Hokkaido

Skiing in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, is incredibly rewarding for powderhounds. It is geographically ideally located in the path of consistent weather systems that bring the cold air across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. This results in many of the resorts being absolutely dumped with powder which is renowned for being incredibly dry. Some of the resorts receive an amazing average of 14-15 metres of snowfall annually! 

Niseko is the powder capital of the world and as such is the most popular international ski destination for Australians. It doesn’t seem to stop snowing in Niseko. Other famous resorts include Rusutsu and Furano, but there are also “secret” resorts off the beaten track.

Hokkaido is not densely populated and has more of a rural feel to it than Honshu. Generally everything is cheaper in Hokkaido than Honshu, and the more you get off the beaten track, the cheaper it is. The cuisine is also somewhat different to other regions of Japan, with much more emphasis on ramen and seafood specialities such as crab.

Travelling around Hokkaido is very easy and cheap. Many of the ski resorts are close together so you can easily sample multiple resorts during your ski holiday. The following are some of the ski resorts in Hokkaido, grouped according to location: 

West of Sapporo
  • Niseko (which incorporates Annupuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu and Hanazono) – 2.5 hours drive from New Chitose Airport and Sapporo
  • Moiwa – next to Niseko
  • Rusutsu – 2 hours bus from Sapporo 

Near Sapporo

  • Sapporo Teine – 45 minutes by bus from Sapporo
  • Kiroro – 2 hours bus from New Chitose Airport, 1.5 hours from Sapporo
  • Kokusai – 1 hour, 40 minutes by bus from New Chitose Airport, and 1.5 hours from Sapporo 

East of Sapporo

  • Furano – 2 hours drive from Sapporo
  • Tomamu – 1 hour by train from New Chitose Airport, and 1 hour, 20 minutes from Sapporo
  • Sahoro – 3.5 hours drive from Sapporo
  • Mount Racey – 1.5 hours by bus from Sapporo

Near Asahikawa

  • Tomamu - 2 hour drive from Asahikawa
  • Furano – 1 hour by train from Asahikawa
  • Kitataisetsu – 1.5 hour drive north of Asahikawa
  • Kamui Links – 15-20 minutes drive from Asahikawa
  • Asahidake – 1 hour drive east of Asahikawa
  • Kurodake

How to get there

Getting there from Australia
Sapporo is the most common gateway city via the New Chitose international airport, but Asahikawa is also a common entry point into Hokkaido.

Getting to Hokkaido isn’t as simple as it used to be. There used to be some direct flights from Australia into Sapporo, but these no longer exist. Commonly you’ll need to fly into Sapporo or Asahikawa on a domestic flight from Tokyo or Osaka. In Tokyo this is somewhat inconvenient as the domestic airport (Haneda) is an hour plus bus ride across town from the international airport (Narita). This process can take quite a few hours, and has the hassle of having to handle your luggage, re-check bags and await the connecting flight. For some flight schedules you’ll need to stay overnight in Tokyo.

Other options of getting to Sapporo are to fly via Hong Kong or Taiwan, which take about the same time as going via Tokyo and avoid having to re-handle bags.

Below are some quotes on options for getting to Hokkaido which only serve as a guide regarding approximate costs.
  • Option 1 – Melbourne to Sapporo (via Hong Kong) with Cathay Pacific – total flying and stop-over time is approximately 15.5hours = Cost $1815 (including taxes)
  • Option 2 – Melbourne to Narita (Tokyo international airport) via Singapore, then Haneda (Tokyo domestic airport) to Asahikawa - $1621 (including taxes) with Singapore airlines
  • Option 3 – Melbourne to Sapporo via Sydney and Tokyo with Qantas – total flying time is approximately 17.5 hours at a cost of $1723.
  • Option 4 – Sydney to Sapporo via Taipei with China Airlines for $1626.