Japan’s Best Family Ski Resorts

Japan is one of the world’s best destinations to enjoy a snow holiday, with its mountainous terrain and numerous volcanoes you’re never too far from a ski slope – or a hot spring! We have found the best family-friendly ski resorts in Japan to help you decide on your next adventure. We enlisted a panel of experts – our ski gurus – to help you find your perfect winter wonderland in Japan.  

We love the mammoth dumps of dry, pillow-soft powder snow that fall on the Japanese Alps. Japan is a great choice for a ski holiday as it is relatively close to Australia, affordable and has the world’s best food, muscle-soothing natural onsen hot springs, après ski, karaoke tunes and the chance for your powder pups to see another culture.

Sometimes it can be tricky to figure out which ski resort is best for you and your junior crew. That’s why we have gathered a panel of experts to determine the best family ski resorts in Japan. We asked these ski gurus to nominate their favourites across six categories, We then tallied the votes and combined the scores to determine the overall winners each one a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that families will love.

Best family ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan

1. Rusutsu Resort

Rusutsu is Hokkaido’s largest all-season resort with three mountains accessible by 18 ski lifts. Ski or ride on three mountains- West Mountain, East Mountain and Mt Isola.

There’s incredible terrain for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and there’s plenty to do once the skis are off. Take the little ones to ride one of the world’s biggest indoor carousels, or give ice fishing, dog sledding, or snow rafting a whirl. Don’t miss the indoor wave pool and large hot springs bathhouse. At night head to Stardust Avenue for magical lights.

2. Niseko United

Niseko United is made up of four excellent resorts – Annupuri, Grand Hirafu, Hanazono and Niseko Village – perched on the sides of Mt Annupuri. The resorts are famous for deep powder snow. Perfect for families, there’s a kids’ ski and snowboard school in English, as well as childcare for children 12 months and over.

The terrain is famously varied with fantastic tree runs, pristine powder, night skiing and steep, long runs for experts, plus groomed slopes for beginners. Don’t miss fun activities such as tubing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and horse riding. At Hanazono you’ll discover hours of indoor fun at the Galaxy of Kidz activity centre.

Most families choose to stay in well-established Niseko village or up-and-coming Hanazono, home to the award-winning Park Hyatt Residences.

3. Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU

At Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU you can swim at the 30-degree Celcius headed indoor leisure centre, Mina-Mina Beach has an 80-metre heated indoor wave pool.

Ski in waist-deep powder on the 124-hectare mountain and have lessons with English-speaking instructors. Kids as young as three can take ski and snowboard lessons.

Off the slopes try ice skating, banana boating and hike to the Unkai Terrace for the majestic views over mountains and the sea of clouds.

Visit the Ice Village which is entirely of ice and snow. It is accessed by an ice slide, has an Ice Hotel, shops serving drinks in carved ice glasses, and an awesome outdoor ice rink to skate around before roasting a marshmallow over the outdoor fire while watching the nightly fireworks display.

Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU offers two ski-in, ski-out accommodation options: the four-star Tomamu the Tower with its iconic twin towers and the five-star, all-suite RISONARE Tomamu.

4. Kiroro Resort

Relatively undiscovered, Kiroro Resort, located on the slopes of Mt Asari and Mt Nagamine, is the place for lovers of powder.

In fact, the resort is spoiled with as much as 20 metres each season. With long runs up to four kilometres and backcountry gates, there’s something on offer for all levels. Plus private lessons can be booked with English-speaking instructors available for children and adults. Frost loving families will also appreciate its five-star accommodation, excellent kids’ ski school and activities off the slopes including inflatable rafting, banana boating and mini snowmobiles.

5. Sahoro Resort

Sunny days and quiet slopes await at Sahoro Resort. Ski all day or enjoy the vast range of things to do such as horse riding, snow cat tours or snow shoeing. Club Med Sahoro has you covered with its all-inclusive holiday packages.

Best family ski resort on Honshu, Japan

1. Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is the place for families who want to combine skiing and snowboarding with authentic Japanese traditions. A traditional onsen town, Nozawa Onsen is highly rated for its character and great snow.

With 50 kilometres of trails and an abundance of quality powder, Nozawa Onsen offers fantastic facilities for all levels of riders.

There are excellent English-speaking ski schools and activities from snowmobiling and snowshoeing to cross-country skiing. Off the slopes, stroll the cobbled streets of the village, famed for its natural hot springs and steamy public onsen baths.

With many international guests, you can access excellent Western and ryokan accommodation and enjoy countless soaks in the onsens. The Dosojin Fire Festival, held on January 15 each year, is another highlight.

2. Myoko Kogen

Located in Niigata prefecture just 2.5 hours from Tokyo, Myoko is not just one ski resort, but nine, including Madarao, Akakura Onsen and Lotte Arai, which is a more upscale resort. Lotte Arai has an international snow sports school with ski and snowboard lessons in English. The region received around 14 metres of snow a year, so conditions are sure to be amazing.

3. Hakuba Cortina, Hakuba Valley

Easily accessed from Tokyo via bullet train, Hakuba is a favourite of Australian families. It caters fantastically for English-speaking guests while providing an authentic cultural experience.

The Hakuba Valley incorporates 10 unique ski resorts and more than 100 lifts servicing more than 200 runs, ensuring something for all levels. Off the slopes, strap on some snowshoes for the trek to Togakushi Village and eat some of its famously delicious soba noodles. Then head to one of the many onsen bubbling away in the valley or visit Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan’s most beautiful historic castles.

Cortina is steep and deep, just the way Japan skiers and snowboarders like it. Known for its tree runs, another bonus is that Cortina is connected to Norikura ski resort, giving more bang for your yen. As for accommodation, the place to stay is the Green Plaza Hotel.

4. Shiga Kogen

Shiga Kogen is spread between five mountain peaks with the highest a lofty 2,307 metres. The resort boasts a network of 18 interconnected ski areas strung along Nagano’s Shiga Plateau. There’s a wide variety of ski and snowboard terrain including easy cruisers, knee-straining moguls and powdery bowls as well as gentle slopes for beginners.

It’s also the closest ski resort to the famous Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park, where icicle-clad macaques bathe the cold away in natural hot spring waters. You’re also near Zenkoji Temple and villages Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen for an authentic taste of traditional Japan.

5. Appi

With its world-class facilities and glitzy ski-in, ski-out accommodation, Appi is known as the Aspen of Japan. Three and a half hours from Narita Airport by Shinkansen bullet train and bus, Appi caters for English-speaking visitors with lots of English signage, menus and bilingual hosts.

Appi’s powder snow is exceptional with numerous long runs, snow activities such as backcountry and snowshoeing, and a separate park for families. Be sure to leave time for an après-ski soak at one of the resort’s two natural hot springs. Then you can always head back up the mountain for night skiing.

6. Zao Onsen Ski Resort

One of Japan’s oldest resorts, Zao Onsen offers a more traditional skiing and snowboarding experience. It is known for the famed juhyo or ‘snow monsters’ that form around its peak, its onsen resorts, epic powder and for having some of Japan’s most gnarly vertical drops.

Below Zao’s monstrous tree line, you’ll find terrain more suited to beginners and intermediate skiers and boarders, as well as a family snow park. For après ski, head into Zao village, a traditional Japanese onsen town, to soak your tired muscles in the therapeutic water.

7. Lotte Arai

The grand Lotte Arai Resort in Myoko is the destination resort for those seeking a luxury ski holiday. With around 15 metres of snow per season,

The Lotte Arai Ski Resort is long and skinny with a nice balance of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, and extensive avalanche-controlled off-piste terrain with open slopes, sub-alpine with light and tree skiing. The upscale resort offers an international snow sports school with ski and snowboard lessons in English for kids (and private lessons for kids and adults), childcare services and plenty of family fun on and off the slopes.

Expert picks

Best for beginners

Plenty of gentle runs, separate learning areas, great snow sports schools and crèches.

1 Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU
=2 Niseko United, Hokkaido
=2 Rusutsu, Hokkaido
=2 Sahoro (Club Med Sahoro Hokkaido), Hokkaido
3 Kiroro, Hokkaido

Best for advanced families

A variety of good-quality terrain for expert-level teens and their parents.

=1 Rusutsu
=1 Myoko
2 Cortina, Hakuba

Best freestyle resort

Terrain parks, halfpipes and more slopestyle fun.

1 Niseko United, Hokkaido
2 Hakuba 47, Hakuba
3 Rusutsu

Best for all-round family activities

Fun off the slopes, including dog sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing, etc.

1 Rusutsu, Hokkaido
2 Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU, Hokkaido
3 Nozawa

Best village

These villages have the best location and atmosphere, a magical vibe, lots to do, accessible and good shopping and dining.

1 Nozawa Onsen, Honshu
2 Hirafu, Niseko United, Hokkaido
3 Myoko Kogen, Honshu

Best snow hotel

1 Park Hyatt Niseko
=2 Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU
=2 The Vale, Hokkaido

Readers’ choice

1. Niseko United, Hokkaido
2. Rusutsu, Hokkaido
3. Hakuba, Honshu
4. Shiga Kogen, Honshu
5. Nozawa Onsen, Honshu

BEST SKI RESORTS IN:

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Keep reading:

• Japan’s Best Family Accommodation
• Japan family-friendly travel guide
• Australia’s best five-star snow accommodation
• The best ski hotels in the USA for families