Appi Kogen has a good range of alternative activities to skiing and snowboarding at the resort. Appi winter activities include snowshoe icefall tours (1:30 hours), other snowshoe guided tours, cooking performances, and ice fishing. Appi also runs tour buses to local events such as the Iwate Snow Festival.

The concierge service at the Appi Grand Hotel can provide you with a tour/event and activity schedule and also assist with further activity information or bookings.

Backcountry Tours & Cat Skiing

Appi offers a few guided backcountry skiing options. An Appi backcountry tour goes for 3 or 5 hours, whilst a Shimokura backcountry tour goes for 4 hours. You need to provide your own uphill backcountry equipment and avalanche safety gear.

Hachimantai cat skiing tours are another option.

Hachimantai Shimokura Ski Resort

Every Wednesday (early Jan to early March) the resort provides a shuttle bus service to the Hachimantai Shimokura ski resort. At the end of the day the bus heads to Matsukawa Onsen where you can have a soak in the onsen. A small fee is required for the onsen, but the bus is free for Appi hotel guests. If you have an Appi lift pass, it can be exchanged for a lift pass for Shimokura.

Hakkoda Ski Area

Appi Resort offers transport between Appi Kogen and Hakkoda on Sundays and Thursdays, from early January to early March. Transfers are either 1-way or return but if you just want to do a day trip to Hakkoda, the bus arrives too late at Hakkoda to participate in guiding (and we recommend that the majority of people will need a Hakkoda guide).

Matsukawa Hot Springs

Matsukawa Onsen is a small hot spring town near Mt Iwate, where there are a few ryokans that open their onsens to non-guests. The onsen water is renowned for its cloudy blue appearance and its ability to relieve various ailments.

The Shofuso Ryokan is probably the most popular onsen, despite its lobster pot temperature! It has an outdoor mixed onsen (thankfully the water isn’t translucent!), a ladies outdoor bath, and there are also gender segregated indoor baths. The amenities are rather rustic with no showers or fancy toiletries or hairdryers on offer, just buckets for pre-washing.

Family Activities

The Appi Family Park offers an array of excitement for children including play equipment, tubing and tobogganing.

Fitness Activities

If the skiing and snowboarding isn’t enough exercise in itself, the hotel has a swimming pool, a well equipped gymnasium, mini climbing wall, and squash courts.

Other Relaxation Activities

The Hotel Appi Grand has a day spa offering a range of treatments and lots of massage options including lomilomi (Hawaiian massage) and reflexology. The hotel also has indoor onsens as well as a private onsen that can be booked.

Appi also has a public style onsen at the Appi Onsen Patio. The area has large indoor baths, outdoor hot springs and saunas. A small fee is required to access this onsen.

Morioka

A day trip to Morioka offers a few attractions such as a temple, grand estate, castle, and a German brewery. Have a chat with concierge for more information.