Furano

Why Furano?

Furano is one of the most famous ski areas in Japan and is becoming a popular choice for ski/board enthusiasts. Recently the mountain hosted an international FIS-level snowboarding event as it has a reputation as one of the best groomed ski areas in Japan. Furano receives large quantities of snow (average of 8 metres) and also has more blue sunny days than any other resort in Hokkaido.

This is a mountain that is perfect for the family or the skier who likes a civilized trail to ride on with nice grooming, beautiful views and high speed lifts to get you straight back to the top without any fuss. You will experience perfectly groomed trails allowing you to let the skis and board run and practice those high-speed carving turns before the odd mogul run. With a breakdown of terrain as 40% Beginner (easy, groomed, snowplough runs) 40% Intermediate (groomed Blue/Red, parallel) and 20% Advanced (steeper Black, groomed, ungroomed, moguls) the mountain is a good balance for all.

It is divided into the Kitanomine Zone (right side of photo) and Furano Zone (left side of photo). The Furano Zone has a 101 person cable car/ropeway which is one of the fastest lifts in Hokkaido, and will get you from the bottom to the top in 4 mins. The Kitanomine area has a gondola that is equally as fast and comfortable. When you ride on either side of the mountain it is good to have areas that you can access without having to travel to the base every time. The terrain is serviced by lots of smaller lifts that allow you to ride your favourite area several times over within a short space of time! On powder days the mountain usually leaves a few runs ungroomed for spectacular skiing and boarding within the boundary of the resort.

The Tourist Association runs a volunteer ski host or Mountain Guide system where visitors to Furano can be welcomed by a local English speaking volunteer who will show them the ski area and answer any questions they may have. This service is free and is available each morning from the gondola (Kitanomine Zone) and cable car (Furano Zone).

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Mountain Statistics

An important note is that local regulations PROHIBIT off-piste tree and backcountry riding within or from the resort. These regulations are STRICTLY policed by the local ski patrol and will not be tolerated by the local community. In saying this however, there are opportunities with specialty operators to go into the exciting backcountry of the local area to experience some fantastic conditions.

So if you are looking to enjoy a well groomed, world-class mountain with a good balance of terrain and conditions, come to Furano!