Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. The snowfall below is a model figure and does not mean the slopes are skiable.
A weather-model figure, worked out the same way for every ski area, and lower than what actually falls. Use it to compare ski areas, not against the resort’s own totals. How we measure →
This season so far (1 Nov to 9 Nov): 12 cm. The average for these dates is under 10 cm, so we do not give a percentage yet. The average is over twelve winters on the same weather model. Across Japan →
Updated: 10 Nov 2026, 12:15
| Date | Weather | Snow (cm) | Low / high (°C) | Wind (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 10 Nov | Cloudy | 0 | −4 to 1 | 9 |
| Wed 11 Nov | Partly cloudy | 0 | −4 to 2 | 9 |
| Thu 12 Nov | Cloudy | 0 | 1 to 10 | 12 |
| Fri 13 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 4 to 12 | 15 |
| Sat 14 Nov | Fog | 0 | 5 to 12 | 10 |
| Sun 15 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 6 to 11 | 6 |
| Mon 16 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | −4 to 7 | 14 |
The five add up to the 100-point Powder Score: more fresh snow, more on the way and colder air all push it up. How we measure
Shimokura is the side of Hachimantai Resort meant for intermediate and advanced skiers. It has four tree-run areas, named Drop, Fun, Cruise and Edge, and at the Shimokura Powder Station you can book a backcountry tour with a local guide. A free shuttle bus connects it to the Panorama ski area. Sources: hachimantai.co.jp (sources read 13 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
Counted from the runs and lifts drawn on OpenStreetMap, within the boundary of the ski area. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
90% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. Those slopes get the least sun, so the snow lasts longer.
See past trail maps on Skimap.org ↗
Source: OpenSkiMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0). How finely ski areas are drawn varies by region, so treat the counts as indicative. Vertical is the difference between the highest and lowest points of the mapped runs and lifts.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Appi and Hachimantai webcams & snow report — all 11 ski areas →
More than we show here.
Modelled from weather data the same way at all 3,069 ski areas we cover. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
The tick marks the median across every Japanese ski area we measure. All four bars run the same way — longer is better.
The quality score leaves out how much snow falls (it uses temperature, frequency, rain and wind).
Within 50 km in a straight line. Ski areas in the same weather-model cell (about 30 km across) get the same figure.
| Ski area | Distance | Seasonal snowfall | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are | 3.2 km | 329 cmsame grid cell | 360 |
| Amihari Onsen Ski Resort | 7.7 km | 358 cm | 262 |
| Iwate Kogen Snow Park | 8.5 km | 332 cm | 345 |
| Appi Kogen | 8.9 km | 377 cm | 211 |
| Shizukuishi Ski Resort | 13.0 km | 358 cm | 262 |
Compare side by side with Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are and Amihari Onsen Ski Resort →
The most snow falls in January. March brings 69% of January’s snowfall. That is a gentler fall than the median for ski areas in Japan (52%). In amount, March brings 66 cm, more than the median of 46 cm.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 329 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 167 cm; the biggest was 2017/18 with 429 cm (2.6 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
3 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 44.4 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 松川松川荘の湯 | 3.3 km | 42℃ hot | 3.9 mildly acidic | sulphur |
| 赤川(松川) | 4.3 km | 31.6℃ lukewarm | 3.9 mildly acidic | simple |
| 澄川(松川) | 4.4 km | 44.4℃ hot | 5.8 mildly acidic | simple |
These are analyses of hot spring sources, not a list of baths you can visit. They date from 1910 to 2005, many from decades ago, so today’s temperature and chemistry may differ. Names are as recorded in Japanese. Temperature and pH bands follow Japan’s standard for analysing hot springs.
Source: processed from the hot spring analysis data in the Geothermal Information Database (GRES-DB), Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
Within 20 km in a straight line, nearest first. Some lie over a pass that is closed in winter.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant松川地熱発電所 | Landmark | 3.5 km |
| Mount Iwate岩手山 | Mountain | 6.9 km |
| 鏡沼 | Nature | 10 km |
| Hachimantai八幡平 | Mountain | 10.2 km |
| Koiwai Farm小岩井農場 | Nature | 17.4 km |
| Tamagawa Hot Spring玉川温泉 (秋田県) | Hot spring town | 19.6 km |
Chosen from the places most read about on Wikipedia, favouring those with an English article. Based on the Japanese Wikipedia lists of sights in each prefecture, as compiled in travel-log-data (CC BY-SA 4.0). English names from Wikidata (CC0). The content of this section is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Checked on the official site (13 Oct 2026) · Source. “Not checked” means we have not looked yet. Compare with other ski areas →
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese.
20 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within about 3 km of this ski area. The table shows the nearest 12 with a listed price.
| Property (links to Rakuten Travel) | Lowest listed (per person, tax incl.) | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| リブマックスリゾート八幡平フォレスト | ¥1,670 | 2.82／5 154 reviews | 2.0 km | 盛岡駅からバスで温泉郷西口、徒歩10分 |
| 八幡平温泉郷 八幡平ハイツ | ¥14,400 | 4.31／5 775 reviews | 2.1 km | 東北自動車道松尾八幡平ICから車で15分。JR盛岡駅より岩手県北バス乗車。ハイツ前下車。6名様より送迎可(要予約) |
| 全4室の小さな宿 Beaver | ¥14,080 | 4.80／5 90 reviews | 2.2 km | JR盛岡駅よりバス利用90分「温泉郷」下車徒歩7分 / 東北道 松尾八幡平ICより15分 |
| 八幡平マウンテンホテル | ¥5,500 | 4.37／5 736 reviews | 2.6 km | 東北自動車道 松尾ICより15分。盛岡駅より岩手県北バスで約80分。 |
| 八幡平ライジングサンホテル | ¥7,150 | 4.12／5 492 reviews | 2.6 km | JR盛岡駅から岩手県北バスで約80分「ライジングサンホテル前」下車/東北自動車道 松尾八幡平ICから車で約15分 |
| 温泉ゲストハウス やすもり(ONSEN YASUMORI) | ¥3,300 | 4.67／5 36 reviews | 2.7 km | 東北自動車道 松尾八幡平ICより15分/JR盛岡駅3番バス停より約90分『八幡平ライジングサンホテル前』下車 徒歩約2分 |
| Asu base Yuge | ¥8,880 | — | 2.7 km | JR花輪線大更駅よりお車で約20分、東北自動車道松尾八幡平ICより約15分 |
| 八幡平温泉郷 ペンション ムース | ¥9,900 | 3.83／5 91 reviews | 2.7 km | 東北自動車道松尾八幡平ICより車15分/JR盛岡駅より岩手県北バス八幡平マウンテンホテル行き |
| 八幡平温泉郷 ペンション日の出 | ¥4,930 | 3.33／5 20 reviews | 2.8 km | JR花輪線 大更駅より車で20分/盛岡駅下車、八幡平温泉郷行きバス90分/東北自動車道 松尾八幡平ICより右折10分 |
| 温泉&グルメ パレット | ¥9,460 | 4.89／5 12 reviews | 2.8 km | 盛岡駅よりバスにて約80分/東北自動車道松尾八幡平ICより13分(八幡平温泉郷) |
| 岩手山Motorlodge OLDWOOD ^ | ¥19,720 | — | 3.0 km | 松尾八幡平駅から車で約20分 |
| 東八幡平温泉 温泉民宿ぱどっく | ¥8,000 | 4.83／5 106 reviews | 3.1 km | JR盛岡駅→JR花輪線大更駅→県北バスで松尾鉱山資料館→徒歩20分/JR盛岡駅→県北バスで松尾鉱山資料→徒歩20分 |
Prices are the lowest Rakuten Travel lists; a property name, or “Pick dates and guests” above, shows prices and rooms for your dates.
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese. · Property data by Rakuten Travel (Supported by Rakuten Developers)
1 places within 12 km of the slopes, as mapped on OpenStreetMap, many of them small inns and pensions. Many are not on booking sites — open the name for the website or the map.
Nearest: 3.2 km
Accommodation data: OpenStreetMap
Other booking sites: Booking.com ↗ · Agoda ↗ · Rakuten Travelad ↗
“ad” marks links that pay us a commission if you book. Links without it are not affiliated.
Planning a trip · 28 Sep 2026
El Niño and Japan's Snow in 2026/27: The Last Five El Niño Winters Averaged 88%NOAA expects a strong or very strong El Niño this winter. We measured every Japanese ski area across the last 12 winters: El Niño winters ran 88% of normal, and the strongest of the twelve left Japan at 63%. But Hakuba held 92% of its average that winter while Niseko fell to 57%.
Planning a trip · 15 Sep 2026
When Do Ski Resorts Open in Japan? 2026/27 Dates and First SnowPlanning a trip · 7 Sep 2026
Where in Japan Do You Get the Most Powder Days?