Best places to ski in Japan for beginners

The best places to ski in Japan for beginners are Madarao Kogen, Hakuba Iwatake, Rusutsu Resort. Gentle terrain, good ski schools and forgiving snow. Our read from resort size, vertical and reputation — not a hard difficulty grade.

This ranking is our read from the data (Japan doesn't publish a single difficulty/family grade) — use it as a starting point, not gospel.

Tip: ★ shortlist your favourites, then compare up to 3 side by side — each scored by 🐻 Yuki Recommends.

1. 1. Madarao KogenNagano · Medium

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 9.3 m/yr🛏 from ¥4,500♨ 1 onsen

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2. 2. Hakuba IwatakeNagano · Medium

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 8.7 m/yr🛏 from ¥5,500♨ 1 onsen

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3. 3. Rusutsu ResortHokkaido · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 14.4 m/yr🛏 from ¥3,525

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4. 4. Nozawa OnsenNagano · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 11.6 m/yr🛏 from ¥5,050♨ 4 onsen

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5. 5. Shiga KogenNagano · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 10.3 m/yr🛏 from ¥4,000♨ 3 onsen

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6. 6. Hakuba GoryuNagano · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 8.7 m/yr🛏 from ¥3,465♨ 2 onsen

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7. 7. Hakuba 47Nagano · Medium

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 8.7 m/yr🛏 from ¥5,980♨ 1 onsen

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8. 8. Tsugaike KogenNagano · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 8.7 m/yr🛏 from ¥5,500♨ 1 onsen

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9. 9. NaebaNiigata · Large

   gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

   ❄ 9.9 m/yr🛏 from ¥4,000♨ 2 onsen

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10. 10. Niseko UnitedHokkaido · Large

    gentle terrain + ski-school base (our read)

    ❄ 14.5 m/yr🛏 from ¥2,020♨ 4 onsen

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