Appi Kogen has a good range of alternative activities to skiing and snowboarding at the resort. Appi winter activities include snowshoe icefall tours, other snowshoe guided tours, cooking performances, and ice fishing.

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

Appi Backcountry Tours & Cat Skiing

Appi offers guided backcountry skiing options for a half day. You need to provide your own uphill backcountry equipment and avalanche safety gear, but they don’t actually rent it at the resort which might be problematic if you don’t have your own gear.

Appi Resort can also arrange bespoke backcountry tours in the region, but a much better idea would be to book an international qualified guide for some Iwate private guiding of sidecountry and/or backcountry touring in the region. A booking is for a minimum of 4 days and you could include some guiding for Hachimantai cat skiing and/or Shizukuishi Cat Skiing as part of the experience.

Appi Kogen Onsen

Shirakaba-no-yu at the Appi Kogen Onsen Hotel is open to non hotel guests for a fee. This Appi onsen has large indoor baths and saunas, but the highlight is the lovely outdoor onsen where you’ll find a range of baths of different depths.

Matsukawa Hot Springs

Matsukawa Onsen is a small hot spring town near Mt Iwate, where there are a few ryokans that open their onsen 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.

Matsukawaso is another ryokan in Matsukawa Onsen with a lovely outdoor onsen with mixed bathing (konyoku onsen).

Sometimes the resort offers shuttle buses to Matsukawa Onsen.

Other Relaxation Activities

The Hotel Appi Grand has a day spa offering a range of treatments and lots of massage options. The hotel also has indoor public baths as well as a private bath that can be booked.

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. These activities are discounted for resort hotel guests.

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.