Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo Teine
683m vertical, 15 runs, 36-degree North Face. Former 1972 Olympic venue 40 minutes from Sapporo.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
16 Nov 2025
Closes
6 May 2026
Days open
171
Annual snow
10m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Sapporo Teine operates across 683 vertical metres from a 340-metre base to a 1,023-metre summit on Mount Teine in western Sapporo, offering 15 runs across 76 hectares served by 10 lifts. The resort hosted alpine skiing, bobsleigh and luge events during the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Games held in Asia. Terrain splits 35 per cent beginner, 40 per cent intermediate and 25 per cent advanced, with north-facing slopes preserving Hokkaido's dry powder through extended periods.
The resort divides into two zones connected by the Eight Gondola and a 6-kilometre linking run. Highland Zone at altitude features the FIS-approved Olympic downhill course, the steep Kitakabe North Face with pitches to 36 degrees, permitted tree skiing zones and a terrain park. Olympia Zone occupies gentler mid-mountain terrain with wide groomers including Shirakaba Sunshine, family facilities and a snow escalator for novices. The longest continuous run from summit to base measures 5.4 kilometres.
Daytime operations run 0900 to 1600 hours, with night skiing in Olympia Zone from 1600 to 2000 hours on most days. The mountain draws local families and day-trippers from Sapporo alongside international visitors, with weekdays noticeably quieter than weekends when ski schools dominate lower slopes. On-mountain facilities include Highland Ski Center and Olympia Ski Center with rentals, restaurants and ticket sales, plus mid-mountain cafeterias. Views from the summit extend across Sapporo city to Ishikari Bay.
Sapporo Teine operates independently without major pass affiliations, though the K-Winter Pass at 89,000 yen covers multiple Hokkaido resorts. The 2025-26 season runs 16 November to 6 May, with weekend-only operation after early April. Standard day tickets cost 8,200 yen for adults, with online discounts reducing rates to 7,900 yen. The resort suits intermediate skiers seeking accessible Hokkaido powder, advanced riders chasing steep tree skiing near a major city, and families requiring separated beginner terrain with urban amenities.
683m
Vertical
15
Runs
188 acres
Skiable
10m
Annual snow
The Terrain
15 runs across 188 acres skiable
Sapporo Teine spreads 15 runs across 188 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 5 beginner runs to find your feet and 4 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
15
runs
15 runs across 4 grades
Beginner5 runs · 35%
Intermediate6 runs · 40%
Advanced4 runs · 25%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Sapporo Teine
The 2025-26 season opens 16 November and runs through 6 May, though Highland Zone typically accesses snow several days before Olympia Zone opens. After 6 April, operations continue weekends and national holidays only, with Highland remaining open into early May when conditions allow. Standard daily hours span 0900 to 1600, extending to 2000 for night skiing.
Mount Teine receives approximately 10 metres of annual snowfall, with the summit's 1,023-metre elevation and north-facing orientation maintaining cold temperatures and dry snow quality characteristic of Hokkaido. Base depths routinely exceed 300 centimetres mid-season. The provided data shows 772 centimetres season-to-date accumulation with 300-centimetre current base. Limited snowmaking supplements natural snowfall on lower runs, though the resort depends primarily on natural precipitation.
January through mid-February delivers peak powder conditions with consistent cold temperatures and frequent storms, whilst December sees the snowpack building with late-month storms averaging 50 centimetres weekly. March maintains good coverage with warming temperatures and longer daylight, though afternoon corn snow replaces morning powder. April transforms remaining terrain to spring conditions, appealing to those seeking reduced lift ticket prices and emptier slopes. Weekdays from January through March offer the best combination of fresh snow and minimal crowds.
The resort calendar includes standard Japanese holiday periods with peak crowds 27 December through 4 January. No major festivals or competitions appear on the regular calendar beyond occasional national ski competitions on the FIS-approved Olympic course. Night skiing operates most evenings through March, typically closing for the spring season. The Olympia Zone's lit runs and proximity to Sapporo make it popular for after-work sessions amongst city residents.
Season 2025-2026
16 Nov 2025
Opens
6 May 2026
Closes
171
Days open
10 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Sapporo Teine, and where to stay
Mount Teine rises in Teine Ward on the western edge of Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital city with 2 million residents. The mountain sits 20 kilometres northwest of central Sapporo in the Teine Range, with Highland Zone base facilities at approximately 500 metres elevation. Slopes face predominantly north towards Ishikari Bay, visible from upper elevations alongside urban sprawl. The resort occupies a forested mountainside with no on-mountain accommodation, operating strictly as a day-use facility.
Sapporo city centre lies 20 kilometres southeast with 40-minute drive times, whilst JR Sapporo Station serves as the main transport hub. The resort sits 20 kilometres from the coastal city of Otaru to the northwest, reachable in 40 minutes by road. Teine Ward itself forms a residential and light industrial district within greater Sapporo. The 1972 Winter Olympics established the mountain's global profile, with the original Olympic flame holder preserved at Olympia Zone.
Road access follows Route 5 from Sapporo to Teine Interchange on the Sasson Expressway, then 10 minutes via local roads to either Highland or Olympia base areas. Central Sapporo requires 40 minutes absent traffic, whilst highway tolls apply for expressway segments. New Chitose Airport lies 60 minutes south via expressway. Separate parking areas serve each zone, with weekend capacity constraints during peak season.
New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido's primary international gateway, sits approximately 50 kilometres southeast with connecting rail service. JR trains depart Sapporo Station every 15 minutes for the 11-to-18-minute journey to Teine Station at 360 yen. JR Hokkaido Bus route 70 continues from Teine Station south exit to Olympia Zone in 15 minutes or Highland Zone in 27 minutes at 1,000 yen, though weekday morning schedules miss first lifts. Direct ski buses operate December through March from Sapporo hotels, taking 50 to 100 minutes with packages including seven-hour lift tickets at 10,500 yen. The JR Pass covers train and bus segments.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Sapporo Teine, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 14 Aug 2026
1023m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Partly Cloudy15°C / 22°C · S 12km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts10
Live open status isn’t available right now.
16 Nov 2025 - 6 May 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 35 hours· Updated Aug 14, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,023 mUpdated Aug 14, 2026 at 5:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Sat, Aug 15
Overcast
Temp22° / 15°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind12 km/h S
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Sapporo Teine snow report
Track current conditions at Sapporo Teine in Hokkaido. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 15 runs.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Sapporo Teine, summit conditions (1023m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Sapporo Teine's base and summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Sapporo Teine come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 10 lifts, including a quad chairlift and a gondola.
When to check
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Sapporo Teine.