Snow in Japan – Quantity & Quality

If you’re a powder hound, one of the factors in deciding where to go skiing or snowboarding is to look at which ski areas or regions have the best snow in Japan. The current conditions and the snow forecast are important, but in planning ahead, here’s some information about which ski resorts usually have the best snow in Japan so you can increase your chances of scoring the famed Japow (Japan powder). It includes statistics on Japan snow at the ski resorts with respect to volume, latitude, elevation, and the primary aspect which can impact on the quality of the Japow:

• Hokkaido snow
• Tohoku snow stats for Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata & Fukushima
• Niigata ski resort snow stats
• Nagano ski resorts snow stats
• Gunma snow
• Gifu snow

Japan Snow: Top 10 Snowiest Ski Resorts in Japan

Only some of the Japanese ski resorts report the average snowfall per season, so it’s not possible to compare the volume of snow across all the resorts, and the Japan snow statistics that are reported don’t necessarily use a consistent methodology.

Japan Snow Volumes - Average Snowfall Per Season (m)
Ski Area	Prefecture	Snow (m)
Gassan	Yamagata	30
Sapporo Kokusai	Hokkaido	18
Kiroro	Hokkaido	18
Niseko	Hokkaido	17
Hakkoda	Aomori	17
Tenjindaira	Gunma	16.5
Lotte Arai	Niigata	16
Seki Onsen	Niigata	16
Geto Kogen	Iwate	15
Iwanai	Hokkaido	15

Proximity to the Sea of Japan plays a large part in snow volumes, and you can look at the map above to see the vicinity of ski resorts to the “lake” that is responsible for the “lake effect”. Storms from the NW often bring the biggest snowfalls, and depending on local mountain terrain profiles and aspect, some mountains do better out of northerlies or NNW storms, whilst others do well out of westerly storms.

The number one snowiest ski resort in Japan is Gassan, with approximately 30 metres of snow per year, although it’s not known if this is for the top of Mt Gassan or at the ski resort elevation. Either way, it’s very snowy! It’s so snowy that the Gassan ski resort doesn’t open until April because there’s too much snow, and during winter there is only snowcat skiing and backcountry touring.

Various ski resorts in SW Hokkaido near the Sea of Japan receive abundant snowfall including Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai, Niseko and Iwanai. The cold weather systems that move across the Sea of Japan from Siberia are responsible for the deep dry powder. Nearby Rusutsu also receives abundant snowfall (14 metres), as does Asahidake (14 metres).

At Hakkoda in Aomori Prefecture, there are no buffering mountains between Hakkoda and the Sea of Japan, so Hakkoda cops the weather and snow in full force. Nearby Sukayu Onsen is supposedly the snowiest inhabited place on Earth, with an average yearly snowfall of 17.6 metres and it has a winter season record of 23.7 metres of snow.

The Akita ski resorts of Ani and Tazawako are also buffeted by raging storms that bring huge amounts of snow along with howling winds.

Some of the Niigata ski resorts also receive large volumes of Japow. Lotte Arai and Seki Onsen (Myoko) get lots of snow, as do the other Myoko ski resorts. Charmant Hiuchi is even closer to the coast and probably gets more snow, although it’s generally not dry powder snow. Okutadami Maruyama, also in Niigata, is famous for receiving a huge amount of snow, so much so that during the peak of winter it closes because it’s not feasible to keep the access road open.

Conversely there are some ski areas with little natural snowfall that rely on artificial snow such as Karuizawa, which is better known for its proximity to Tokyo. There are also plenty of other Japanese ski resorts that we don’t mention on Powderhounds.com because they’re not renowned for their Japow.

Japan Snow Quality Considerations

As to be expected, there are lots of factors that play a part with respect to Japan snow quality, both in terms of the dryness of the powder that falls and how well the snow is retained. As outlined above, areas close to the west coast of Japan gets large volumes of snow and have a maritime snowpack. Conversely, ski areas further east tend to get less snow, but it’s drier. Gun powder (ie Gunma powder) is one example.

Naturally temperature and latitude also play a part. The latitude for the Hokkaido ski areas ranges from about 42 to 44 degrees N (see the Japan snow statistics below). This doesn’t sound particularly northerly, as it puts Hokkaido in line with northern USA (the lower 48). Nagano ski resorts sit about 36 to 37 degrees north, which is about the equivalent of Central California, yet the elevations of equivalent latitude USA ski resorts are much higher, whilst the Japan snow quality is often much better.

The Hokkaido ski resorts in particular are not at high elevations, yet the quality of the snow is often superb due to cold temperatures in the height of winter. Even ski areas near the coast such as Kiroro have high quality powder which is far far superior to Sierra Cement or Cascade Concrete. This is because of ocean currents. The Oya-shio or Kuril current and the Siberian high results in cold winds being drawn down across the Sea of Japan in a southeastward direction. The cold air masses from Siberia brings freezing temperatures, and moisture is picked up across the Sea of Japan, resulting in heavy snowfalls on the mountain ranges near the Sea of Japan.

Slope aspect in Hokkaido isn’t as critical as it is elsewhere in the world. In the middle of winter, it can be common not to see the sun for days and ski resorts such as Niseko often have amazing Japow despite having some solar aspects. As to be expected, aspect plays heavily on the quality of the snow in Japan during spring and also at lower elevation and more southerly ski areas. See the snow Japan statistics below for the primary aspect of the main ski resorts.

As with anywhere in the northern hemisphere, south facing slopes get baked when the sun comes out and don’t retain snow well. West facing slopes can also get affected by the afternoon sun when temps are a bit warmer, whilst slopes with an easterly aspect may fare OK in winter because the sun hits in the morning when temperatures tend to be the coldest. 

The Japan snow season isn't as long as many areas in North America or Europe. When spring hits in Japan (ie 1st March) it can hit with vengeance. See the when to ski in Japan page, but essentially if you're wanting to chase classic Japow, you'll want to head to Japan in winter. Or if you're wanting good snow in spring, you'll want high elevation and good aspects.

Best Snow in Japan

So where’s the best snow in Japan when taking into account quantity and quality? Lots of spots in Hokkaido have the best Japan snow and on our best skiing in Japan awards we’ve ranked Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Asahidake, Kurodake, and Piyashiri as having the best. There are various other ski areas in Japan we’ve rated as 5/5 for snow, and plenty of others that we’ve also marked highly (see our Japan ski resorts ratings for snow). Keep in mind that we can’t ski all areas in all possible conditions so you can also check out the readers awards for the ski resort with the best snow in Japan. 

It's worth noting that dry snow feels amazing to ski, it’s ego snow, and it certainly makes for impressive photos of over-the-head blower turns, but it requires big dumps to fully reset such that you can’t feel any tracks underneath. Sometimes slightly heavier powder is nice to ride and you don’t need as much snow for a powder reset.

Japan Snow Statistics

Hokkaido, the north island of Japan, is ideally located in the path of consistent weather systems that bring the cold air across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. Many of the Hokkaido ski resorts get dumped on with powder that is renowned for being incredibly dry.

Hokkaido Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Piyashiri	*	SSE	44.40	673	193
Kokusetsu Horotachi	*	SE	44.02	367	161
Pippu	*	WSW	43.93	550	250
Kurodake	*	NNE to NE	43.72	1,520	670
Kamui	8	NW	43.70	751	150
Asahidake	14	SW	43.65	1,600	1,100
Nukabira	*	N	43.36	850	570
Furano	9	E	43.32	1,074	252
Tenguyama	*	NNE	43.18	532	122
Sahoro	8.7	E to NE	43.17	1,030	420
Minamifurano	*	NE	43.16	600	380
Asari	*	NE	43.14	680	140
Sapporo Teine	10.6	N to NE	43.08	1,023	340
Sapporo Kokusai	18	ENE to SE	43.07	1,100	630
Kiroro	18	NW to W	43.07	1,180	570
Tomamu	8	SE to S	43.06	1,171	586
Mount Racey	8.1	NW	43.05	702	298
Iwanai	15	N	42.95	390	220
Hidaka Kokusai	*	NW	42.89	754	254
Niseko Hanazono	17	NE	42.89	1,040	308
Niseko Hirafu	17	E to SE	42.86	1,200	260
Niseko Village	18	SE to SSE	42.85	1,170	280
Niseko Annupuri	17	SW	42.85	1,156	400
Niseko Moiwa	12	SSW	42.85	800	330
Rusutsu	14	N to E	42.75	994	400
Hakodate Nanae	*	NW	41.98	943	245
Niyama Kogen	*	SE	41.93	630	110

* information not available

Aomori Prefecture is the most northern prefecture on the main island (Honshu). The Aomori ski resorts boast some big snowfalls due to being directly in the path of big weather systems.
 

Aomori Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Aomori Spring	*	N	40.693	921	376
Hakkoda	17	NW	40.680	1,324	658
Iwakisan Hyakuzawa	*	SE	40.629	784	356
Owani Onsen	*	N	40.507	533	100

Iwate is growing in popularity as a powder chasing destination, in part due to the dry snow that falls in respectable volumes, and the lack of crowds.

Iwate Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Okunakayama Kogen	*	E	40.083	1,018	650
Appi	8	NNE	40.001	1,304	620
Shimokura	*	NE	39.899	1,130	580
Panorama	*	N	39.894	1,000	540
Amihari Onsen	*	S	39.821	1,350	640
Iwate Kogen	*	S	39.814	1,213	630
Shizukuishi	6.6	E to SE	39.774	1,150	426
Geto Kogen	15	E	39.237	1,070	640

Akita faces the Sea of Japan and it’s exposed to big storms that drop the motherlode of snow on the Akita ski resorts.

Akita Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Ani	*	SW	39.956	1,200	537
Tazawako	*	WNW	39.762	1,186	578
Jeunesse Kurokoma	*	N to NW	39.158	770	395

Yamagata is potentially the snowiest prefecture in Japan, largely due to its position next to the Sea of Japan. When cold air from the northwest passes over the sea and then hits the mountains, it dumps massive amounts of snow, in a similar fashion to the other westerly prefectures of Niigata and Akita.

Yamagata Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Akakura Onsen	*	N	38.71	602	300
Gassan	30	SW	38.53	1,600	700
Jangle Jungle	*	NW	38.439	1,030	700
Asahi Shizenkan	*	SE	38.305	760	440
Zao Onsen	*	W, varied	38.170	1,661	780
Zao Sarukura	*	NW	38.128	885	705
Zao Liza World	*	W	38.124	1,446	1,060
Tengendai Kogen	*	N	37.775	1,820	920

The Miyagi ski resorts typically receive modest amounts of dry snow compared to that of Yamagata Prefecture to the west. Most of the moisture has petered out by the time a storm gets to Miyagi. See the Miyagi ski resorts page for elevation and aspect stats.

The Aizu ski resorts in Fukushima have reasonably good snow by international standards, but in can be somewhat variable.

Fukushima Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Grandeco	*	S	37.697	1,590	1,010
Minowa	*	W to NW	37.652	1,500	1,050
Nekoma	*	NE to N	37.627	1,338	1,027
Adatara Kogen	*	NE	37.622	1,160	950
Alts Bandai	*	S	37.587	1,280	700
Inawashiro	*	SE	37.576	1,255	700
Takatsue	*	SW	37.110	1,650	955

The Niigata Prefecture border semi-encircles the northern tip of the Nagano Prefecture and there are some ski resorts very close to the Sea of Japan that get dumped on with coastal snow, and others near Yuzawa (snow country) that get slightly less snow but of better quality.

Niigata Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Hakkaisan	10	SW	37.109	1,147	355
Cupid Valley	*	NW	37.054	960	430
Joetsu Kokusai	*	SE to E	37.034	1,017	200
Charmant Hiuchi	*	NNW	37.003	1,009	501
Arai	16	E	36.990	1,280	329
Maiko	*	NNW	36.982	920	260
Ishiuchi	*	NE	36.976	920	256
Gala Yuzawa	*	E	36.951	1,181	358
Iwappara	*	SSE	36.940	985	400
Yuzawa Kogen	*	N to NE	36.939	1,170	330
Kandatsu	11	N	36.911	1,000	460
Myoko Seki	16	E	36.907	1,210	900
Myoko Akakura Onsen	13	SE	36.897	1,200	650
Kagura	10	NE	36.890	1,845	620
Myoko Akakura Kanko	13	SE	36.887	1,599	839
Myoko Ikenotaira	13	SE	36.873	1,500	760
Myoko Suginohara	13	SE	36.855	1,855	731
Naeba	6	E	36.791	1,789	900

There are so many ski resorts in Nagano, and they are somewhat geographically dispersed so snow patterns vary significantly. Elevation stats for the Shiga areas can be found at the base of the Shiga Kogen terrain page.

Nagano Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Elevation (m)	Base Elevation  (m)
Togari	*	SE	36.93	1,050	400
Nozawa Onsen	10	N to W	36.924	1,650	565
Tangram	*	NNW	36.853	1,320	800
Madarao	13	NNE	36.852	1,350	910
Kurohime	*	E	36.826	1,200	770
Kijimadaira	*	N	36.818	1,271	475
Ryuoo	8.4	W to NW	36.788	1,930	850
Hakuba Cortina	13	SE	36.777	1,402	872
Hakuba Norikura	11	SE	36.765	1,598	850
Togakushi	7.6	N to W	36.754	1,750	1,200
Hakuba Tsugaike	13	SE	36.750	1,704	800
Iizuna	*	ESE	36.739	1,500	900
Shiga Kogen	10	varied	36.738	2,307	1,325
Hakuba Iwatake	11	SE	36.716	1,289	750
Hakuba Happo	11.7	ENE	36.702	1,831	760
Hakuba 47	12	NE	36.684	1,614	820
Yamaboku	*	SW	36.668	1,774	1,500
Hakuba Goryu	12	E	36.663	1,676	750
Hakuba Sanosaka	10	NE	36.629	1,200	740
Hakuba Kashimayari	9.5	SW	36.598	1,335	830
Sugadaira	*	varied	36.540	1,650	1,250
Karuizawa	*	N to NW	36.340	1,155	940
Mt Norikura	*	NE	36.112	2,000	1,490
Nomugi Toge	*	W to NW	36.048	2,130	1,400

Gun powder (Gunma powder) is generally pretty dry compared to Niigata and Nagano because it is located further from the coast, and as to be expected, this is associated with lower snow volumes. Many of the Gunma ski resorts sit in the snow shadows of big mountains around Yuzawa including Tanigawa-dake (where Tenjindaira is located), and much of the moisture is sucked out of the storms before they hit Gunma.

Gunma Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Oze Tokura	*	W to SW	36.851	1,420	1,080
Houdaigi	*	NW to N	36.837	1,400	830
Tenjindaira	16.5	NE	36.836	1,500	750
Oze Iwakura	*	SW to NE	36.816	1,703	1,006
Marunuma Kogen	*	WNW	36.816	2,000	1,390
Oguna Hotaka	*	SE	36.778	1,828	1,200
Kawaba	*	S to SW	36.769	1,870	1,290
Manza Onsen	7	S	36.636	1,994	1,646
Kusatsu Onsen	*	SE	36.629	1,600	1,245
Palcall Tsumagoi	*	E	36.555	2,100	1,370

The jury is out on the Gifu snow. Like anywhere, a Gifu ski resort can be great on its day, but it’s probably not the spot that has good consistent Japow.

Gifu Snow
Ski Area	Snow Per Season (m)	Primary Aspect	Latitude °N	Top Alt (m)	Base Alt (m)
Hirayu Onsen	*	E	36.184	1,860	1,310
Honoki Daira	*	N	36.176	1,550	1,200
Takasu	*	NE to SE	35.999	1,550	950
Dynaland	*	SE	35.989	1,431	984
Meiho	*	SE	35.942	1,602	902

Notes about definitions:

• Primary aspect is for the piste, which doesn’t necessarily represent the off-piste that drops off the sides of piste, or the sidecountry slopes
• Top elevation is lifted elevation, assuming that all lifts are operating which is never a given in Japan!
• Snow volumes – there’s no standard way of measuring this across the world and Japan is no different