The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Aomori Spring operates on the northern slopes of Mount Iwaki in Aomori Prefecture, rising from 397 metres at the base to 922 metres at the gondola summit. The resort claims 525 metres of vertical drop across 14 runs covering 50 hectares, with a terrain split of 50 per cent beginner, 30 per cent intermediate and 20 per cent advanced. Annual snowfall averages 8 metres, delivered as dry powder from northwesterly systems tracking across the Sea of Japan. The resort is part of the Indy Pass network, offering passholders two days of skiing plus discounted third-day access.
The longest marked run stretches 3.4 kilometres from gondola summit to base, known as Main Line, a green-rated cruiser through mature beech forest. Advanced terrain concentrates on the upper mountain, with pitches approaching 30 degrees and widespread tree skiing in the beech zones below the ridgeline. The resort markets its 22-foot superpipe as the largest in Japan, paired with an all-levels terrain park that operates day and night under floodlights. Off-piste exploration requires guided tours, which access lift-served sidecountry and backcountry ascents towards Mount Iwaki's 1,625-metre summit.
Rockwood Hotel & Spa provides the only slopeside accommodation, a ski-in ski-out property with western-style rooms and indoor-outdoor onsen baths overlooking the Tsugaru Plain. Daily lift ticket sales cap at 1,200 to manage crowds, though weekday visits rarely see queues. The resort attracts a predominantly domestic clientele, with minimal international traffic outside Indy Pass holders. Dining spans hotel buffets, a mountaintop café, a ramen house at the chairlift base, and après options including karaoke facilities.
Aomori Spring suits intermediate skiers seeking uncrowded powder, freestyle riders drawn to the park infrastructure, and families requiring mellow green terrain. The 2025-2026 season runs 13 December to 5 April. Former names include Naqua Shirakami Ski Resort and Ajigasawa Ski Resort, reflecting ownership changes since the original 1960s development under Seibu Group. Night skiing operates on selected trails, though availability varies by season and conditions.
525m
Vertical
14
Runs
124 acres
Skiable
8m
Annual snow
The Terrain
14 runs across 124 acres skiable
Aomori Spring spreads 14 runs across 124 acres skiable of terrain. It leans beginner at 50%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 3 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
14
runs
14 runs across 4 grades
Beginner7 runs · 50%
Intermediate4 runs · 30%
Advanced3 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Aomori Spring
The 2025-2026 season operates from 13 December 2025 through 5 April 2026, spanning approximately 16 weeks. Historical season lengths vary between mid-December openings and late March or early April closures, depending on snowpack depth and spring weather patterns. The resort formerly extended operations into early May during high-snow years, though recent seasons have concluded by early April. Season pass validity runs 14 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, offering a slightly condensed window compared to daily ticket availability.
Aomori City, 54 kilometres northeast at sea level, receives 8 metres of annual snowfall, establishing the prefecture's reputation as Japan's snowiest urban centre. The resort sits at higher elevation on Mount Iwaki's northern exposure, benefiting from consistent northwesterly storm tracks off the Sea of Japan. Snowmaking infrastructure remains minimal, relying instead on natural accumulation to build and maintain base depths. Eight metres of annual average snowfall translates to approximately 800 centimetres, though the resort does not publish season-total or weekly snowfall data publicly.
January and February deliver peak powder conditions, with frequent storm cycles and coldest temperatures preserving snow quality through extended periods. Early season December skiing depends on sufficient base-building storms, whilst March offers longer daylight and occasional spring corn cycles. The resort's northern latitude and coastal proximity mean temperatures remain colder than southern Honshu resorts, extending powder preservation into late season. Weekdays see negligible crowds, particularly outside Japanese national holidays and school breaks.
Night skiing operates on selected trails under floodlighting, though the resort does not maintain a fixed night-skiing schedule across the full season. No major on-mountain festivals or competitive events appear on the published calendar. The terrain park and superpipe remain open day and night when conditions permit. Guided backcountry tours require advance booking and operate subject to weather and avalanche conditions, with prices starting from 13,000 yen per person for group outings.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
8 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Aomori Spring, and where to stay
Aomori Spring occupies the northern slopes of Mount Iwaki in Ajigasawa, a coastal town in Nishitsugaru District, western Aomori Prefecture. Mount Iwaki rises to 1,625 metres, making it Aomori's highest peak and a focal point of Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. The resort base sits at 397 metres elevation, approximately 14 kilometres inland from the Sea of Japan coastline. The surrounding landscape consists of beech forest transitioning to volcanic ridges, with views extending across the Tsugaru Plain to Hokkaido on clear days.
Ajigasawa town centre lies 14 kilometres northwest of the resort, with a population of approximately 8,250 residents. Hirosaki, a city of 164,000 known for cherry blossoms and Hirosaki Castle, sits 40 kilometres southeast. Aomori City, the prefectural capital with 280,000 residents, lies 54 kilometres northeast. The region formed part of the Tsugaru clan's Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period, with Ajigasawa functioning as a kitamaebune trading port. Mount Iwaki is locally known as Tsugaru Fuji due to its symmetrical volcanic cone resembling Mount Fuji.
Road access follows Route 101 along the coast from Ajigasawa, then Route 31 ascending inland to the resort. From Hirosaki, the drive takes approximately 40 minutes via Routes 7, 41, and 31. Aomori City requires 80 minutes by car via the Aomori Airport Toll Road and coastal Route 101. The nearest train station is JR Ajigasawa Station on the Gonō Line, situated 20 minutes by taxi from the resort base. No public bus service currently connects the station to the mountain.
Aomori Airport sits approximately 50 kilometres east, offering domestic flights to Tokyo Haneda (75 minutes), Osaka Itami, Nagoya Chubu, and Sapporo Chitose. The airport also handles international services from Seoul Incheon. Rockwood Hotel operates scheduled shuttle transfers from the airport, requiring advance reservation. The Tohoku Shinkansen reaches Shin-Aomori Station in 3 hours 10 minutes from Tokyo, followed by an 80-minute drive or hotel transfer. From Shin-Aomori, the JR Gonō Line local train reaches Ajigasawa in approximately 80 minutes, connecting to taxi or pre-arranged pickup.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Aomori Spring, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
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
Aomori Spring Lift System
The resort operates five lifts: one six-person gondola, two detachable quad chairlifts with weather hoods, and two fixed-grip double chairlifts. The gondola handles the majority of uphill traffic, ascending nearly the full 525-metre vertical from base elevation to the 921-metre ridgeline. Both hooded quad chairs service mid-mountain zones and provide wind-protected uplift during storms. The Diamond Pair double chair accesses tree skiing terrain, whilst the Aspen double lift primarily serves terrain park and pipe sessions.
The gondola, branded Naqua Shirakami Gondola during the resort's previous ownership era, remains the primary uphill artery. Quad 1 and Quad 2 sit lower on the mountain, creating a lift network that allows multiple lap options without mandatory gondola queues. The gondola cabin design includes large windows for views across the Tsugaru Plain and towards Hokkaido on clear days. Lift infrastructure dates from multiple installation periods, with the gondola and hooded quads representing more recent investment compared to the fixed-grip double chairs.
Uphill flow begins at the gondola base near Rockwood Hotel or at the secondary Quad 1 base station, which houses a visitor centre and automated ticketing kiosk. Most riders ascend via gondola to access the ridge, then lap via the quads for tree runs or return to the summit for groomed cruisers. The lift system handles storm conditions effectively, with hooded quad chairs continuing operation when wind forces the gondola offline. Bottlenecks rarely form outside peak holiday periods, given the daily ticket cap policy.
Recent infrastructure updates include the automated ticketing system at Quad 1 base and scheduled lift maintenance programmes. No major lift replacements have been announced for upcoming seasons. Lift tickets use paper format requiring presentation to operators at each embarkation. The resort does not report specific uphill capacity figures, though the gondola and two detachable quads provide adequate transport for the current skier volume under the 1,200-ticket daily limit.
5lifts across 3 types
1
Gondola
2
Quad Chairs
2
Double Chairs
Aomori Spring lift system
Aomori Spring is served by 5 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Aomori Spring intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.