Sahoro Ski Resort

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Sahoro Resort Japan
Sahoro Resort Japan
Club Med Sahoro is a ski-in ski-out resort
Club Med Sahoro is a ski-in ski-out resort
Powder Skiing Sahoro Hokkaido
Powder Skiing Sahoro Hokkaido
Sahoro Ski Resort Hokkaido
Sahoro Ski Resort Hokkaido
Sahoro Japan
Sahoro Japan
A gondola is the mainstay of the lift fleet
A gondola is the mainstay of the lift fleet
Sahoro Resort has a few nice groomers for intermediates
Sahoro Resort has a few nice groomers for intermediates
Gorgeous powder in the trees
Gorgeous powder in the trees
Sahoro Resort offers nice views across the plains
Sahoro Resort offers nice views across the plains
Sahoro has 2 ski-in ski-out hotels
Sahoro has 2 ski-in ski-out hotels
Sahoro Japan
Sahoro Japan
Some nicely spaced trees
Some nicely spaced trees
Some trees are perfectly "gladed"
Some trees are perfectly "gladed"
The top of south street at Sahoro Resort
The top of south street at Sahoro Resort
Sahoro Hokkaido
Sahoro Hokkaido
When you step out from the gondola
When you step out from the gondola
Sahoro is located in Central Hokkaido
Sahoro is located in Central Hokkaido
The famous central Hokkaido powder
The famous central Hokkaido powder
Some fun sidecountry
Some fun sidecountry
Yep! We had a great time at Sahoro Japan!
Yep! We had a great time at Sahoro Japan!

Sahoro Ski Resort

Readers Ratings

Sahoro

Sahoro4/511
Sahoro4 out of 5 based on 11 reviews
  • Recommend
    91%
  • Would Revisit
    91%
Wagner Custome Skis

Sahoro Resort Japan

Sahoro Resort in Hokkaido Japan is a destination resort that provides two distinct experiences depending on your choice of hotel. Sahoro Japan features the Club Med Sahoro that is very international and popular with families due to the convenience of the amenities and services such as ski and snowboard lessons and kids club. Club Med Sahoro offers a very fuss-free ski holiday.

The other face of Sahoro is the Sahoro Resort Hotel where the Japanese folks stay, as well as a few gaijin looking for a Japanese experience.

Sahoro Resort is also a great option to visit for day trips from nearby Furano or Tomamu, or as part of a multi-day tour.

Pros and Cons of Sahoro Japan

Pros
  • The Sahoro Ski Resort is exceptional for beginners and if you stay at Club Med, group ski and snowboard lessons in English for kids and adults are included (Sahoro is one of only several Japanese ski resorts to offer group lessons in English).
  • If you stay at Sahoro Club Med, it's very family friendly and you can have a stress-free resort holiday with the kids. You don't have to carry the kids' skis, and you know the kids will be having fun! Everything is looked after. Ahhhh…..heaven! We've rated it as a top family friendly ski resort in Japan.
  • A Club Med experience is not for everyone (or everyone's budget), and it's great that there's another option for a hotel.
  • Both hotels are very conveniently ski-in ski-out (or close to it).
  • The tree skiing is pretty good and most of the Japanese and Club Med folks stay on-piste, so generally fresh tracks are reasonably easy to come by.
  • Sahoro offers great views across the Tokachi Plains.
Cons
  • Like many other Japanese ski resorts, this is a resort in the truest sense. There's no village with restaurants and shops to explore, and you'll spend every night at the hotel where there's negligible nightlife. However if you want to explore some other restaurants and escape the resort, you can catch a taxi to the nearby town of Shintoku.
  • Like most other Japan ski resorts, there's not enough terrain to entertain advanced riders and powder hounds for more than a few days, but it's good to visit as part of a multi-resort trip.
  • The new quad chair doesn't always operate (?possibly just the weekends), and the top lift seems to almost never operate, so powder hounds who want to ride some of the best trees have to ski the full vertical of the resort and ride the gondola. This gets a bit repetitive and sometimes there are lift queues at the gondola due to an abundance of school kids.
  • The summer grooming of the black piste is lax and a couple of the runs in the new area haven't been fully cleared and are downright dangerous.

Sahoro Ski and Snowboard Terrain

The Sahoro Ski Resort is medium sized with only 610 metres of vertical (420-1,030m) and 21 courses, (ie marked runs), so some riders may find the terrain a little repetitive for trips of more than about 4 days. The upside of the smallish size of the resort is that you don't need to worry about losing any family members - they won't be far away!

The Sahoro ski resort is all below the treeline with various runs cut through the forest. Of the 21 trails, 8 are rated for beginners, 3 runs for intermediates, and 10 for advanced riders (black runs). One of the black runs has a maximum gradient of 39 degrees, but the steep pitch is just momentary. The other black runs aren't too challenging, but the degree of difficulty really depends on the size of the moguls (and the number of stumps that are poking through!).

Advanced skiers and snowboarders will prefer to get off-piste because the tree skiing provides a lot of fun (for those experienced with trees), and ski patrol don't seem too fussed about it. The lift network is reasonably well developed with a gondola, 3 high speed quads, and 5 other lifts, but it can be frustrating to try and figure out which lifts they might actually have running on any given day.

Sahoro Snow

With an average of 8.7 metres of snowfall per season, Sahoro Japan doesn't receive as much snow as some of the coastal Hokkaido ski resorts (e.g. Niseko, Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai). Akin to the other central Hokkaido resorts, the quality of the powder is generally delightfully dry, although it's not as optimal as some other Hokkaido ski resorts because about half of the slopes are east to southeast facing.

Where is Sahoro?

The Sahoro Resort is located in the southern part of Central Hokkaido, 167km east of Sapporo and 130km from the New Chitose Airport (Sapporo International Airport). Sahoro is only 32km southwest from Tomamu and 68km southeast of Furano ski resort.

See the travel to Sahoro page for information on getting there.

Sahoro Accommodation

There is no village at Sahoro and only two options for on-mountain accommodation. In summary, Club Med Sahoro is more family oriented and ideal if you want ski or snowboard lessons, whilst the Sahoro Resort Hotel is more adult oriented and less pricy.

Club Med Sahoro sits a little way up the mountain and is delightfully ski-in ski-out via beginner trails. This Club Med Japan hotel offers the ultimate in convenience and a completely hassle free ski holiday, especially for families. Like other Club Med properties, the holiday is mostly all-inclusive and includes accommodation in upscale rooms, lift tickets, three meals a day, snacks, most beverages, and ski and snowboard lessons (in English). Kids' programs are also included (for children over 4) and child care for 2-4 year olds is available, so parents can relax knowing that the kids are taken care of. The complex also comes complete with a huge swimming pool that has day beds and umbrellas - it feels a little like one of the exotic Club Med tropical locations!

The other Sahoro accommodation option is the Sahoro Resort Hotel at the base of the ski area, which is almost ski-in ski-out. You might want to stay at this Sahoro hotel if you don't need group lessons (in English), need child care, or if buffet meals are not your thing. The Sahoro Resort Hotel also has the advantage of providing more of a cultural Japanese experience, whilst ClubMed Japan offers more of a modern international atmosphere. The Sahoro Resort Hotel also has a lovely onsen with indoor and outdoor bathing areas.

Activities

Sahoro Resort offers various other activities during winter besides skiing and snowboarding. These include evening grooming tours, fishing, snow shoe tours (3 hours), snow rafting behind a snowmobile, snow field horseback trekking (30 or 50 minute rides), and tubing and sledding. It's also possible to get a taste of snowmobiling with 5 minute rides.
Tours That May Include Sahoro

Safari (Road Trip) Tours

Hokkaido Storm Chaser
GUIDED STORM CHASING SAFARI
7 Days | 6 Nights | 6 Ski Areas
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
Chase the storms and access the deepest and best quality snow conditions on the day in the Otaru area and Central Hokkaido's world famous deep dry powder.
Price p/p Displayed price may cary slightly due to exchange rates fluctuations
Base/invoice currency is JPY
Price includes 13% tax.
Base/invoice currency is JPY
Price includes 13% tax.
USD 2,807
View Details
 
Hokkaido Backcountry Powder Quest
GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY TOUR
7 Nights | 8 Days
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Jump on the Hokkaido Backcountry Powder Quest tour & experience the magical powder wonderland Hokkaido is famous for along with its rich culture & incredible cuisine. Join as a solo, couple or small group; max 6 guests per tour & guaranteed departures.
Price p/p Price per person, based on 2025 group tour
USD 4,499
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Daisetsuzan Powder Trip
CENTRAL HOKKAIDO & SAPPORO
5 Nights | 4 Guided Ski Days
Ability: Advanced to Expert
This CUSTOMISABLE private guided backcountry tour can start in FURANO in CENTRAL HOKKAIDO where you will find some of the deepest & driest snow on the planet. The tour finishes with a day chasing powder around Sapporo (Teine & Kokusai) but ultimately you can design your own trip.
Price p/p From price per person based on twin/triple-share based on group of 5 with 1 guide (per person) 2023-24 season.
Base/invoice currency is in JPY inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 1,575
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See all Safari (Road Trip) tours that visit Sahoro here

Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area Tours

Furano/Central Hokkaido Experience
LOCAL GUIDED & HOSTED TOUR
7 Nights | 5 Days Guided | 1 Unguided free day | Furano + 4
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Advanced
Experience the best powder that Furano & the Central Hokkaido region has to offer. Venture off-piste in Furano, Kamui, Tomamu, Sahoro & Asahidake with some local guides for the total Central Hokkaido ski/board adventure. It’s their passion to show you what skiing/riding in Japan is all about!
Price p/p From price based on twin/triple-share room for 2024 season.
Base/invoice currency is in JPY inc. taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 1,729
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Central Hokkaido Tour
FULLY GUIDED & HOSTED TOUR
10 Nights | 8 Days Skiing/Riding
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Avoid the crowds and revel in the renowned high quality Central Hokkaido powder at Furano, Asahidake, Kamui Links, and hidden gems such as Pippu, Sahoro and Tomamu. Mostly lift accessed powder hunting, plus the option to do a little hiking to get more goods.
Price p/p From price based on twin/double-share group option for mid season 2024 tours per person.
Base/invoice currency is in Japanese yen inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 2,848
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Guided Day Tours
CENTRAL HOKKAIDO GUIDED DAY TOURS
For private groups of up to 6 participants
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Looking for a guide for a day or more for yourself and up to 5 other friends from Furano? Terrain focus is off-piste, sidecountry & backcountry at destinations include Furano, Kamui, Asahidake, Tomamu, Pippu & Sahoro. Touring options at Furanodake, Tokahidake & Kurodake available. Enquire for details.
Price p/p
USD 84
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See all Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area tours that visit Sahoro here

Backcountry Skiing Tours

Powder Belt Backcountry Tour
BACKCOUNTRY TOURING WITH LIFT ASSIST
9 Nights | 7 Days Skiing/Riding
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Explore Central Hokkaido's endless backcountry under your own steam as well as using the lifts. Perfect for those that don't want to hike all day and/or those relatively new to backcountry touring. Based in Furano, explore different ski areas each day.
Price p/p From price based on twin/triple-share option for group tour for 2024 season. Base/invoice currency is in Japanese yen inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 2,814
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See all Backcountry Skiing tours that visit Sahoro here
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