
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International Rail - JR East Rail Pass
International rail is a specialist rail travel company. Buy JR East Rail Passes online. 5 or 10 consecutive days or 4 days in a 30 day period. Non-Japanese residents only. Must be purchased outside of Japan.
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