Northern Iwate, close to the bullet train · Updated 10 Nov 2026
Appi and Hachimantai Snow Cams & Snow Report
Ski areas are scattered around Hachimantai and Mount Iwate, on both the Iwate and the Akita sides. The Hachimantai Aspite Line, which crosses the mountains between the two prefectures, is closed from early November to mid-April, and in winter the way from one side to the other circles round the foot of the range. Reservation-only shuttle buses run to Appi Kogen from Morioka Station, and from Appi-Kogen Station on the JR Hanawa Line an area shuttle makes the rounds of the hotels and hot springs. Sources: hachimantai.or.jp, city.hachimantai.lg.jp, pref.akita.lg.jp, appi.co.jp (sources read 2026-10-13; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
The most snow in the last 24 hours fell at Akita Hachimantai Ski Area: 3 cm. 9 of the 11 ski areas have had snow in the last 48 hours.
Pictured: Akita Hachimantai Ski Area
Live cameras
6 of the 11 ski areas have official live cameras (6 in all). Each link opens the operator's own page or YouTube stream.
- Akita Hachimantai Ski Area
- Akita Hachimantai ↗akihachi.jp
- Appi Kogen
- Official live camera ↗appi.co.jp
- Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski area
- Official live camera ↗hachimantai.co.jp
- Okunakayamakogen Ski Area
- Official live camera ↗okunakayamakogen.jp
- Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are
- Official live camera ↗hachimantai.co.jp
- Shizukuishi Ski Resort
- Official live camera ↗princehotels.co.jp
No slope camera found yet: Amihari Onsen Ski Resort, Tazawako Ski Resort, Iwate Kogen Snow Park, Hanawa Ski Area, Tayama Ski Area (Hachimantai City)
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it. Road cameras are listed on each resort’s page.
Today's snow
| Ski area | 24 h | 48 h | Base | Next 3 days | Temp | Powder Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akita Hachimantai Ski Area | 3 cm | 5 cm | 12 cm | 0 cm | −5°C | 38 |
| Appi Kogen | 1 cm | 2 cm | 11 cm | 0 cm | −3°C | 24 |
| Amihari Onsen Ski Resort | 0 cm | 1 cm | 5 cm | 0 cm | −3°C | 23 |
| Tazawako Ski Resort | 0 cm | 1 cm | 1 cm | 0 cm | −2°C | 23 |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 7 cm | 0 cm | −2°C | 22 |
| Iwate Kogen Snow Park | 0 cm | 0 cm | 7 cm | 0 cm | −2°C | 22 |
| Okunakayamakogen Ski Area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | −3°C | 21 |
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are | 0 cm | 0 cm | 7 cm | 0 cm | −2°C | 15 |
| Shizukuishi Ski Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 5 cm | 0 cm | −2°C | 14 |
| Hanawa Ski Area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 1 cm | 0 cm | 0°C | 14 |
| Tayama Ski Area (Hachimantai City) | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0°C | 14 |
Snowfall and base are calculated from a weather model, not reported by the resorts. "Next 3 days" is Open-Meteo’s published forecast shown as-is; it is not a forecast made by JAPANSNOWLINE. Check the Japan Meteorological Agency and the resort before you travel.
The season at a glance
| Ski area | Typical winter | Worst–best of 12 | Snow quality (of 397) | Adult day ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akita Hachimantai Ski Area | 437 cm | 229–613 cm | 14 | ¥4,200 (last season) |
| Appi Kogen | 377 cm | 167–504 cm | 27 | ¥9,500 |
| Amihari Onsen Ski Resortsame grid cell | 358 cm | 169–501 cm | 31 | — |
| Shizukuishi Ski Resortsame grid cell | 358 cm | 169–501 cm | 50 | ¥6,500 |
| Iwate Kogen Snow Park | 332 cm | 169–429 cm | 42 | — |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski areasame grid cell | 329 cm | 167–429 cm | 51 | — |
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Aresame grid cell | 329 cm | 167–429 cm | 66 | — |
| Tazawako Ski Resort | 318 cm | 220–460 cm | 98 | — |
| Tayama Ski Area (Hachimantai City) | 265 cm | 131–366 cm | 209 | — |
| Hanawa Ski Area | 263 cm | 182–334 cm | 194 | — |
| Okunakayamakogen Ski Area | 185 cm | 127–245 cm | 210 | — |
Typical winter is the December–March average over the last 12 winters (calculated). “Worst–best” is the leanest and the deepest of those 12 winters, which is the range a trip booked a year out has to live with. Ticket prices are checked on each resort’s own site; “—” means we have not checked one yet.
Compare Akita Hachimantai Ski Area, Appi Kogen, Amihari Onsen Ski Resort →
When the snow falls
In Appi and Hachimantai, the most snow falls in January. March brings 65% of January's, or about 62 cm. The one that keeps snowing latest is Iwate Kogen Snow Park, where March still brings 70% of January's snowfall.
Monthly averages over the last 12 winters, averaged across the ski areas in this area. This is what falls in each month, not how deep the base is.
The mountains themselves
| Ski area | Base to top | Vertical | Spread of the runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akita Hachimantai Ski Area | 998–1,196 m | 198 m | 1.3 km |
| Appi Kogen | 628–1,269 m | 641 m | — |
| Amihari Onsen Ski Resort | 764–1,324 m | 560 m | 2.9 km |
| Tazawako Ski Resort | 577–1,173 m | 596 m | 2.3 km |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski area | 604–1,123 m | 519 m | 2.5 km |
| Iwate Kogen Snow Park | 646–1,207 m | 561 m | 2.3 km |
| Okunakayamakogen Ski Area | 646–1,003 m | 357 m | 1.9 km |
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are | 557–975 m | 418 m | 2.4 km |
| Shizukuishi Ski Resort | 423–1,133 m | 710 m | 4.8 km |
| Hanawa Ski Area | 256–744 m | 488 m | 1.6 km |
| Tayama Ski Area (Hachimantai City) | 319–558 m | 239 m | 1.2 km |
Elevations come from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and OpenStreetMap. “Spread” is the width of the area the runs cover, not the total length of piste.
Questions people ask
How much snow does Appi and Hachimantai get in a typical winter?
From December to March, the most falls at Akita Hachimantai Ski Area: about 437 cm. The least in the same area is at Okunakayamakogen Ski Area, about 185 cm. The figures come from weather-model grid cells about 30 km across, so neighbouring ski areas in different cells can differ widely. Calculated from the last 12 winters.
What happens in Appi and Hachimantai in a bad winter?
Over the last 12 winters, Akita Hachimantai Ski Area ranged from 229 cm in its leanest winter to 613 cm in its deepest, against a typical 437 cm, so a poor winter brought 52% of the usual amount.