Aizu
Urabandai & Inawashiro
The Resorts
Aizu itself isn’t a ski resort as such, it is the conglomeration of two minor regions in Aizu and Minami Aizu that house a combined 22 different ski resorts. These resorts provide skiers and snowboarders a overwhelming freedom of choice for your prefered conditions from long groomers to terrain parks. Another huge benefit outside of the conditions is that most of these ski resorts are located a stone’s throw from one another, giving you the opportunity to sample a wide range of ski resorts in the same holiday.
The combined Aizu ski resorts don’t attract huge international attention, in some ways this gives the resorts an authentic, insular Japanese experience as there isn’t a massive western influence. Enjoy mingling with locals and Japanese tourists to your heart's content, however don’t expect there to be much english spoken!
| Resort Name | Max Elevation | Base | Max Pitch (degrees) | Courses |
| Adatara Kogen | 1,350m | 950m | 33 | 8 |
| Aizu Kogen Daikura | 1,200m | 838m | 38 | 11 |
| Aizu Kogen Nango | 1,000m | 510m | 37 | 9 |
| Aizu Kogen Takahata | 1,240m | 720m | 34 | 10 |
| Aizu Kogen Takatsue | 1,650m | 943m | 36 | 15 |
| Fairy Land Kaneyama | 775m | 470m | 32 | 3 |
| Family Snow Park Bandai X2 | 780m | 580m | 26 | 6 |
| Grand Sunpia Inawashiro Resort | 1,200m | 760m | 33 | 9 |
| Grandeco Snow Resort | 1,590m | 1,010m | 33 | 8 |
| Grandee Hatoriko Ski Resort | 1,280m | 950m | 26 | 11 |
| Hoshino Resorts Alts Snow Park & Resort | 1,280m | 700m | 29 | 10 |
| Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Snow Park & Resort | 1,337m | 1,026m | 33 | 10 |
| Inawashiro | 1,255m | 675m | 34 | 18 |
| Listel Ski Fantasia | 871m | 598m | 37 | 6 |
| Minowa | 1,500m | 1,050m | 34 | 11 |
| Nihonmatsu Shiozawa | 925m | 709m | 35 | 4 |
| Numajiri | 1,220m | 850m | 30 | 13 |
| Oze Hinoemata Onsen | 1,050m | 900m | 35 | 2 |
| Sannokura | 780m | 570m | 22 | 3 |
| Ski Resort Tenei | 870m | 700m | 38 | 4 |
| Tadami | 550m | 400m | 28 | 2 |
| Urabandai | 1,200m | 900m | 35 | 3 |
Getting there
Whilst largely undiscovered by international guests, the Aizu region has been used as a go to ski destination for Japanese tourists for many years as it is easily accessible from Tokyo. Located in Fukushima Prefecture of the Tohoku region, the gateway for these resorts is the Koriyama train station. Once you are at Koriyama station it will depend on which resort you are traveling to as the Aizu ski resort sits on the southside of Mt. Bandai or the southwest side of Mt. Adatara However, the Koriyama train station is a slick 80 minutes away from Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train!
Minami Aizu is slightly different and a little bit off the beaten track. The ski resorts are located on the southwest rim of Lake Inawashiro and are significantly more spread out than its Aizu cousins. There are various different ways of getting to each of these resorts, but the underlying principle is that these resorts are all accessible within 2 hours of Tokyo.
The Snow
The combined ski resorts of Aizu and Minami Aizu are situated right in central Japan, whilst this is in an enviable location for wandering powder hounds to log some time on the slopes without huge travel times, its location is far from enviable for snow depth. During the season an easterly wind blows over the sea of Japan, picking up a large quantity of moisture as it makes its way toward Japan and once it makes landfall it sheds most of the moisture pick up over the journey. The blessing in this is that there is almost no moisture left in the low pressure system once it hits Mt. Bandai and Mt. Adatara, leaving only extremely dry powder. Its curse is the fact that without moisture it is significantly harder for snow to fall and that leads to a lower than average annual snowfall of roughly 5.8m. However, snow depth is not exactly the be all and end all of your ski experience, remember quantity can’t always substitute quality!
The Nightlife
The 22 ski resorts that constitute the Aizu ski region all offer slightly different things. Unlike many other ski resorts around Japan, many of these ski resorts are owned and operated out of a central property at the base of the mountain. These resorts provide guests with everything that they would need in order to enjoy a stay in Aizu, however they aren’t regarded as nightlife destinations. All of the resorts have facilities such as restaurants, onsen, entertainment, bars, cafes and many other amenities. There are also townships such as Aizu-wakamatsu and Inawashiro where you can experience some cultural delights, however western facilities are not at large throughout these areas.
Book / Enquire
We can tailor make your trip according to your requests
Hotel - Aizu
HOSHINO RESORT BANDAISAN ONSEN HOTEL
5 nights from $402* per person
Price includes 4 day lift pass + daily breakfast
A large lively winter ski resort located near Bandai Mountain and Lake Inawashiro. Free schedule ski shuttles provided between resorts.
SPECIAL: Free lift pass for person up to 24 years old
Hotel - Aizu
LISTEL INAWASHIRO WING TOWER
5 nights from $564* per person
Price includes 4 day lift pass + daily breakfast
A large lively winter ski resort located near Bandai Mountain and Lake Inawashiro. Free schedule ski shuttles provided between resorts.
SPECIAL: Free lift pass for person up to 24 years old
Hotel - Aizu
ACTIVE RESORT URABANDAI
5 nights from $564* per person
Price includes 4 day lift pass + daily breakfast
At the foot of Hoshino Nekoma ski resort, offering Japanese, Western-style rooms and indoor/outdoor hot-springs. Also only 15 minutes by shuttle to/from Grandeco & Nekoma ski resorts.
SPECIAL: Free lift pass for person up to 24 years old
Hotel - Aizu
URABANDAI GRANDECO TOKYU HOTEL
5 nights from $576* per person
Price includes 4 day lift pass + daily breakfast
A 10 minute walk from Grandeco Snow Resort, the hotel offers 2 restaurants and a variety of indoor and outdoor bath facilities. All rooms boast a balcony with mountain views.
SPECIAL: Free lift pass for person up to 24 years old
Hotel - Aizu
URABANDAI LAKE RESORT
5 nights from $576* per person
Price includes 4 day lift pass + daily breakfast
Located in the Aizu region, this lovely hotel has both Western & Japanese style rooms with public bath and open air bath onsite. Provides free shuttle services to ski resorts in the vicinity.
SPECIAL: Free lift pass for person up to 24 years old
