APPI Kogen Ski Resort Japan | POWDER SKI JAPAN

APPI KOGEN

Situated in Iwate Prefecture’s Hachimantai National Park, Appi Kogen has been an established resort since its development in the 1980s. Known for its long slopes and a vertical drop of 805m, much of the resort is north-facing, minimising direct sunlight and results in better snow for longer. The quality powder, allows for an extremely enjoyable experience, with the resort providing in-boundary powder areas, as well as backcountry and guided tree ski tours. With quality services, including an English Assistance Centre, the area is also extremely accessible, located only 3.5 hours away from Tokyo via bullet train and bus.
Appi Kogen has a total area of around 282 hectares and offers 21 runs, 12 of which are longer than 2 km. With the longest run measuring 5.5 km, Appi is one of the rare resorts based around providing long distance runs and often sees fewer international visitors, so there’s no worry of over-crowding. Regardless of whether you plan on riding the groomed or ungroomed slopes, both will give a satisfying thrill.

With a selection of smaller ski fields in close vicinity, travelling to other fields to shake up your holiday is easy and could also mean that you get more powder for your buck.
Shimokura Ski Field in particular has a lot of untouched powder and tree runs with backcountry tours and even powder lessons on offer, proving its powder abundance and is definitely worth the visit. The nearby town of Hachimantai will also keep your cultural and entertainment needs satisfied with a range of cultural activities for an enjoyable stay.

Getting There

Appi Kogen sits on Mt Maemori and Mt Nishimori in the famous Hachimantai National Park. Located in northern Honshu, it is approximately 580km north of Tokyo and 50 km away from Iwate Prefecture’s capital, Morioka.
It is possible to fly into Appi through Iwate Hanamaki airport; however it may be easier to travel by bullet train, especially if you are arriving from Tokyo. From Tokyo it takes about 2 hours by the Tohoku Express Bullet Train, to Morioka Station, where there is a free shuttle bus which runs to Appi Kogen. The bus ride will take about 1 hour.

Coach and Private Transfers

Alternative modes of transfer from Morioka Station or Hanamaki airport can be arranged.

Transfer Between Other Ski Resorts

Appi Kogen is surrounded by a number of other smaller ski resorts. Organised transport to and from other resorts are available at your convenience, so please contact us with your plans or queries.

Trail Map

Village Info

Activities/ Child Care

While Appi does not have a village as such and is surrounded by lodges and pensions, the resort and hotel provide great hospitality, services and facilities. If, however you are looking for a cultural experience or to explore the area, the town of Hachimantai just south of the resort can cater to your needs. They offer night tours, Onsen hot springs and a number of cultural activities to enjoy.

The Family Park at Appi is filled with activities, especially for kids; including sledding and tubing. There is also childcare available in the Appi plaza for the kids aged 1-10 years. Reservations are recommended.

Equipment Rental

At Appi Kogen there is a large snowboard and ski rental shop located at the Resort Centre as well as rental stations located in the Hotel Appi Grand and the Grand Villa 3. They also offers wide range of powder skis to hire and allow you to change between snowboard and skis as often you like.

Ski & Snowboard School

The snowboard & Ski school is headed by Eiichi Kodama. An experienced veteran, he is a technical member of the World Ski Instructor Federation and the Chairman of the Ski Instructor Association of Japan, and has spent most of his time in teaching in Austria.

Group and private English ski & snowboard lessons are available and it is highly recommended that reservation be made first. These include both children and adult lessons of all skill level.

Restaurants

With a large selection of restaurants and cuisine, both on and off the slopes, Appi will keep your appetite satisfied.

Banking and Money

There is no ATM at Appi resort that accepts international cards. The closest one is located at the post office in Morioka, near the train station.

English Assistance

The Appi Grand Hotel offers an English assistance service for international guests. There is an English Service Centre available, to assist customers with any queries relevant to their stay.

Video

Accommodation

Appi Hills Shirakaba-No-Mori

One of the great winter resorts in Japan-APPI
APPI is located in latitude 40° N where world’s famous ski resorts such as Austria’s Arlberg and USA’s Aspen are located. Our ski resort is on the Mt. Maemori (1305m/4281ft) and Mt. Nishimori (1328m/4357ft) in the Hachimantai National Park. Most slopes are facing north side that keeps snow conditions well because of lesser direct sun hitting on slopes during the day. Also, our well-known Aspirin snow (light and fine snow flakes) makes skiers and snowboarders enjoy riding from early December till early May. Starting with the longest run of “Yamabato” Run (5500m) for beginners, we proudly have the large scale of 21different terrains that are similar to Europe’s and America’s resorts for all levels of skiers and snowboarders.