Japanese powder at Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU

Snowflakes, frost trees and incredible powder snow greets Aleney de Winter and her son at Tomamu in Japan.

Enchanted by the flurry of snowflakes that greets us at Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU, my nine-year-old son launches himself straight into the pillowy powder snow. He emerges moments later covered in a layer of sparkling white frosting. “This place is amazing!” he squeals, a large grin splitting his face. We haven’t even made it through the door yet.

But he’s right. Offering a classic Japanese-style resort experience in an uncrowded but idyllic location on the Hokkaido Powder Belt, TOMAMU is a Hoshino Resorts ski-in, ski-out veritable paradise for families, with so much more in store than perfect Japan pow (though there’s no shortage of that).

Hoshino accommodation

Surrounded by snow-flecked forest, the towers of Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU are the heart of the resort.

One of the tallest alpine resort hotels in the world at 36 storeys, the four high-rise towers boast jaw-dropping alpine views and a choice of accommodation.

Hoshino Resorts Tomamu The Tower offers four-star Japanese and Western-style rooms to suit every size group, while the all-suite five-star RISONARE Tomamu offers spacious luxury living, with some rooms offering a large living room plus two bedrooms and two bathrooms, including one with a separate shower, private sauna and a huge bubble jet bath overlooking the snow.

1,239m tall Mt. Tomamu

The silky powder beckons, and as soon as we’ve dropped off our luggage, we race to the resort’s in-house ski shop to gear up and get amongst it.

Catering to skiers and boarders of all levels, there are over 145 hectares of epic skiing terrain, including dedicated family areas and sled parks for younger children, groomers for intermediates, and a few advanced mogul runs for those more experienced skiers.

After a delectable breakfast of Western and Japanese delights, we take a 13-minute gondola ride to the Terrace of Frost Tree, where stunning views and oodles of deliciously fluffy runs – including Exhibition run, the resort’s longest – await.

Here my son and I go our separate ways with our designated English-speaking instructors.  While I’m happy to toddle around the blue runs, my boy ditches the intermediate slopes to nail his first-ever black run and make some serious attempts at tree skiing.

Japanese cusine

We celebrate his success over bowls of ramen at hotalu Street, the Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU’s ski-in, ski-out shopping and eating precinct. The first of its kind in the country, hotalu Street offers a selection of excellent restaurants connected by a wooden deck promenade. Its easily accessible location in the centre of the mountain makes it ideal for a pit stop before heading straight back onto the slopes.

The options here are just a few of the more than 20 eateries at RISONARE Tomamu, with everything on offer fast food to fine with everything from and a selection of buffet-style diners that prove ideal for families with fussy eaters.

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Best things to do off the slopes

Off the slopes, there’s loads for families. We pay a leisurely visit to steamy Mina-Mina Beach – the 80-metre heated indoor wave pool is one of the largest in Japan. With an inside temp of 30 degrees Celsius plus, it’s like we’ve stepped out of the snow and into the tropics, and my energetic son is soon riding the waves on a stand-up paddleboard, despite the subzero temperatures outside. There’s also an outdoor open-air onsen for soaking tired muscles and refreshing the body after a busy day on the slopes.

Read: 20 incredible hotel pools and water parks

Another highlight is the Ice Village, an icy illuminated wonderland built entirely from snow and ice, which we reach via a giggle-inducing ice slide. There is more sliding on the outdoor ice rink, and we explore the shops selling ice-themed treats and drinks served in carved ice glasses.

For those seeking an even more unique stay, the Ice Village also has an Ice Hotel complete with an outdoor Arctic Bath overlooking the pretty white birch forest.

Another snowy surprise is the fun Family Snow Picnic. Towed in a raft by a charging snowmobile, we speed our way to a pristine snowfield where we don snowshoes and shimmy our way to a tiny wooden hut. Here, we nosh on s’mores and mugs of sweet tea before a serious session of sledding and more uncontrollable laughs.

Getting there: It’s a 90-minute flight from Tokyo to Sapporo’s Chitose Airport, followed by a 90-minute direct shuttle to the resort.

This article originally appeared in Ski & Snowboard with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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Japan family accommodation