Appi Kogen Ski Resort

Located in Iwate Prefecture, Appi Kogen Ski Resort, is one of the country’s top ski destinations, often compared to resorts in Hokkaido due to its high-quality, dry powder snow. It features 21 runs with a good mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced slopes, as well as long runs up to 5.5 km. Pros: • Excellent Snow Quality – Light and dry powder similar to Hokkaido. • Long, Well-Groomed Runs – Great for cruising and ideal for intermediate skiers. • Fewer Crowds – Compared to popular resorts like Niseko or Hakuba. • Modern Facilities – Good accommodation options, onsen, and dining. Cons: • Limited Après-Ski Scene – Quiet nightlife, more family-friendly. • Weather Can Be Harsh – Occasionally strong winds and cold temperatures. • Less Off-Piste Terrain – Not the best for extreme backcountry riders. Overall Verdict: We had a great time and the resort is a fantastic choice for those who prioritise high-quality snow, well-maintained slopes, and a quieter, more relaxed ski experience. Best suited for those looking for a less commercial resort compared to Niseko.

One of my favorite places to ski/snowboard in Japan. Not crowded most of the times and many options on the slopes for different levels and skills. facilites are nice with plenty of options for food. Hotel, rentals , food, toilets and all in one place. Surroundings is very quiet but great to rest after 🏂 session. Might not be your place if you’re looking for nightlife.

Awesome resort! I rented my gear through appi and it was quick efficient and not too expensive. Pass is slightly more expensive than other ski spots nearby but this resort is awesome! There is a beginners area that’s a great place to learn and the gondola is really nice. Employees are nice. Food is good. They have decent gift shops and a spot to buy snowboards and skis and accessories.

Despite early suspension of gondola and chair lifts up the hill top due to 4-5m/s strong wind on our last day of skiing, APPI is one of the best ski resorts in Tohoku region for intermediate and advanced skiers; especially, on sunny day, ones can enjoy those miles long non-stop scenic runs from hill top to bottom. However, catering wasn’t ideal comparing to resorts like Zao Onsen.

The BIGGEST ski resort in north east region of Japan, how good is that? The only downside is that their lifts go pretty slow, with people falling when they get off you usually spend more time on the chairlifts than going downhill 😭some slopes are too flat in certain areas so you might stop in the middle.

APPI Kogen Ski Resort is great, but the slopes are a bit too challenging. I nearly gave myself a heart attack — felt like I was racing to the bottom of the mountain!

It’s April and powder keeps coming. Tree run has powder up to my waist. I had so much fun riding here. The hotel is dated, somewhat clean. i ask to change room because mine smells like old carpet. But they are very hard to talk to and not willing to do anything about it. Instead, they brought in room refresher. :( What a miss opportunity. It could be a Top notch resort with such amazing snow and good views from each room. If they can only update the furnish a little bit. I am more than happy to offer them free design services to exchange family ski vacation. I have 20 years of architecture/ interior design practice in New York. Transform this place is so easy and inexpensive because the bone is good. Bar is in wrong location, no wonder there is no one there. Another miss opportunity to create business and provide social place. Restaurants are decent. Although they listed many options, lots of food are coming from the same place. So variety is not so great. Outdoor onsen is really nice and beautiful. You will have view of mountain in front of you. Water is good with no smell. Ski runs are supper nice. I love the black diamond that stretch to red and green in one straight shot-3km. You can go so fast, so fun. Tree runs are good, but trees are not so big like other resort. However, powder is so good that beats anything. Free shuttle from airport is also amazing. I can’t believe they sent a 20 person shuttle bus just for me. So overall, it’s excellent and I definitely coming back.

This review will include the slopes and the restaurants. Appi ski resort is the only one I know. For that it is hard for me to compare it with other ski resorts. I like it here. From what I have gathered the resort is smaller compared to European ones. But everyone I heard really thinks the snow there is some of the best they have tried. I would recommend to come after New Years Eve for a couple of reasons. During that time the slopes get quite busy, and you will have to wait to get in the lifts. Also at that time there are still many slopes closed. We are now in the third week of January and all of them are open. Including the snow park. This one is fun, with jumps and boxes, it is located at the bottom. During weekdays (at the moment), there is almost nobody on the slopes. Which gives you a lot of space to practice safely. You will find groomed slopes and a couple of ungroomed and tree runs. If you stay there for a longtime you might grow bored of the slopes. There are quite some possibilities for off-piste. There is a patrol which will actually take your pass away if caught. So it is probably better if you are using a day pass. That being said, my friend last year did a lot of off piste for weeks and never was bothered. Food wise there are 5 restaurants. Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Korean. All of them are Japanese style though. It doesn’t taste authentic. Italian one have edible pizza, but very tiny. Indian one was nothing special and rather expensive. Not much to say about the others beside the Japanese one selling ramen. That is probably the cheapest option. Taste good and the staff is nice. If you head out of the restaurant to get into the central area, you will find more food. Last year it was possible to get kebab, rather good. This year you will find Indian food. Proper Indian food. For 750Y you get a curry and a naan. Very tasty. This is the food you will also find in their restaurant located in Appikogen. Around this area you will also find stores that sell various products, food, gear,... I will attach some photos, bad quality but should give a wide sample of what you will find. The view from up there is not the prettiest I have ever seen but still, on a clear day, it’s beautiful. Enjoy and stay safe!

This is a solid ski resort that's pretty well maintained and not too crowded. I visited on a holiday weekend and upgraded to the gold pass thinking it'll be helpful to bypass potentially long lines for the lifts/gondola. While the gold pass saved me a decent amount of time otherwise waiting for the gondola, I really didn't need it for any of the lifts because the lines were generally short. Compared to some other places I've visited in Japan, this spot seems pretty local and not overly touristed at all. If you're visiting and didn't pack gear with you, luckily the rental store onsite is pretty good. All the clothing and equipment were high quality and in great condition. The only downside is that you can't rent goggles or gloves, so those have to be bought at a store in the same building complex. There seemed to be ample parking spots at this ski resort, although I didn't personally use it because I arrived via the free shuttle that my ryokan provided.

Absolutely loved this place!! Our view was beautiful, staff was amazing, and slopes were perfect!! I have to give a shoutout to Sam and Alex!! Sam was my snowboarding instructor and he was fabulous to work with! I highly recommend him!! Alex was working in the bar/cafe area and she was absolutely the sweetest!! I sprained my ankle and she went above and beyond to help me!! She literally saved me!! She had extra crutches and she gave them to me, which was a life saver!! The only thing bad I would have to say about this is that there is not much food options. There was a fancy restaurant, the buffet, and the bar/cafe. We had to eat at the buffet for breakfast and dinner for ¥4500 per person. It was delicious, but I would've loved more options. The slopes were perfect! Powder was perfect!! Def coming back next season!!

Stayed at the Appi Grand Hotel for 3 days. Couldn't be more convenient...everything from rentals, tickets, hot spring bath, parking, and restaurants was perfect. Down the elevator and its a 1 minute walk to your first ski lift of the day.

Love this ski resort! I mostly snowboard in Southern California, which back country is sub par. But here Appi, it was a dream come true! Back country runs were full of fresh soft powder, nearly 3 feet deep. One of my back country runs was almost 3 miles long! Their freestyle park had plenty of 7-9 foot jumps and kickers, but lacked jibs. Possibly 2 boxes, and 3 rails. Wait time for the lifts were averaging less than a minute throughout the day. At the time I went, they reported an 18 ft base, which was incredible. I recommend taking the Gondola to the top at 38,000 ft altitude, which begins with a black diamond, then splits off to intermediate runs with the option of 4-5 back country runs. Halfway down the mountain, there's a nice restaurant called Red Horse. They have a great selection of rice dishes, and ramen bowls. If you like Chuhi, they unfortunately only have one flavor there. The only disappointment was their gift shop. I really wanted a resort hoodie or T-shirt, but the selection was lacking. And all the clothing in Japan run much smaller, so you would need to go up a size or two. Would I come here again? Absolutely.