Hokkaido, Japan
Hoshino Tomamu
Hoshino Tomamu: 29 runs, 585m vertical, 14m annual snowfall. Central Hokkaido's premier resort with twin tower hotels.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
5 Dec 2025
Closes
29 Mar 2026
Days open
114
Annual snow
14m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Hoshino Tomamu operates 29 runs across 306 acres spanning two peaks in central Hokkaido, with a vertical drop of 585 metres between its 586-metre base and 1,171-metre summit. The resort receives an average 14 metres of annual snowfall and sits within the 200-kilometre Hokkaido Powder Belt, where inland conditions and temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees Celsius produce exceptionally dry powder. The ski area totals 21.5 kilometres of piste, including a 4,200-metre top-to-bottom descent, and participates in the Hokkaido Powder Belt Pass alongside Furano and Kamui Ski Links.
Terrain distribution favours progression, with 38 per cent beginner runs, 48 per cent intermediate and 14 per cent advanced. Tomamu Mountain and Tower Mountain form two distinct sectors connected by the Romance chairlift, with the former housing the gondola-accessed summit terrain and Powder Express quad, whilst Tower Mountain concentrates gentler slopes near the hotel towers. Registered experts access designated sidecountry zones including Powder Heaven at Tower Mountain's summit, plus snowcat operations on Mount Karifuri.
The resort anchors a 1,000-hectare development dominated by twin 40-storey hotel towers housing Tomamu the Tower and Risonare Tomamu properties, alongside Club Med Hokkaido Tomamu at mountain base. Hotaru Street provides ski-in dining and retail, whilst the Mina-Mina Beach indoor wave pool, Ice Village winter attraction and Terrace of Frost Tree at 1,088 metres elevation expand the non-skiing programme. Night skiing operates 16:00 to 18:00 on Tower Mountain from late December through March.
The 38,000-yen Hokkaido Powder Belt Pass grants five days' skiing within ten days at Tomamu, Furano and Kamui, valid throughout the December-to-March season. Adult day passes run 6,800 yen regular rate to 7,500 yen peak, with season passes priced at 85,000 yen. Tomamu suits families seeking resort infrastructure and intermediates chasing groomed cruisers, though limited steep terrain constrains experts compared to Niseko or Rusutsu.
585m
Vertical
29
Runs
306 acres
Skiable
14m
Annual snow
The Terrain
29 runs across 306 acres skiable
Hoshino Tomamu spreads 29 runs across 306 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 48%, with 11 beginner runs to find your feet and 4 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
29
runs
29 runs across 4 grades
Beginner11 runs · 38%
Intermediate14 runs · 48%
Advanced4 runs · 14%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Hoshino Tomamu
The 2025-2026 season spans 5 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, offering 116 days of operations. This four-month window aligns with Hokkaido's prolonged cold inland climate, where March temperatures remain sufficiently low to preserve snow quality into spring. Tomamu's season length exceeds coastal resorts that close earlier as temperatures rise.
Annual snowfall averages 14 metres at mid-mountain elevations, with the 2024-2025 season recording 749 centimetres total accumulation. The resort's inland position within Shimukappu Village shields it from maritime moisture, producing lighter, drier snow than coastal equivalents despite marginally lower precipitation totals. Temperatures between minus 20 and minus 30 degrees Celsius maintain powder structure throughout winter, with snowmaking supplementing natural coverage on key pistes.
January and February deliver peak powder conditions when Siberian cold fronts dominate, though the resort maintains quality snow into late March due to persistent cold. Early December offers quieter slopes as the season builds, whilst mid-season holiday periods around New Year bring maximum crowds. The Ice Village attraction operates January to February when temperatures support ice construction.
Night skiing runs two hours nightly from 26 December through 31 March on lit Tower Mountain terrain. The resort's 40 per cent probability of witnessing the Unkai sea-of-clouds phenomenon attracts summer gondola riders from May to October, extending Tomamu's calendar beyond winter operations. Spring conditions favour long groomed turns on Tomamu Mountain's extended fall-line runs.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
14 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Hoshino Tomamu, and where to stay
Hoshino Tomamu occupies Shimukappu Village in the Yufutsu District, central Hokkaido, at the southern slopes of Mount Tomamu within the Daisetsuzan mountain range buffer zone. The base village sits at 586 metres elevation in a forested inland valley approximately 200 kilometres north-south within the designated Hokkaido Powder Belt. Shimukappu, population 1,251, gained resort status in the 1980s when Alpha Resort Tomamu opened, later acquired by Hoshino Resorts.
Tomamu Station on the JR Sekisho Line provides direct rail links, with the resort located five minutes' drive north. Sapporo lies 90 minutes north by limited express train, whilst Obihiro sits 60 minutes east on the same line. Furano resort operates 90 minutes northwest via Routes 237, 38, 1117 and 136, making multi-resort tours practical for mobile skiers.
Road access follows the Doto Expressway from New Chitose Airport via Chitose-higashi interchange, reaching Tomamu interchange in 100 minutes covering approximately 110 kilometres. Sapporo drivers take the Douou and Doutou expressways from Sapporo-kita interchange, completing 120 minutes to Tomamu interchange. Route 136 connects the interchange to resort base, with 1,500 parking spaces available.
New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido's primary international gateway, lies 90 minutes south by car or train with one transfer at Minami-Chitose Station. Hokkaido Access Network operates direct resort shuttle buses requiring two hours, departing three times daily at 5,500 yen per person. Limited express services Super Tokachi and Super Ozora stop at Tomamu Station throughout the day, with all trains requiring reserved seating and free resort shuttles meeting arrivals.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Hoshino Tomamu, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
12 Aug 2026
Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On
Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.
8 Aug 2026
Silvretta Montafon Plans New 10-Person Gondola to Replace Ageing Hochjoch Lift
Silvretta Montafon wants to retire one of its most distinctive lifts. The plan: a single 10-person gondola running direct from Schruns to 1,870 metres, replacing both the two-stage Hochjoch cable car and the 1985 Kropfen chairlift in one move. Capacity jumps from 620 to 3,000 people an hour, and the mid-station transfer disappears entirely. The public hearing lands August 27, 2026 - construction hasn't been confirmed yet, though lift databases are pointing to 2027.
5 Aug 2026
Ski Pass on Your Smartphone: Dolomiti Superski's Plans for the Next Three Years
Dolomiti Superski's general assembly has unanimously re-elected Andy Varallo for a third consecutive term, running through 2029. Alongside the leadership renewal comes a bigger shift: a Smartpass that puts your ski pass on your smartphone, more AI in guest services, and an expanded Dolomiti Supersummer program. The 46-year-old Alta Badia cable car entrepreneur says the region's marketing is moving beyond skiing alone, toward positioning the Dolomites as a year-round destination.
4 Aug 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
29
runs
Beginner38%
Intermediate48%
Advanced14%
Expert0%
306 acres skiable124 hectares
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base586m
Summit1171m
Annual snowfall
14m
Season
2025-2026
5 Dec 2025 - 29 Mar 2026
Trail coverage
29 runs
306 acres (124 ha)
About Hoshino Tomamu's trail map
Explore Hoshino Tomamu's full trail map with 29 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Hoshino Tomamu intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.