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
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
Aomori Spring Snow Report
Snow Report
Awaiting live data
922m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
-°C / -°C · - -
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
-
Season total
-
Total lifts5
Live open status isn’t available right now.
5 Dec 2025 - 29 Mar 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 42 hours· Updated Sep 13, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
922 mUpdated Sep 13, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Sun, Sept 13
Overcast
Temp19° / 12°°C
Snow0.0cm(8%)
Wind6 km/h S
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Aomori Spring snow report
Track current conditions at Aomori Spring in Tohoku. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 14 runs.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Aomori Spring, summit conditions (922m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Aomori Spring are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Aomori Spring come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 5 lifts, including 2 quad chairlifts and a gondola.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.