FURANO SKI RESORT
Overview
Located in Central Hokkaido, Furano has not been as well known as Niseko and Rusutsu in Western Hokkaido, but that is quickly changing. Boasting uncrowded slopes, short lift queues, dry snow, immaculate grooming, and endless tree skiing, Furano can be the perfect ski destination. And when it’s good, Furano is very good. With the introduction of an off-piste Gate system and an average 9m of snowfall, Furano is the newest dream destination for skiers and snowboarders in search of the famous Japow!
Furano has very well-developed amenities and services but, unlike some Japanese ski resorts, doesn’t feel too “resortified” and allows for a more authentic cultural experience. Furano is made up of Furano Resort and Furano Town, separated by the Sorachi River and manages to combine the best of Ski In / Ski Out Resort Hotels with an authentic Japanese Town of 26,000 people.
A large ski resort by Japanese standards (it may seem small compared to European or North American resorts), Furano is renowned for the many long groomed runs. Whether you like to cruise at a more relaxed pace or want to zoom down runs at Mach 2 until your eyes water, if you like groomers then Furano Resort will suit your fancy.
Furano resort has been the venue for world cup races with many of the world’s greatest skiers having tested its steep and fast ski runs. And most of the Furano lifts are fast, so your legs will be in need of a soak in the onsen after a long day on piste!
Furano also has on-piste runs that are left au naturel, with pitch at up to 34 degrees. However, the main attraction for advanced and expert skiers or riders is the very good off-piste terrain and amazing side-country (easily accessed backcountry). There’s side-country on both sides of the resort and in the area between the two zones.
Skiers’ right of the resort offers a variety of reasonably sustained lines which drop into a drainage. Skiers’ left has some sheltered gullies, but many of these drop away from the resort so you need to exit pretty early to return to the lifts.
The real gem of Furano’s sidecountry is between the two zones. The easiest access is from the top of the Link Chair, and you can drop any of the gullies below the lift station and return to the lifts – some funnel back to the Kitanomine Zone, while others come out near the Furano Zone gondola. Better yet, you can get to this terrain using either the Link Chair or the Furano gondola.
Furano acts as a great base for trips to Tomamu, Asahidake, Kamui, and the Tokachidake area. The Furano lift pass covers 2 zones (Furano and Kitanomine) in Furano, and also offers opportunities to experience neighbouring ski areas. A 5-7 day Furano lift pass can be used at Kamui Ski Links (1 hour from Furano), or Tomamu Ski Resort (1.5 hours from Furano) for 1 day. An 8+ day Furano lift pass can be used at these other resorts for a total of 2 days.
Facilities
Restaurants can be found at both zones on the mountain. There are two restaurants at each of the Furano Ropeway Bottom Station, and the Kitanomine Terminal.
Whilst there are ski hire & ski shops based at the resort, in town one will find a much wider range of ski equipment at various shops.
Accommodation
There are 2 ski-in ski-out Prince Hotels, the Furano Prince Hotel at the bottom of the Furano Zone and the New Furano Prince Hotel at the bottom of the Kitanomine Zone. They offer a wide choice of comfortable rooms, hearty dining and convenient on-site facilities.
Accommodation in the village consists of mostly western style hotels and pensions. Furano is somewhat unique for a Japanese ski resort in that it also has a small range of self-contained accommodation options such as apartments and houses. One can also choose to stay in Furano Town, where there are more options for accommodation but then a commute to the mountain each day is necessary. The main town is a five minute drive from the resort.
Dining & Night Life
The resort and the town of Furano combined have about 100 eateries. However, other than the New Prince hotel, there is not much else around on the Furano side. The Kitanomine side is more of a ski village with restaurants, a pub with nightlife(open from 6pm) and an après-ski cafe/bar near the base of the mountain.
The great thing about Furano is that it is a small city with a ski village and ski resort attached. There are plenty of great restaurants and places to hang out after dark in town. The Master’s beer house & bakery, known as Yama no Doxon is renowned and is a must visit while skiing in Furano.
Off-Mountain Activities
At the resort, there are many fun winter activities including snowmobiling, snow tubing, snow rafting, snow banana boat, snow shoeing, cross country skiing and sledding at the Family Snowland Village.
For a fun day away from the slopes, Furano offers the unique opportunity to experience ice fishing. You can also explore the winery and cheese factory.
Resort info
AVG SNOWFALL
ELEVATION
Summit: 1074m
Base: 235m
OPERATING DATES
Open Nov 23
Closes May 6
HOURS
8:30 - 16:30
16:30 - 19:30
Mountain Stats
LIFTS
1
1
7
2
PISTE
TOTAL TRAILS
LONGEST
STEEPEST
TRAIL DIFFICULTY
Lift Tickets
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