When travellers think of a winter trip to Japan, images of icy mountain peaks and cosy ramen houses always come to mind. And if you are a ski or snowboard enthusiast, endless slopes covered in top quality snow will be high on your winter wish list.
With perfect powder snow and over 600 resorts to choose from, Japan is the ideal destination to enjoy incredible winter sports. Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, Japan offers winter adventures full of culture, outdoor activities, and superb cuisine. What’s more, Japan embraces the wintertime like few other countries, making the coldest months a great time to visit. From snow monkeys and pretty villages to perfect skiing, hot springs and warming winter festivals, read on to discover the reasons why you should choose Japan as your next winter getaway.
What To Do
Skiing & Snowboarding
Regardless of where you’re travelling within Japan, the winter brings ample powder to many mountain regions, and with it many ski and snowboard enthusiasts. Japan’s rugged mountainous landscape boasts numerous peaks and the country’s unique weather and geographical conditions result in snow with low moisture content earning it the “Ja-Pow” nickname (Japan Powder). Whether it’s in Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata or Tohoku, you’ll find slopes for all skill levels and resorts that provide the perfect base to recharge. Most Tokyo-based travellers head to nearby Nagano for the great skiing and convenient accessibility and Hakuba is one of the most popular areas among several other resorts in the area.
Winter festivals
The wonders of Japan’s winter season are not limited to ski resorts. Despite the cold air, many traditional festivals and events take place in the winter, transforming the dark winter nights into a fun and warm celebration. Arguably Japan’s most popular winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival welcomes upwards of two million people, showcasing hundreds of sculptures made of ice and snow. The festival is held in the first week of February with the elaborate pieces displayed in Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome.
Onsen hopping
With fresh, pure water bubbling out from the volcanic earth below, many towns and villages have sourced this soothing water for hundreds of years and have developed a rich culture around public bathing and relaxation. Some locations have outdoor baths and enjoying the hot water with snow all around is nothing short of magical.
Destination Guides
Hokkaido
Japan’s icy northernmost island is best loved for world class powder snow, delicious seafood, and natural hot springs. Much of Hokkaido is wild and unspoiled, with volcanic lakes and a fascinating indigenous culture. Just a short flight from Tokyo, Hokkaido is the perfect escape in all seasons.
Why we love it: What better place to feel on top of the world than hitting the high slopes of Niseko and Rusutsu in winter? Alternatively, you can scour markets for fresh sushi, sashimi, and other seafood delights or hike and explore the island’s many national parks in summer.
What’s new: The latest instalment of Hoshino’s KAI line of ryokans is a spectacular blend of local culture and modern comfort. Inspired by the art and architecture of the indigenous Ainu people, all 42 rooms of KAI Poroto have views of Lake Poroto. The onsen itself is filled with Shiraoi waters, a rare type of onsen water that contains organic minerals.
Where to go: Niseko United is located on the mountainside of Niseko Annupuri — a 1,308-metre-high mountain — and consists of four ski resorts: Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area, Niseko Hanazono Resort, Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu, and Niseko Village Ski Resort. While each resort is independent, they all connect near the mountaintop and are covered by the Niseko United All Mountain Pass. Rusutsu Resort houses a resort hotel and ski slopes within its grounds and is one of largest single ski resorts in the whole of Hokkaido. Thirty-seven courses extend over the west, east, and Isola Mountains, offering a wealth of snow activities that cater to all levels, from beginners to professionals.
Get off the beaten path: Starting from Sapporo Station, a short train and bus ride can place you at the site of the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in less than 40 minutes. Sapporo Teine Ski Resort is one of the most accessible resorts in the prefecture offering reasonable prices and trails and is suitable for beginners and more seasoned pros.
More information on Hokkaido: https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokkaido/
Tohoku
Japan’s north-eastern wilderness which encompasses six rural prefectures is bound by custom and heritage. The region’s picturesque Ginzan Onsen town is like stepping back in time to the early 20th century.
Why we love it: Tohoku is just over one hour on the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo depending on which part you’re visiting. The Tohoku region is a veritable winter wonderland, home to some of the most popular ski resorts in the world and its very own ‘snow monsters’. But if you’re after something a little more slow-paced and away from the adrenaline-filled slopes, there are plenty of winter experiences to keep you occupied.
What’s new: ANA InterContinental Appi Kogen Resort in Iwate Prefecture brings luxury travel to Tohoku. Guests can enjoy the best of sophisticated Japanese hospitality and breathtaking nature with Tohoku’s first luxury resort, set upon stunning snowscapes that are renowned by locals as ‘miracle silky snow’.
Where to go: If you’re into mountains and outdoor sports, Shirabu in Yamagata Prefecture has everything on offer. For skiers and trekkers, Shirabu is a constant draw, and is also famous for its hot springs. The area is dotted with traditional Japanese inns with thatched roofs and rustic cottages that bear witness to the area’s 700-year history. Zao Onsen, also in Yamagata, is an historic hot spring area and one of the largest hot spring and ski resorts in the Tohoku region. The snow monsters — or Juhyo — that Zao is famous for spread out near the top of the slope and you can reach them by taking two connecting cable cars from the foot of the mountain.
Get off the beaten path: Set in a beautiful valley in Fukushima Prefecture, Aizu-Wakamatsu has stunning onsen, well-preserved traditional townscapes, and is also famous for its lacquerware. During winter, the town becomes a winter lover’s dream. The white Tsuruga Castle is mesmerising against snow-covered surroundings. A visit to Ouchi-juku will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. The village holds a snow festival each year where you can enjoy the picturesque scenery covered in deep snow, sample local delicacies and enjoy traditional local performances as well as a fireworks display.
More information on Tohoku: https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/tohoku/
Nagano & Niigata
Come to Nagano and Niigata for world-class outdoor sports, and stay for townscapes from the samurai era, vibrant festivals and abundant hot springs. Host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, Nagano is an outdoor sports mecca particularly famous for skiing and snowboarding. Skiers and snowboarders descend on Nagano from around Japan and across the globe. After hitting the powder-rich slopes, get warm with onsen soaks and flasks of hot local sake.
Why we love it: Often called the “roof of Japan,” it boasts the highest mountain ranges in the country. Enclaves of rural culture continue much as they have for centuries, with the villages of Tsumago and Narai appearing as if they were plucked straight from a samurai film.
What’s new: The winter illumination at Matsumoto Castle is truly spectacular. The castle is famous for its unique black exterior, earning it the nickname ‘Crow Castle’. The colourful illuminations are especially spectacular, as the illuminated castle reflects off the surface of the moat surrounding the structure, creating an amazing mirror effect.https://matsumotoillumi.jp/
Where to go: Hakuba Valley is an international mountain resort made up of 10 ski resorts scattered at the base of the Ushiro Tateyama Mountain Range in northern Nagano Prefecture. Running from south to north, the ten snow resorts have distinctive ski areas offering all snow travellers an exciting winter experience.
Niigata Prefecture’s GALA Yuzawa Snow Resort is touted as the only snow resort in Japan with a shinkansen station, and one of the most accessible ski resorts from Tokyo. The region receives huge amounts of snow each season, and GALA Yuzawa enjoys excellent snow conditions. Being less than 80 minutes from Tokyo by Joetsu Shinkansen means that even a daytrip from Tokyo is possible.
Jigokudani Yaen Koen (Snow Monkey Park) in Yamanouchi, Nagano, is one of the habitats of a population of Japanese macaques, and visitors can view these elusive creatures up close. During winter months, you can see them soaking in the area’s hot springs to keep warm.
Get off the beaten path: Just over an hour by jetfoil from the nearest city on Niigata’s coast, Sado Island is a remote retreat best known as the home of Kodo, Japan’s world-renowned taiko drumming group. While you’re there, take a taiko drumming lesson at the Sado Island Taiko Center, home to giant drums made from zelkova logs and cowhide. Sado’s onsen is another attraction, as is the award-winning sake produced from the rice grown on the island.
More information on Nagano & Niigata: https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokuriku-shinetsu/nagano and https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokuriku-shinetsu/niigata
And if you think you’ve seen it all? Gunma Prefecture
A few hours northeast of Tokyo, the little-known hot spring resorts of Gunma offer the perfect location to get away from the crowds in winter. Literally in the centre of Japan, the land-locked prefecture of Gunma is surrounded by mountains, volcanoes and packed full of nature. The landscapes in this part of Japan are just stunning. They’re sights you don’t see very often, but they are beautiful, especially dusted with a fresh layer of snow.
Why we love it: Located in Joshin’etsukogen National Park, the historic 140-year-old Hoshi Onsen inn creates a world entirely different from city lifestyle. Here you can soak in 100% pure spring water that bubbles up from between the rocks set in the bottom of the baths.
Located on the expansive Minakami Kogen Ski Resort, this “Dog Sledding Trial Run” is the only place on Honshu where you experience real dog sledding without having to travel to Hokkaido.
What’s new: Container-style hotels are popping up across Japan. HOTEL R9 The Yard Ota is a new container hotel that features an innovative exterior and 37 comfortable guest rooms that are equipped with a full range of facilities that are ideal for winter travel.
Where to go: Kusatsu is a popular hot springs town home to 13 public baths. Considered one of the three best onsen areas in the country, the hot springs are amplified by the fun atmosphere of the resorts and spectacular scenic views. While you’re here, witness a ‘yumomi’ performance – a traditional way of cooling down hot spring water – before soaking in a mineral-rich onsen experience. The area’s ski resorts offer mellow slopes that are beginner friendly, where extensive snow grooming keeps the slopes smooth and easy.
Get off the beaten path: If you’re looking for a liberating open-air rotenburo bath, head to Manza Onsen that pours out in an alpine region 1,800 meters up in the mountains. Soak in its milky-white waters while you enjoy the surrounding natural landscape covered in the colours of autumn or the snowfall of winter and gaze up at the star-filled sky.
More information on Gunma: https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kanto/gunma/
