Japan’s Under-the-Radar Ski Areas
Ski areas that get a lot of snow and almost no attention. We measured all 392 Japanese ski areas on both, separately, and 84 of them landed here.
- Under the radar
- 84
- Prefectures
- 12
- Snowy and well known
- 21
| # | Ski area | Prefecture | Snow | Attention | Snowfall | World rank | Lift ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muikamachi Hakkaisan | Niigata | 93 | 21 | 728cm | 5 | ¥6,000 (last season) |
| 2 | Nakazato Snow Wood Ski Area | Niigata | 91 | 25 | 712cm | 6 | — |
| 3 | Yuzawa Nakazato Ski Resort | Niigata | 91 | 25 | 712cm | 6 | ¥6,400 (last season) |
| 4 | Yuzawa Park Ski Resort | Niigata | 91 | 25 | 712cm | 6 | — |
| 5 | Iwappara | Niigata | 91 | 33 | 712cm | 6 | — |
| 6 | Itoigawa Seaside Valley Ski Resort | Niigata | 90 | 21 | 703cm | 11 | — |
| 7 | Ippon Sugi Ski Resort | Niigata | 89 | 25 | 695cm | 12 | — |
| 8 | Ishiuchi Hanaoka Ski Area | Niigata | 89 | 25 | 695cm | 12 | — |
| 9 | Joetsu International | Niigata | 89 | 25 | 695cm | 12 | — |
| 10 | Maiko Snow Resort | Niigata | 89 | 25 | 695cm | 12 | ¥7,000 (last season) |
| 11 | Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort | Niigata | 88 | 21 | 690cm | 18 | — |
| 12 | Seki Onsen Ski Area | Niigata | 88 | 21 | 689cm | 19 | — |
| 13 | Tateyama Sanroku Ski Area | Toyama | 87 | 21 | 682cm | 20 | — |
| 14 | Hakuba Cortina | Nagano | 81 | 21 | 635cm | 30 | ¥6,500 |
| 15 | Hakuba Norikura Onsen Ski Resort | Nagano | 81 | 21 | 635cm | 30 | ¥6,500 |
| 16 | Tainai Ski and Snowboard area | Niigata | 80 | 21 | 629cm | 34 | Official ↗ |
| 17 | Nakasato Kiyotsu | Niigata | 79 | 21 | 618cm | 36 | — |
| 18 | New Greenpia Tsunan | Niigata | 79 | 21 | 618cm | 36 | — |
| 19 | Kandatsu Kogen Ski Resort | Niigata | 79 | 25 | 618cm | 36 | Official ↗ |
| 20 | NASPA Ski Garden | Niigata | 79 | 25 | 618cm | 36 | ¥7,000 (last season) |
| 21 | Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort | Niigata | 79 | 25 | 618cm | 36 | Official ↗ |
| 22 | Mitsumata Area | Niigata | 75 | 25 | 589cm | 45 | — |
| 23 | X-JAM Takaifuji | Nagano | 73 | 21 | 568cm | 53 | Official ↗ |
| 24 | Ninox Snow Park | Niigata | 72 | 21 | 567cm | 54 | ¥5,200 |
| 25 | Cupid Valley Ski Area | Niigata | 71 | 21 | 553cm | 61 | — |
| 26 | Sakae Club Ski Area | Nagano | 71 | 21 | 553cm | 61 | — |
| 27 | Togakushi Ski Area | Nagano | 71 | 25 | 553cm | 61 | Official ↗ |
| 28 | Chateau Shiozawa Ski Area Yoshizato | Niigata | 70 | 16 | 546cm | 67 | — |
| 29 | Muica Snow Resort | Niigata | 70 | 21 | 546cm | 67 | Official ↗ |
| 30 | Kagura Area | Niigata | 69 | 21 | 542cm | 69 | ¥7,500 (last season) |
| 31 | Suhara Ski Area | Niigata | 69 | 21 | 538cm | 71 | Official ↗ |
| 32 | Yakushi Ski Area | Niigata | 68 | 21 | 532cm | 72 | — |
| 33 | SAM Hakusan Ichirino Ski Resort | Ishikawa | 67 | 21 | 526cm | 78 | Official ↗ |
| 34 | Hakusan Senjo Onsen Seymour Ski Area | Ishikawa | 65 | 21 | 507cm | 82 | Official ↗ |
| 35 | Tadami Ski Area | Fukushima | 62 | 0 | 482cm | 91 | — |
| 36 | Hagurosan Ski Area | Yamagata | 62 | 21 | 488cm | 86 | — |
| 37 | Yashima Ski Area | Akita | 60 | 21 | 467cm | 101 | — |
| 38 | Hakkai Sanroku Ski Area | Niigata | 58 | 21 | 451cm | 107 | Official ↗ |
| 39 | Kyukamura Myoko | Niigata | 57 | 16 | 445cm | 117 | — |
| 40 | Akakura Kanko Ski Resort | Niigata | 57 | 21 | 445cm | 117 | ¥7,000 |
| 41 | Akakura Onsen Ski Area | Niigata | 57 | 21 | 445cm | 117 | — |
| 42 | Jiigatake Snow Resort | Nagano | 57 | 21 | 449cm | 110 | — |
| 43 | Kashimayari Snow Resort | Nagano | 57 | 21 | 449cm | 110 | — |
| 44 | Tashiro Area | Niigata | 57 | 21 | 447cm | 113 | — |
| 45 | Yokone | Yamagata | 57 | 21 | 446cm | 114 | — |
| 46 | Oze Hinoemata Onsen Ski Resort | Fukushima | 56 | 16 | 439cm | 120 | — |
| 47 | Akita Hachimantai Ski Area | Akita | 56 | 16 | 437cm | 122 | — |
| 48 | Aizu Kogen Takahata | Fukushima | 56 | 21 | 439cm | 120 | Official ↗ |
| 49 | Koshi Kogen Ski Area | Niigata | 55 | 21 | 433cm | 127 | — |
| 50 | Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Ski Resort | Niigata | 55 | 21 | 432cm | 129 | — |
| 51 | Tangram Madarao Ski Circus | Nagano | 55 | 25 | 432cm | 129 | Official ↗ |
| 52 | Tambara Ski Park | Gunma | 54 | 16 | 423cm | 144 | — |
| 53 | Asahi Shizenkan Snow Park | Yamagata | 54 | 21 | 419cm | 149 | — |
| 54 | Awasuno Ski Area | Toyama | 54 | 21 | 425cm | 142 | — |
| 55 | Itsukamachi Ski Area | Niigata | 53 | 16 | 412cm | 158 | — |
| 56 | Hakuba Sanosaka Snow Resort | Nagano | 53 | 21 | 415cm | 153 | Official ↗ |
| 57 | Mashike Choei Shokanbetsudake Ski Area | Hokkaido | 53 | 21 | 416cm | 151 | — |
| 58 | Jeunesse Kurikoma Ski Area | Akita | 52 | 21 | 407cm | 165 | — |
| 59 | Ryuoo Ski Park | Nagano | 52 | 33 | 405cm | 167 | — |
| 60 | Fairy Land Kaneyama Ski Area | Fukushima | 51 | 0 | 402cm | 170 | — |
| 61 | Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ski Area | Hokkaido | 51 | 21 | 396cm | 178 | — |
| 62 | Aizukogen Nango Ski Area | Fukushima | 50 | 21 | 394cm | 184 | Official ↗ |
| 63 | Sannokura | Fukushima | 49 | 0 | 384cm | 201 | — |
| 64 | Hirayu Onsen Ski Area | Gifu | 49 | 33 | 384cm | 201 | — |
| 65 | Iwanai Resort | Hokkaido | 48 | 0 | 373cm | 219 | — |
| 66 | Grandeco Snow Resort | Fukushima | 48 | 21 | 379cm | 206 | — |
| 67 | Tengendai Kogen | Yamagata | 48 | 21 | 379cm | 206 | — |
| 68 | Tengamori Ski Area | Akita | 48 | 21 | 377cm | 211 | — |
| 69 | Mishima Choei | Fukushima | 47 | 0 | 371cm | 221 | — |
| 70 | Ani Ski Resort (Mt. Moriyoshi) | Akita | 47 | 16 | 370cm | 226 | — |
| 71 | Hakkoda Kokusai Ski Area | Aomori | 47 | 16 | 371cm | 221 | — |
| 72 | Koide Ski Area | Niigata | 47 | 21 | 370cm | 226 | — |
| 73 | Norn Minakami | Gunma | 47 | 21 | 368cm | 233 | — |
| 74 | Tanigawadake Tenjindaira Ski Area | Gunma | 47 | 21 | 368cm | 233 | — |
| 75 | White Valley Ski Area | Gunma | 47 | 21 | 368cm | 233 | — |
| 76 | IIZUNA HIGASHI KOGEN RESORT | Nagano | 46 | 21 | 357cm | 268 | — |
| 77 | Mikawa Onsen | Niigata | 46 | 21 | 363cm | 243 | Official ↗ |
| 78 | Shizukuishi Ski Resort | Iwate | 46 | 21 | 358cm | 262 | Official ↗ |
| 79 | Amihari Onsen Ski Resort | Iwate | 46 | 21 | 358cm | 262 | Official ↗ |
| 80 | Hida Takayama Municipal Ski Resort | Gifu | 45 | 0 | 354cm | 277 | — |
| 81 | Matsumori Ski Area | Akita | 45 | 0 | 351cm | 281 | — |
| 82 | Geto Kogen | Iwate | 45 | 21 | 355cm | 275 | Official ↗ |
| 83 | Kijimadaira Ski Resort | Nagano | 45 | 21 | 349cm | 285 | Official ↗ |
| 84 | Honokidaira Ski Area | Gifu | 45 | 25 | 354cm | 277 | — |
Snow and attention are both indices scaled to 100. Neither is a depth in centimetres. · Updated: 2026-10-08
Lift ticket prices are adult one-day tickets, checked on each ski area’s own site. “Last season” marks ski areas that have not yet published this season’s price. Where there is no price, the link goes to the official ticket page. Confirm with the ski area before you buy.
How these were chosen
Snowfall and attention are measured separately. A place counts as under the radar when it scores high on snow and low on attention. Rank by obscurity alone and you simply get the ski areas nobody goes to because there is no snow.
Attention combines how much its footage gets watched with how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about it. That measures how much has been written, not how good a place is. What has usually kept these off the list is beds and access, not snow.
Snowfall is the twelve-winter mean, measured the same way as all 3,069 ski areas on this site. The model understates mountain snowfall. It understates every one of them equally, so the ordering holds even where the centimetres are low.