Chokai Kogen Yashima is a tiny Japanese ski resort offering “a reminder of what skiing has always been about”

Settled on the lower slopes of Mt. Chokai, Chokai Kogen Yashima Ski Resort in Akita feels like stepping back into the carefree days of skiing in childhood. Not because it is dated, it isn’t. But because of its modesty. The terrain is straightforward, and the lodge is bare-bones. Nothing here asks for attention or tries to impress. You arrive, clip in, and go.

View overlooking Chokai Yashima from the top of the Family trail. Image: Eliot Cochrane

There is a rhythm to Yashima that settles in quickly. One chairlift. One main resort face. The high-speed quad runs smoothly and quickly, fast enough that everyone can enjoy lap after lap without thought. The endless laps become nearly automatic. Before long, you break out of that rhythm only to realise it is already lunchtime and you have barely stopped moving all morning.

Powder turns between the Champion and Family trails. Image: Eliot Cochrane

That sense of ease is what defines Chokai Kogen Yashima. What it lacks in vertical, it more than makes up for in simple joy. The steady hum of the lift and the sound of skis and boards sliding across snow never gets old. This is a place that prioritises time on snow above everything else. For anyone touring Akita’s smaller ski areas, Chokai Kogen Yashima offers a reminder of what skiing has always been about. Good snow, familiar turns, and the quiet satisfaction of keeping the good turns on repeat.

“…Chokai Kogen Yashima offers a reminder of what skiing has always been about”

Lifts and Terrain

Elevation: 700 m – 480 m
Vertical: 220 m
Lifts: 1 high-speed quad

With a single lift serving the entire hill, there is no chance of getting lost or ending up somewhere you did not intend. Six marked trails fan out from the top, all of them pretty wide and forgiving. There are not many choices, but that is part of the appeal. Less time spent studying trail maps means more time actually skiing.

Trail map for Chokai Yashima. Image: Yashima Ski & Snowboard

The high-speed quad changes the feel of the hill entirely compared to a conventional fixed chairlift. Even though the runs are short, the quick ride back to the top keeps the pace lively and prevents the terrain from feeling limited. It is easy to rack up a surprising number of runs in a short session.

Mogul corridor with powder on each side on the Freeride trail. Image: Eliot Cochrane

Beyond the groomed trails, Yashima adds just enough variety to keep things playful. Near the base is a compact snow park with kickers, a rail, and a box that attracts a steady mix of local riders. A mogul course sits near the lift midway down with two lines that progress from wide and mellow to narrow and deeper. On powder days, the wide trails leave space along the sides for soft snow turns, and Paradise Course often lives up to its name with pockets of untouched snow well into the day.

Note: Chokai Kogen Yashima is an official rental demo center for Moss Snowstick snowboards. A limited selection of models are available to test on snow. Availability may vary.

Where To Stay

Hotel Foresta Chokai

View of Mt. Chokai from Hotel Foresta Chokai rooms. Image: Hotel Foresta Chokai

Hotel Foresta Chokai is a convenient and comfortable base for skiing at Chokai Kogen Yashima. Set in a quiet beech forest below Mt. Chokai, the compact onsen hotel matches the calm pace of the ski area well. Rooms facing the mountain give guests a clear sense of place without feeling overdone.

Outdoor onsen with wind swept snow creating a wall of snow and ice. Image: Hotel Foresta Chokai

The hotel is built around a natural hot spring with both indoor and outdoor baths, which makes it ideal for soaking tired legs after a full day of laps. Dinner features Japanese and Western style dishes using local Akita ingredients, while breakfast and dinner are served in a Nordic style restaurant with forest views. It is not a destination in itself, but it fits neatly into a ski trip.

To Do: Inukko Festival (犬っこまつり)

The Inukko Festival (犬っこまつり) is a winter folk festival that celebrates dogs and is held in Yuzawa City near Yurihonjo City. Estimated to be around 400 years old, in the past, bold thieves would raid homes during the day. To protect the town, the local lord ordered people to place small dog and crane figures made from rice flour at their doors and windows. These offerings were meant to drive away thieves and keep homes safe.

Japanese mochi being thrown during the Inukko Festival. Image: Yuzawa City

Today, the festival is a celebration of dogs and community life. Snow shrines and dog shaped sculptures are built around the town and lit by candles at night. Many people bring their pet dogs to the Inukko Shrine to pray for health and safety. Visitors can enjoy dog prayer ceremonies, dances with dogs, snow dog runs, and dog cafés. Fireworks are launched on the first night of the festival and usually draw the largest crowds. Along with the candlelight and snow, the calm and poetic atmosphere makes the festival especially memorable and popular with the couples.

Ariel view of festival-goers to see the snow sculptures during the Inukko Festival. Image: Yuzawa City

Getting to Chokai Yashima

BY CAR

Drive via Route 108 and then Route 58 toward Mount Chokai. From Yurihonjo, the drive takes about 45 minutes. From Yuzawa, allow around one hour. Navigation is recommended, as English signage is limited. Google Maps should be used with caution in winter, as smaller roads that are usually shortcuts may be closed. Built in navigation systems often provide more reliable routing.

Final road sign to Chokai Yashima, buried in snow. Image: Eliot Cochrane

BY TRAIN / TAXI / BUS

Take the Yuri Kogen Railway to Yashima Station. From there, a taxi ride to the ski area takes about 20 minutes and typically costs over 3,000 yen. A free public bus operates on Saturdays during winter from mid February to mid March, with only two services per day.

Who Is Chokai Yashima For?

Chokai Yashima is tucked into the mountains and takes some planning to reach, but it understands its base perfectly. This is a ski area for people who simply want to ski. There is no stylish break room or curated nostalgia on the walls. Instead, the lodge is filled with posters for upcoming local events aimed at everyone from kids to seniors, many of them focused on enjoying winter rather than skiing alone.

Lower pitch of the Paradise trail on a powder day. Image: Eliot Cochrane

The expectation is to be constantly moving. While the groomers are wide and friendly, there are great beginner trails and easy access to powder when conditions allow. Yashima is a great place for relaxed cruising. There are no overly aggressive lines, but there are pockets of steeper snow for brief moments of float, main slopes that keep speed in check without thought, and enough side hits and tree lined sections to keep things playful for all age groups and styles.

Base station of the high-speed quad at the bottom of Chokai Yashima. Image: Eliot Cochrane

Getting there can be slightly inconvenient, especially when navigation apps struggle with winter road closures, but once you arrive everything becomes easy. Tickets are quick to buy and lift lines are nonexistent. You walk through the lodge to buy a ticket, clip in, and get on the lift. Even small details like brushes and scrapers at the exit to clean your board or skis before putting them in a car or bus feel thoughtful.

Here, nothing gets in the way of skiing. No crowds. No friction. No pressure. Just the quiet ease of turning laps until your legs decide you have had enough. It is skiing stripped down to its simplest form, where the mountain steps aside and lets you play.

“Here, nothing gets in the way of skiing. No crowds. No friction. No pressure.”

Sometimes the best ski days are not the biggest or the boldest, but the ones where everything moves smoothly enough that you forget about everything while on repeat.

Chokai Yashima from Route 58 (Chokai Green Line). Image: Eliot Cochrane

Ski Asia’s Tiny Resorts series is a tribute to the ~85% of ski resorts in Japan with fewer than five lifts – the heart and soul of the country’s ski industry. The series was inspired by the popularity of an article we published in 2023, titled “5 tiny Japanese ski resorts that you’re guaranteed to fall in love with“.