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By Bec Milligan.
Thinking of heading to Japan and hitting the slopes? Great idea considering the island country is home to some of the lightest, driest powder in the world.
The ski season in Japan runs from late November to early May, and the 2026-27 season will kick off on November 28, when resorts Niseko United and Nozawa Onsen open.
Read on for everything you need to plan the perfect ski trip.
You can ski in Japan from late November to early May.
Niseko United, a group of four connected ski resorts that all sit on the one mountain in Hokkaido, is all set to open on November 28, 2026. Two of the four resorts – Grand Hirafu and Annupuri – will stay open until May 5, 2027. The other two will close in April.
Nozawa Onsen, a ski resort located in Nagano, will also open on November 28 (snow permitting).
Hakuba Valley resorts, also located in Nagano, usually open in early December (again, snow permitting).
If you’re wanting snow and lots of it, you’ll want to head to Japan between late December and late February, when the snow is typically deepest and driest. Just be mindful that this is peak season (especially as this period lines up nicely with New Zealand school holidays).
If you want to avoid crowds or score cheaper lift passes and accommodation, you can either go between late November and mid-December, when terrain is limited, or between late March and early May, when the snow starts to soften as temperatures slowly rise.
Tip: Softer snow can be easier for beginners.
It can be, but the total cost will depend on when and where you go.
When it comes to lift passes, Niseko United can be one of the costlier places to ski in Japan. A one-day Niseko pass is 13,500 yen during peak season, which is roughly NZ$150.
Hakuba Valley charges 11,100 yen for a day pass, roughly NZ$124, and a five-day pass is 53,400 yen, roughly NZ$595. Both of these passes grant access to all ten of the Hakuba resorts.
Nozawa Onsen is one of the cheaper options; a day pass during its regular season will cost 7,800 yen, roughly NZ$87.
As for accommodation, mid-range hotels and apartments in Niseko typically run from about 34,000 to 63,000 yen a night in January, roughly NZ$380 to NZ$700. Hakuba and Nozawa Onsen cost much less, and many family-run “pensions” (small, personal lodges or guesthouses) include breakfast or dinner in the price.
If you’re hiring gear, a standard ski or snowboard set costs about 9,500 yen a day in Niseko (NZ$106) and roughly 6,000 to 8,600 yen in Hakuba (NZ$67 to NZ$96).
Food is where you can save some money, as it’s pretty inexpensive when compared to other costs. For instance, a bowl of ramen costs 600 to 1,200 yen in most of Japan, which is only NZ$6 to NZ$13 – though Niseko charges a little more during peak season.
Essentially, a week away with five days of skiing will set you back about 200,000 yen per person (NZ$2230) in Hakuba and about 320,000 yen per person (NZ$3568) in Niseko.
Both of these totals don’t include flights (or ski lessons if you need them), so you’ll have to factor that in too.
If you want to cut costs, there are a few things you can do:
Most Kiwis ski at Niseko United or Hakuba Valley. Furano and Nozawa Onsen are also quite popular.
Myoko Kogen, located in Niigata Prefecture, is favoured by snowboarders as the powder is soft and the slopes are challenging.
Madarao Kogen, located in Nagano, and Rusutsu, located in Hokkaido, are great ski resorts for those who enjoy tree skiing. If you’re looking for something a little more extreme, Hokkaido Backcountry Club runs heli-skiing trips to the Shiribetsu-dake volcano.
Terms like “nicest” and “best” are incredibly subjective so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one ski resort. With that being said, Niseko United is very popular and for good reason.
Like we’ve previously mentioned, four resorts all sit on the one mountain: Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village and Annupuri. They share one lift pass and one shuttle bus, and together they cover about 2,191 acres.
The mountain, Mount Niseko Annupuri, gets around 40cm to 45cm of snow a week during peak season, and the snow cover itself is deep and dry. Niseko also runs night skiing from mid December to late March, and all-day lift tickets include it.
Not to mention, the Annupuri resort has natural hot springs at its base – perfect to soak and relax in after hitting the slopes.
The only con is that Niseko is one of the busiest and most expensive resorts in Japan.
So, if you want great powder but with a lower bill, Hakuba Valley is the better bet. Or if you’d rather stay in a traditional village with public hot spring baths nearby, Nozawa Onsen is the resort for you.
Before you head to Japan, make sure you get travel insurance with the Winter Sports Pack add-on! Get a quote now.
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