It's mid-April, the cherry blossoms are popping across the lowlands, and most of Japan is well and truly shutting the lifts down for the season. But if you're not ready to hang up the skis just yet — and let's be honest, none of us are — there are still legitimate reasons to be excited. Here's where things stand across the country this Saturday morning.
Tohoku
The big news this week comes out of Yamagata Prefecture, where Gassan has just spun its lifts for the very first time this season — yes, you read that right, this is their opening day. Gassan is one of those wonderfully weird places that doesn't even bother operating in winter because it's buried under too much snow. Instead, it runs from April right through to July, sitting high on the Gassan plateau where the snowpack can be four to six metres deep at opening. As of Friday 10 April, the lifts are officially turning and conditions up top are reported as excellent — think wide, consolidated spring snow with plenty of vertical. If you're anywhere near the Tohoku region or can get yourself to Yamagata, this is absolutely worth the effort. Pack some sunscreen because the UV up there will destroy you.
Further north in Aomori, Hakkoda is winding down but still had skiable terrain earlier this week. Worth a phone call before you drive up, but don't bank on it. Zao Onsen in Yamagata has called time on its main season operations — the juhyo (snow monsters) have well and truly melted out, but the memory of this season's tree coverage will stick with anyone who skied it in February.
Hokkaido
Hokkaido is largely a wrap for the season, but a few diehards are still getting turns in. Asahidake, sitting at the top of Daisetsuzan National Park, is the one to watch — at roughly 1,600 metres base elevation, it holds snow longer than almost anywhere else on the island. The ropeway was still running as of earlier this week, and with overnight temperatures still dipping below zero at altitude, the spring snow has been holding up reasonably well in the mornings before it softens off in the afternoon sun. If you time your runs for first thing, you're in for a treat.
Niseko United, Rusutsu, and Kiroro have all wrapped their official seasons. Furano skied beautifully right through to its close in late March and is already generating buzz about next season's snowfall potential. If you're planning a Hokkaido trip for 2026-27, now is a good time to keep an eye on early-bird lift pass deals — resorts like Niseko tend to release value passes in the April-to-June window.
Nagano
The Hakuba Valley is pretty much done and dusted. Happo-One wrapped its season a couple of weeks back, and most of the other Hakuba resorts — Goryu, Hakuba 47, Tsugaike — have followed suit. Cortina, which famously goes hard on powder preservation, had one of its best late-season runs in memory this year before closing. Hats off to the groomers over there.
Up at Shiga Kogen, a couple of areas were still operating into early April, but the interconnected network is largely offline now. The good news for next season planning: Shiga remains one of the best-value linked ski areas in all of Japan and is criminally underrated by the foreign visitor market. Add it to your list.
Nozawa Onsen has closed for the season but finished on a high note with a solid March snowfall that gave locals some unexpected late powder days. Jealous.
Niigata
Kagura / Mitsumata / Tashiro on the Niigata-Nagano border is probably the last major resort complex in this region still operating, with Kagura's upper mountain typically holding snow well into late April thanks to its elevation and north-facing aspects. Check their official site before you book the shinkansen, but this one is worth monitoring through the rest of the month. GALA Yuzawa, connected directly to the bullet train, has wound up its season — handy as it was, it just can't compete with higher-altitude options at this time of year.
Naeba and Myoko Kogen resorts including Akakura and Suginohara are done for the season. Myoko delivered brilliantly this winter though — those who scored the February powder windows in that region were seriously well rewarded.
Looking Ahead: What to Plan Now
Right, so if you're sitting in Melbourne or Sydney reading this and thinking about next northern hemisphere winter — now is genuinely a smart time to start planning. Early-bird season passes for Niseko and Hakuba resorts often come with meaningful savings when purchased in the April-to-July window. The yen has remained relatively favourable for Australians, and direct flights from the east coast to Sapporo (New Chitose) and Tokyo have been competitive this year. Get on it before everyone else wakes up.
In the meantime, follow Gassan's season — it's a genuine bucket-list experience and one that most Aussie skiers have never heard of. Skiing in Japan in June? Absolutely yes.