Furano Hokkaido finds a great balance for a Japan ski or snowboard holiday. The Furano ski resort has very well developed amenities and services, but unlike some Japan ski resorts, Furano doesn’t feel too “resortified”. The nearby town of Furano is rather authentic, and both the town and resort provide adequate creature comforts including the ability to cater to English speaking guests, without losing the essence of Japan. 

The Furano Ski Resort is a fantastic all-rounder with ski and snowboard terrain for all ability levels, off-piste riding, and quality Central Hokkaido powder.

Furano Japan is a large ski resort by Japanese standards (so it’s not huge!), with 9 lifts and 24 courses (ie marked runs) and 974 metres of vertical, which has enabled the resort to be put on the world cup ski racing map. 

Furano is renowned for the many long groomed runs for beginners through to advanced riders, and whether you like to cruise or want to zoom down runs at Mach 2 until your eyes water, if you like groomers then Furano skiing is for you. And most of the Furano lifts are fast, so your legs will need to be super fit to last the day!

Furano also has on-piste runs that are left au naturel, with pitch at up to 34 degrees. For advanced and experts the main attraction is the very good off-piste terrain and amazing side-country (easily accessed backcountry) for those with avalanche gear and the know-how.

Furano used to have a reputation for the prohibition of off-piste and tree skiing, and a history of this being policed very strictly. Thankfully this is no longer the case, and off-piste skiing is now permitted in most parts of Furano so you no longer have to appear invisible.