Right, it's the 5th of May. Golden Week is wrapping up, the sakura has done its thing across most of Honshu, and the vast majority of Japan's ski resorts have called it a season. If you're still chasing turns right now, your options are slim but not zero. And if you're already dreaming about next winter, good, because now's exactly the right time to lock things in before prices move.
Hokkaido: Asahidake and Kurodake Are Keeping the Dream Alive
These two are the last resorts standing in Hokkaido every spring, and they don't disappoint the diehards. Asahidake, sitting up at around 1,600 metres on the flanks of Daisetsuzan, typically holds snow into late May or even June in a good year. There's no grooming, no marked runs as such, just wide open volcanic terrain and whatever snowpack has survived the spring sun. Kurodake in Sounkyo is similar, accessed by gondola and ropeway, and tends to have a bit more structure to the experience.
Neither is a typical resort day. You need to know what you're doing up there. But if you're a backcountry-curious skier who hasn't ticked either off the list yet, file them away for next April.
For the big guns like Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro and Furano, it's done. Closed. Season over. Niseko Grand Hirafu typically wraps in early May at the latest. If you missed it this season, the planning window for 2026/27 is open right now. Niseko accommodation books out early, especially anything decent in Hirafu village.
Tohoku: Gassan Is the One to Watch Into Spring
Gassan in Yamagata is a genuine spring skiing gem that most Aussies completely overlook. It sits high on the Dewa range and doesn't even open until April in most years because the snowpack is so deep it needs time to consolidate. By May it's usually in full swing, with a couple of lifts running and corn snow conditions in the afternoons.
Zao Onsen will have closed by now, but the famous juhyo (snow monsters) are long gone anyway. Zao is firmly a mid-season resort, best from January through March. If you're planning a Tohoku trip for next season, Zao pairs brilliantly with Hakkoda for a week of variety. Hakkoda is all backcountry and sidecountry, no marked runs, and the powder there in February is genuinely world class and criminally underrated.
Nagano: Hakuba Is Quiet, But That's When You Plan
Every lift in Hakuba is closed. The valley is green, the Shirouma range still has snow on the peaks, and the town is in that weird shoulder season mode where half the restaurants have reduced hours. Happo-One, Goryu, Cortina, all done.
But here's the thing about May in Hakuba. It's the perfect time to sort your accommodation and passes for next season without the panic. The Hakuba Valley Ticket, which covers 10 resorts on one pass, is worth looking at early. Prices historically nudge up closer to the season. Cortina is the powder magnet of the valley and books out fastest, so if that's on your list, don't wait.
Nozawa Onsen and Shiga Kogen are the same story. Closed, quiet, planning mode. Nozawa is one of my personal favourites in Nagano, the village is proper old Japan and the top of Yamanokami chair gets buried in January. Mark it down.
Niigata: Kagura Might Still Be Running
Kagura at Mitsumata is Niigata's last resort standing most seasons. It sits high enough on the Mikuni range that it can run lifts into May, and the Kagura area specifically (as opposed to the lower Mitsumata and Tashiro zones) holds snow well. Worth checking their website directly if you're still chasing a day or two.
Naeba, Gala Yuzawa, Joetsu Kokusai, all finished for the season. Gala Yuzawa is the one that gets all the Tokyo day-tripper attention because of the Shinkansen connection, but honestly for a proper trip, Myoko Kogen is a much better base. Akakura Onsen town has real character, the snowfall totals are serious, and Lotte Arai next door has some of the best tree skiing in Niigata.
Central Honshu and Kanto: Pack It Up
Dynaland, Takasu Snow Park, Ski Jam Katsuyama, all closed. Same for the Gunma and Tochigi resorts like Kawaba, Tambara and Hunter Mountain Shiobara. These mid-elevation resorts don't have the altitude to survive May. They're best from late December through March anyway.
One worth noting for next season planning: Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma is a seriously underrated combo of skiing and one of Japan's best onsen towns. The snow quality there in January and February is genuinely excellent and it gets far fewer foreign visitors than Hakuba or Niseko.
What You Should Actually Do This Week
Look, if you're an Aussie sitting in Melbourne right now staring at the grey autumn sky, here's the honest advice. Start comparing your options for the 2026/27 season now, not in October when everything decent is gone.
- Niseko accommodation: book early, prices only go one way
- Hakuba Valley Ticket: watch for early bird pricing
- Nozawa Onsen: smaller, cheaper, and the powder is just as good as anywhere in Nagano
- Hakkoda: if you're a confident off-piste skier, put this on the radar for February
- Gassan: if you want spring skiing next year, mid-April to mid-May is the window
The season is over for most of Japan. But the planning season? That starts right now.
