No snow yet. Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. Snow depth and the seven-day outlook appear once snow is on the ground or forecast.
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 →
You can walk to the slope from Tayama Station on the JR Hanawa Line. It has the only normal-hill ski jump in Iwate, along with cross-country and biathlon courses, and hosts Nordic competitions. In summer the jump is used for a junior summer jumping meet. Sources: city.hachimantai.lg.jp (sources read 13 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanawa Ski Area | 12.0 km | 263 cm | 657 |
| Appi Kogen | 17.0 km | 377 cm | 211 |
| Okunakayamakogen Ski Area | 20.0 km | 185 cm | 1281 |
| Akita Hachimantai Ski Area | 21.0 km | 437 cm | 122 |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski area | 26.0 km | 329 cm | 360 |
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.
100% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. Those slopes get the least sun, so the snow lasts longer.
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.
The most snow falls in January. March brings 56% of January’s snowfall.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 265 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 131 cm; the biggest was 2017/18 with 366 cm (2.8 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
Appi and Hachimantai webcams & snow report — all 11 ski areas →
More than we show here.
1 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 32 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 田山米代 | 0.7 km | 32℃ lukewarm | 8.8 alkaline |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Yuze Onsen湯瀬温泉 | Hot spring town | 9.7 km |
| Fudō Falls不動の滝 (八幡平市) | Nature | 12 km |
| Hachimantai Onsenkyō八幡平温泉郷 | Hot spring town | 17.9 km |
| 安比温泉 | Hot spring town | 18 km |
| Historic Sites Osarizawa Mine史跡 尾去沢鉱山 | Mountain | 18.3 km |
| Ōyu Stone Circles大湯環状列石 | Historic site | 19.9 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 →
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: 9.9 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
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