The Tomamu Ski Resort in Hokkaido Japan has lots of bells and whistles that make it incredibly family friendly, and the Hoshino Resort Tomamu is also a treasure trove for powder hounds.
Tomamu is very upmarket for a Japanese ski area and the resort includes a 50 metre wave pool, glamorous restaurants, and peculiar looking sky-scraper hotel towers. One could be mistaken for thinking that Tomamu is a glitzy and busy ski area that powder hounds should avoid. Think again! At Tomamu there aren't that many people to share the famous Hokkaido powder with, especially when it comes to sidecountry and off-piste skiing and riding.
Tomamu is great for a day trip if you’re staying in Furano and it’s also good enough to warrant a multi-night stay. Like its neighbour Sahoro, Tomamu Japan offers very different experiences depending on whether you stay at the all-inclusive Club Med Tomamu, one of the Tomamu hotels, or in the pension village.
Pros and Cons of Tomamu Japan
Pros
- Tomamu Hokkaido offers an opportunity to get away from the major western crowds, and there are enough English speaking staff to make your stay easy.
- Powder days provide some of the best in-bounds powder skiing in Hokkaido.
- The Tomamu Resort hotels are ski-in ski-out and provide a high standard of accommodation.
- Tomamu is incredibly child friendly and has an array of kids’ activities and plenty of beginner slopes. And there are group ski lessons for kids with instructors that speak a little English. Or for the ultimate in family friendliness, you can stay at Club Med Tomamu. We've rated Tomamu as the best family friendly ski resort in Japan.
- There are also lots of activities for adults, although some of them are rather cheesy.
- Tomamu is close to other Central Hokkaido ski resorts, so it’s great to visit on a multi-resort powder chasing tour.
- The amenities are modern, especially by Japan ski resort standards.
Cons
- There is zero nightlife at Tomamu (which is quite common at Japanese ski resorts).
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- The south facing aspect of the resort might be nice for beginners who like the sun, but it’s not so good for the in-bounds snow quality a few days after a snowfall. On the plus side, low temperatures aid in snow quality retention, and the backcountry aspects are very favourable for immaculate powder.
- There is no cute little Japanese traditional village at Tomamu. The resort is a resort in the truest sense and it lacks charm. The towering hotels seem somewhat out of place at the base of a ski resort and some of the activities are OTT.
- Club Med Tomamu provides a very stress-free snow experience along with negligible Japanese culture.
- The on-mountain accommodation and dining is mostly very expensive, whilst staying at one of the nearby pensions is very affordable.
Tomamu Ski and Snowboard Terrain
When you see the size of the hotel towers at the base, you’d think that the Tomamu ski area must be the size of Whistler Blackcomb. Then you remember you’re in Japan where the ski resorts are only small to medium sized, and Tomamu Ski Resort is no exception. Officially the ski resort is 124 hectares in size (which probably only refers to the piste) with 29 courses (ie trails) and a vertical drop of 585 metres (586 - 1,171m).
The Hoshino Resort Tomamu ski area offers a variety of terrain including great beginner areas, a handful of groomers for intermediates, and a few advanced mogul runs. The off-piste skiing is certainly a drawcard for the advanced skier and snowboarder, whilst the sidecountry and backcountry areas around Tomamu are a bonus (more so for skiers considering the amount of traversing). As is somewhat typical of Japan, there are no super steep pitches, but with such great powder and awesome tree skiing, experts don't seem to mind.
Tomamu Snow
Tomamu Ski Resort possibly receives about 8 metres of snowfall on average per season. In classic Japanese style the resort infers that it only gets 4.8 metres and under sells its finest asset.
The powder falls very light and dry and the Tomamu snow is often well maintained thanks to low temps and high elevation. A potential downside is that many of the slopes are south facing, so the off-piste slopes can become a bit crusty when it’s sunny. Conversely, some of the sidecountry slopes are north facing and the powder can be absolutely delicious!
Where is Tomamu Hokkaido?
Tomamu Japan is situated in
Central Hokkaido, 150km east of
Sapporo close to the Hidaka National Park. It is only an hour train ride away from the Sapporo International Airport. Nearby ski resorts include
Sahoro,
Furano, and
Yubari.
Shuttle buses to Tomamu are available from Sapporo City or New Chitose Airport.
Tomamu Accommodation
The resort operated
Tomamu accommodation can be found in the “sky-scrapers”; the aptly named Tower Hotel and the upscale Risonare Hotel. The Tomamu hotels are western-style and are conveniently ski-in ski-out.
Club Med Tomamu is another option for well heeled holiday makers. The Club Med provides deluxe Tomamu accommodation as part of all-inclusive packages, with meals, alcohol, lift passes, child care, and ski and snowboard lessons.
Tomamu Accommodation Listings
Facilities & Activities
Tomamu Resort was purpose-built during the bubble era at a cost of around US$1Billion. With no expense spared, the resort continues to develop and has substantial infrastructure and amenities (for a Japanese ski resort). The resort has a range of facilities including souvenir shops, lots of restaurants, child care, ski and snowboard rentals, and ski school. It lacks some fundamentals such as a proper bar, except for an ice bar where you'll last 5 minutes.
The Hoshino Resort Tomamu has a major "resort" feel to it so there's the risk of catching "cabin fever". And like a cruise ship, Tomamu has a plethora of activities on offer to keep you entertained including cat skiing, tubing, kids’ parks, fishing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, and the over-the-top wave pool. Or for a kitsch instagrammable activity, you can look at or stay in the ice hotel.
