安比高原スキー場, Appi Kogen Ski Resort
Tohoku's long groomers and dry powder
Appi Kogen is one of northern Honshu's largest and best-known resorts, set on the Iwate highlands and famous for its exceptionally long, immaculately groomed cruising runs and dry Tohoku powder. It offers a polished, international-friendly experience away from the busiest crowds.
- 628 m Base
- 1,269 m Top lift
- 641 m Vertical
- 19 Pistes mapped
- 8 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
The self-contained resort offers hotels, onsen hot springs, restaurants and quiet evening relaxation rather than a big nightlife scene.
The resort
Appi Kogen, spread across the highlands of Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu, is one of Japan's larger and more established resorts, celebrated above all for the length and quality of its groomed pistes. Its long, wide, north-facing runs are famous for immaculate corduroy and a consistent, dry powder that holds well in the cold Tohoku climate, making it a paradise for cruising intermediates and carving enthusiasts. The mountain also has good tree skiing for powder days, and the whole operation is smoothly run and international-friendly, with a large self-contained base village of hotels and facilities. It draws families, groups and visitors who prefer reliable, uncrowded pistes to the intensity of the better-known Hokkaido and Nagano hubs. The season is long and snowy, and the resort's scale means it rarely feels busy. It is an easy, comfortable choice for a quality-piste Japanese ski trip.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
- —
Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Reliability is excellent through a long, cold Tohoku winter, with abundant dry natural snow on the north-facing slopes.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Slopes mostly face NE — 90% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Gentle lower slopes and a well-run ski school make it a strong beginner mountain.
Long, wide, superbly groomed runs are Appi's calling card and its intermediate heaven.
Steeper pitches and marked tree runs give advanced skiers plenty on a powder day.
Terrain is oriented to pistes and trees rather than extreme steeps, so dedicated experts have a more limited playground.
Appi's long groomed runs
Appi is renowned for some of the longest, most beautifully groomed cruising runs in Japan, cut down north-facing slopes that hold dry snow superbly. Skiing perfect early-morning corduroy here is the resort's signature pleasure.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in 安比高原スキー場, Appi Kogen Ski Resort
A large, self-contained base village of hotels and lodges, several with onsen, sits at the foot of the slopes for convenient ski-in, ski-out stays.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Most international visitors travel via Tokyo and take the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train to Morioka, then a resort shuttle bus; regional airports at Hanamaki and Aomori are nearer alternatives.
From Morioka a shuttle bus reaches the resort in around an hour, a smooth and popular approach.
Best time: January and February bring the deepest, driest powder and the most reliable cold, with strong conditions either side.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
富良野スキー場, Furano ski resort, ふらのスキー場
- Vertical
- 829 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 23
- Lifts
- 10
Getting to 安比高原スキー場, Appi Kogen Ski Resort
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Aomori (AOJ) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.