The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park operates across 794 metres of vertical drop between 820 and 1,614 metres elevation. The resort spans 32 hectares with 8 official runs and receives 11 metres of snowfall annually. The longest run stretches 6.4 kilometres from summit to base.
Terrain distribution favours intermediates with 40 per cent, followed by 30 per cent beginner, 25 per cent advanced and 5 per cent expert. The resort connects to Goryu at the summit via the gondola, creating a combined ski area with shared lift tickets. Hakuba 47's north-facing aspect extends the season into early May with substantial snow cover.
The terrain park ranks among Hakuba Valley's best, featuring 10 kickers up to 20 metres, a half-pipe, rails, boxes and beams. Tree skiing requires registration with the Double Black Diamond Club and wearing provided bibs to access three gated zones. Route 3, a double black mogul run, drops directly above the gondola building.
Epic Pass holders receive five consecutive days across all 10 Hakuba Valley resorts with no blackout dates. The compact layout and mid-mountain cafeteria suit park riders and intermediates more than beginners. Hakuba 47 sits 1.9 kilometres from Kamishiro village and 5 kilometres from Hakuba village centre with regular shuttle bus connections.
794m
Vertical
8
Runs
79 acres
Skiable
11m
Annual snow
Epic Pass
Pass
The Terrain
8 runs across 79 acres skiable
Hakuba 47 spreads 8 runs across 79 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 2 beginner runs to find your feet and 2 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
8
runs
8 runs across 4 grades
Beginner2 runs · 30%
Intermediate3 runs · 40%
Advanced2 runs · 25%
Expert0 runs · 5%
Time it right
When to visit Hakuba 47
The 2025-26 season runs from 5 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, though dates fluctuate based on snowfall. Hakuba 47 typically opens late November to early May alongside Goryu, amongst the earliest in the valley. The completely north-facing aspect preserves snow quality deep into spring with substantial coverage even in late April.
Annual snowfall averages 11 metres across the valley, with cold Siberian air masses crossing the Sea of Japan to dump dry powder. January and February deliver peak powder frequency with 20 to 30 centimetre dumps every few days. Base depth reliability stems from the north-facing terrain and mid-elevation base at 820 metres.
Early December sees limited terrain as the snowpack builds, with full mountain access typically achieved after New Year. Mid-January through February offers the most consistent powder skiing with cold temperatures preserving snow quality. March and April transition to spring corn snow conditions with softer surfaces by mid-morning.
Night skiing operates on Goryu's beginner slopes but not at Hakuba 47. The terrain park maintains features throughout the season with meticulous grooming. Golden Week in late April draws domestic crowds for late-season turns on upper mountain terrain.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
11 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Hakuba 47, and where to stay
Hakuba 47 occupies the southern end of Hakuba Valley in Nagano Prefecture at the base of the Northern Japanese Alps. The resort lies within Hakuba village, 1.9 kilometres from Kamishiro and 5 kilometres from Hakuba village centre at 820 metres elevation. The Northern Alps rise to 3,000 metres, dominating the skyline with year-round snow on the highest peaks.
Hakuba village sits in the Kitaazumi district of northwestern Nagano Prefecture, part of the Chubu region on Honshu Island. The valley encompasses the municipalities of Omachi, Hakuba and Otari, forming Japan's largest international mountain resort. The 1998 Winter Olympics brought global recognition, with Happo One hosting alpine skiing events.
Nagano Station serves as the primary gateway, 70 minutes away by Alpico bus for 2,900 yen. The Nagano Snow Shuttle operates direct services taking approximately one hour. Route 148 provides road access through the valley with free parking at two large base lots.
Tokyo Narita and Haneda airports sit 200 kilometres southeast, requiring 5 to 5.5 hours via airport shuttle or 3 to 4 hours by shinkansen to Nagano then bus. The Hokuriku Shinkansen covers Tokyo to Nagano in 90 minutes. One daily Azusa express train runs direct from Shinjuku to Hakuba Station in 3 hours 41 minutes, eliminating transfers for early arrivals.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Hakuba 47, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Hakuba 47 Ski Trails
Downloadable Hakuba 47 trail map
Terrain split
8
runs
Beginner30%
Intermediate40%
Advanced25%
Expert5%
79 acres skiable32 hectares
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base820m
Summit1614m
Annual snowfall
11m
Season
2025-2026
5 Dec 2025 - 29 Mar 2026
Trail coverage
8 runs
79 acres (32 ha)
Hakuba 47 ski trails
Hakuba 47 offers 8 runs across a mix of difficulties. The terrain split and trail map here show how the mountain breaks down so you can plan a day that suits your group.
- • Match runs to your ability - the terrain split shows how much of Hakuba 47 is beginner, intermediate and advanced.
- • Check grooming and open-run status against the live conditions before committing to the upper mountain.
- • Early season and after fresh snow, favour the lifts serving your preferred grade to make the most of the day.
More Hakuba 47 intelligence: trail map, lift system, resort overview.