Appi Kogen Ski Resort - Hachimantai

Largest ski resort in Iwate and the surrounding area. Plenty of runs for all levels and one of the best snow parks I've had the pleasure of riding. Only complaint (not worth a star) is the tree runs. There's a few good ones, but they aren't very easy to link and are usually focused on steering along a path rather than the freedom of exploration.

One of best ski resort. All level can enjoy their run and practice. It's very convenient even you aren't staying at the hotels there. T Rental gears are great.

I can't fairly review this as my time there was limited to only a few runs due to lack of snow in mid-Dec 2019 (things improved after I left!). It looks like it will be a great place to ski though once open, and the black runs aren't as tough as others I have tried (eg Niseko). Many learners on the Central Quad so thankful that the gondola up to the top was open and you can skip that quad. The food was a little on the expensive side though, and limited choice at the food court at the bottom (only 2 outlets, not sure if that is standard).

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!

APPI Love is the premium ski resort in Iwate with the most runs, most lifts and even most tree runs. It has one gondola that goes from the bottom to the top. A quad lift that also goes from the bottom to the top. On the day we were there, due to CORONAVIRUS, only half of the lifts were running. But on the plus side, we didn't have to wait long to ride up. There is a hotel, restaurants and a hot spring on location. The views are breathtaking.

This resort was huge! There were so many runs for all sorts of winter sports levels. We had a ton of fun here and felt that the price for ski passes was very reasonable compared to some places in the US. The shops were also really nice and carried a lot of unique Appi themed items to buy. Definitely recommend coming to this resort while you’re in Japan!

I truly enjoy the beginner slope here. The staff is very efficient and helpful. They also speak enough English to help out someone like me with minimal Japanese skills. Nice variety of food choices in the food court.