5 seriously underrated ski resorts in Japan’s Aizu region

Japan is by now well known among skiers as a world-class winter sports destination. But of its 500+ ski areas, only a handful of big-name resorts have been able to establish themselves on the international tourist map.

For skiers willing to venture beyond the typical tourist hot spots, this presents a great opportunity to explore some of Japan’s lesser-known ski destinations, many of which enjoy the same world-class conditions minus the crowds and inflated prices.

One such destination is Japan’s Aizu region, the furthest inland of three regions that make up Fukushima Prefecture.

Aizu is known among other things for its samurai culture and saké production, but as a ski destination it remains massively underrated. The region, which shares a border with Niigata, is blessed with heavy snowfall, tall peaks and pristine-quality powder, all less than 300 km from Tokyo.

Alts Bandai Snow Park & Resort

Many of Aizu’s best known ski resorts are found at Mount Bandai (1819 m), affectionately nicknamed “Aizu Fuji” due to its familiar shape.

With 22 trails totalling 25 km in length, Alts Bandai (700 – 1280 m) is the biggest of these and also the best equipped, boasting high-speed hooded lifts and modern facilities, including the ski-in-ski-out Bandaisan Onsen Hotel.

Image: alts.co.jp

Casual skiers will enjoy the resort’s many long, manicured groomers; however, the ski area is big enough that all levels and abilities are catered for. Keep in mind that four of the resort’s trails make up its CAT Tour Area, which, as its name suggests, can only be accessed via a resort-operated cat ride.

Alts Bandai is perhaps most famous for its state-of-the-art terrain parks, which for years have hosted some of Japan’s best freestyle skiers and snowboarders. The resort’s unique “Step Up Park” features a series of increasingly difficult courses, ranging from beginner (1 m mini-kickers) to professional (a 20 m world championship-level kicker).

Nekoma Snow Park & Resort

Nekoma, another of Aizu’s better known resorts, will be directly linked to Alts Bandai via a chairlift for the 23/24 season, a genuine game-changes for visitors to this part of Japan.

Both ski areas are owned and operated by Hoshino Resorts, and a joint lift ticket is only marginally more expensive than an individual pass. Nekoma is the smaller resort of the two, with 11 trails totalling 9 km in length, but its elevation (1338 m) and favourable northerly aspect are responsible for some of Aizu’s best powder.

Lifts start from 5:55am on weekends, allowing the keenest of skiers early access to fresh tracks. That said, Nekoma is significantly quieter than neighbouring Alts Bandai, and its north-facing slopes only see a few hours of sunlight per day. As a result, the snow generally holds up well.

Nekoma’s 11 marked trails span 9 km, much of which (40%) is “advanced” terrain, including several designated tree courses (Forest 1 & Forest 2). Like Alts Bandai, the resort also features a popular terrain park, which in years past has hosted international-level competitions.

Minowa

On the northwestern slopes of Aizu’s Mount Adatara, Blue Resort Minowa (otherwise known simply as “Minowa”) enjoys some of the best quality powder in the region thanks primarily to its elevation (1050 – 1500 m).

With just 3 charlifts and a “J-bar” servicing 12 marked trails, Minowa is small on paper but big in potential as its substantial sidecountry offers plenty of opportunities for untracked powder, particularly for those comfortable in the trees.

 

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The 2022-23 season saw the official launch of a new “D course” tree area, which drops in to the now defunct Yokomuki Onsen ski resort. There is also some excellent tree skiing off the “A” chairlift, but to seriously explore Minowa’s backcountry skiers should consider hiring a local guide.

Of course, there are more conservative options for those less experienced, with around 80% of Minowa’s terrain rated “beginner” or “intermediate”. Newbies can safely negotiate the entire mountain, 450 m of vertical, by linking several green runs together.

Grandeco Snow Resort

In the Urabandai area of Aizu, Grandeco has built a reputation as a family resort thanks to its hooded lifts and gentle slopes. Its 3.5 km “Rainbow 3500” course, which runs the length of the gondola, is a hit with beginners who at other resorts are often confined to the slowest of lifts and shortest of bunny slopes.

At 1590 m, Grandeco is the tallest of the Bandai resorts and, consequently, one of the snowiest. In peak season, it sees up to 6 days and 49 cm of snow per week, with an average depth of 3-4 m. This abundance of snow is capable of transforming Grandeco’s mellow pistes into an epic powder playground – one that can be enjoyed by skiers of all levels.

The resort’s 13 marked trails span 10.8 km in total, but, as with many of the resorts in this region, the in-bound terrain is just one part of the equation. Skiers looking to sample Grandeco’s backcountry can scale Mount Nishi-Daiten (1982 m) on foot, ideally with the help of a local guide.

The resort is a 40-minute shuttle ride from JR Inawashiro Station or a 61 km trip from Koriyama station on the Tōhoku Shinkansen line.

Aizu Kogen Takatsue Ski Resort

Several ski resorts can be also be found in the Minamiaizu area, towards the southwest corner of Fukushima. Despite their proximity to Tokyo (~230 km), these resorts are even further off the beaten path and, as a result, cater to a predominantly Japanese clientele.

Aizu Kogen Takatsue Ski Resort is the pick of the Minamiaizu resorts, boasting a top elevation of 1650 m and a respectable 695 m vertical drop. The resort’s 15 runs span 20 km, with a strong bias towards intermediate-level gradients.

On paper, beginners have just the one green “Family” run that tracks the #1 pair lift. Realistically, however, much of the “intermediate” terrain is mellow enough to appeal to newcomers, including Takatsue’s “Romance” course, which at 1.1 km makes it the resort’s longest on offer.

At the other end of the spectrum, the moguled “Top Hill” and “Mountain Course” trails, with max. gradients of 38° and 36°, provide some genuinely steep terrain to negotiate. The resort also features a “Domestic A-class” mogul field, a cross course, a snow park and a 12 x 4 m half pipe.

Skiers can end the day at the Shirakaba Spa, where the natural alkaline spring water is said to relieve a whole host of medical conditions including, of course, post-ski muscle soreness.

 

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