Ski season is right around the corner. If you sticks close to home to enjoy the slopes nearby, have you considered taking a trip to go skiing instead?
Because if you have, we’d like to introduce you to one of Hokkaido’s most explosively popular ski destinations, the Kiroro Ski Resort.
We’ve taken a first-hand look inside Kiroro Resort to examine the quality of its slopes and figure out its target demographic.
We’ll also show you some of the other features the resort has to offer.
Kiroro Ski Resort is a destination packed with all kinds of appeal, so tune in and we’ll introduce you to its most charming features!
＜Overview＞
1. Ski Fields of Kiroro Resort
2. Please Check the Joining Event!
2-1. The Chance of Skating with Pro-Snow Boarders
2-2. Annie Kids Ski Academy Experience! ~For Kids~
2-3. So Many Kinds of Activities with Snow!
3. Enjoy the Kiroro Resort! ~Eat・Play・Onsen~
～Eat～
3-1. Top hill Restaurant ~Asari View~（Ski Slopes / Gondola Top Hill Station）
3-2. Café Crest（Nagamine No.1 Lift）
～Indoor Activity～
3-3. Granship
3-4. Indoor Activity Nature Center
～Onsen～
3-5. Kiroro Onsen –Forest Hot Spring –
3-6. Resort Pool
4. Latest Information about Other Resort’s Accommodation
5. Kiroro Resort・Access Information
Summary
1. Ski Fields of Kiroro Resort
You’ll find the ski area inside the resort located in the village of Akaigawa in the Yoichi district.
Part of Kiroro Resort’s appeal as a year-round establishment lies in how it incorporates the terrain and climate from summer and winter.
In fact, the greatest draw of its ski area is in its annual snowfall, which is fairly high even for the Hokkaido region. And when you have heavy snowfall, you have plenty of high-quality powdered snow to go with it.
Elevations along the slop vary by up to around 610m; enough to satisfy even the most seasoned professionals.
After all, nothing brings you to life like shredding down a sleep slope and being washed over with a spray of snow!
On the other hand, if cruising is more your speed, you can enjoy the scenery as you slide down its 4km (2.4 mi) gliding trails as well.
The ski slopes face the west, minimizing slope contact with the sun throughout the morning. And when the snow has less time to be in contact with the sun, the less likely it is to melt, and the more likely it is to retain its original quality.
Part of the reason this resort is so beloved by skiiers and snowboarders alike is because the snow retains its powder the whole day through.
There are intermediate and advanced courses practically everywhere you look, making it adaptable and easy for intermediate and advanced skiiers and snowboarders alike to soar and slide to their heart’s content.
The resort features a total of 21 courses: seven beginner, six intermediate, and eight advanced.
Normally, you’d imagine a beginner’s course to stick to the base of the mountain, and an advanced course to start at the top.
However, there is a beginner’s course that begins at the top of the mountain at Kiroro Resort. Even up-and-comers can enjoy the panoramic view from the summit as they make their way down!
On the other hand, it’s important to make sure you don’t accidentally find your way on one of the intermediate or advanced courses, so be sure to check out your map before you get started.
The expert B course takes full advantage of the powder, so the best time to check it out is first thing in the morning! Take advantage of it, if you can!
While riding the lift, you may find it difficult to ignore the chill blowing through the air, but most of them are equipped with hoods and foot rests.
So put the whirling snow and freezing air out of your mind as you make your way to the summit…
Enjoy the comfortable trip in the air!
It is located only 90 minutes from Sapporo and a mere 50 minutes from Otaru.
With such an accessible commute, you get to stick around the resort longer and create even more memories with your loved ones!
2．Please Check the Joining Event!
2-1. The Chance of Skating with Pro-Snow Boarders
If you’ve ever thought of trying snowboarding, your chance has arrived!
As with any new experience, the first step is the most important. No matter how much fun snowboarding is, you’re not very likely to pick it back up if you failed miserably the first time around, are you?
That’s where the “Kiroro snowboarding first-timer session” comes in, geared specifically toward people who have never snowboarded before.
This is the 12th event to be held since its inception, and Kiroro is once again offering snowboarding classes for beginners from a professional snowboarder.
First, you’ll be split into several different groups and taught how to enjoy snowboarding.
Haven’t you always wanted someone to hold your hand and guide you through the process if you’ve never skated before?
Not only that, but there will be an event for first-time snowboarders and super amateurs alike called “My first snowboarding experience”, which you should definitely check out as well!
＜Kiroro snowboarding first-timer session＞
Opening Day：The Middle Of December
The Reserving Day ：From the middle of November～
Time：Morning Session（Reservation：8:30～9:00）/ Session 9:30～11:30
Afternoon Session（Reservation：12:00～12:30）/ Session 13:00～15:00
Joining Professionals：Kiroro Snow-Boarding Advisers
Target：Snow Boarders
The Number of Joining Members：30 (They can join only one time)
Fees：JPY 1,000（You should buy Lift Ticket by yourself）※Discount Available for Session Joiners
Reservation Place：Academy Counter
Contacts：0135-34-7128
※Phone Reservation Not Available
2-2. Annie Kids Ski Academy Experience! ~For Kids~
There’s nothing wrong with leaving some things to the pros.
Kiroro Ski Resort also hosts a children’s ski program called “Annie Kids Ski Acadamy,” a French school for kids learning to ski and snowboard.
A seasoned veteran of the slopes personally guides your children through their paces and teaches them how to make skiing fun!
And who knows, after all of those lessons your kid may come back even better at skiing than you!
Either way, tell them what a good job they did when they come back!
Once they figured out how much fun it is to play in the snow, imagine how much fun your family can have playing together!
Sliding down the slopes is fun, but also building snow man and having snow ball fights is enjoyable.
Either way, there’s plenty of fun to be had on these liberating open slopes!
2-3. So Many Kinds of Activities with Snow!
You can experience a variety of snow activities in Kiroro Resort.
Snow Segway will make you experience the fun emotion of running in the snow.
Other than this, you can also experience the snow baggie and banana boat on the snow!
This will be an unforgettable experience for you to enjoy in the snow!
You can even cruise down the mountain in a mini snowmobile or a snow raft!
And after dark, you have the opportunity to ride behind the snowmobile instructor to enjoy the snowy nightscape.
There are many different experiences to enjoy, each more exciting and unique than the last.
Skiing and snowboarding are certainly valid ways to enjoy winter sporting, but let’s expand your horizons with a few other options as well.
～Vehicles available during winter～
Snow Segway, snow buggy, snow banana board, mini snowmobile, night tandem, and snow rafting.
※Please see the official website for individual prices.
3. Enjoy the Kiroro Resort! ~Eat・Play・Onsen~
～Eat～
3-1. Top hill Restaurant ~Asari View~（Ski Slopes / Gondola Top Hill Station）
It is located at 1,180 m (3871.3ft) is the “Summit Restaurant Morning Review,” Kiroro’s own restaurant on the slopes, and the last stop on the gondola express.
As mentioned earlier, don’t forget that even beginners can ski from the summit as well.
Now, naturally they serve tea at this restaurant on the slope, but to tell the truth the food is excellent, too!
So take a break and warm yourself up while enjoying a nice bite to eat and gazing down at the slopes below.
3-2. Café Crest（Nagamine No.1 Lift）
Meanwhile, a stylish cafe disguised as a quaint Scandinavian log cabin stands out in the middle of nowhere like a lodge in the mountains.
This delightful little shack will immediately put you at ease with the smell of wood that envelops your senses once you walk through the door, which opened in December of 2014.
It features a menu full of variety, and here you can snack on delicious light meals, like coffee, Paninis, and pita bread.
They also serve drinks such as cappuccinos, caramel macchiatos, and alcohol, so as the words start flowing between you and your neighbors, you’ll find it harder to leave!
We definitely hope you check it out.
～Indoor Activity～
3-3. Granship
Kiroro Resort is home to an amusement park where you can try your hand at all sorts of fun and games.
For instance, an especially popular attraction is a middle-ages pirate ship where you’re taken on a tour of the ship to look for clues to hidden treasures in your own personal adventure…
There are also attractions especially popular with adults, such as the escape games, IQ challenges, and the sensory perception game, plus springy playgrounds perfect for children to enjoy, and ball pits, plus many, many more ways to have fun.
Needless to say, Kiroro is full of fun for the whole family.
＜Granship＞
Opening Terms：Middle of December to The Beginning of April
Opening Hours：
Weekdays：15:00～20:30
Saturdays：15:00～21:30
Sundays and Holidays：10:00～20:30
※Special Terms：Christmas to New Year’s Holiday (December 24th to January 3rd) 10:00～21：30
※The Reservation will be finished before 30 minutes.
Reservation Places：Granship
Fees：
Adults・Children : One Entrance：JPY 1,200 per person
One Day Free Passport：JPY 1,200 per person
Target：Adults: above age 12 / Children: from age 4 to 12
Under Age Three：One Infant will be free per one adult
※Children under Age 10 cannot enter by themselves.
3-4. Indoor Activity Nature Center
It is the craft workshop where you’re able to make one of many different projects.
This workshop is especially popular among women friends, couples, and elementary school children.
The key to its popularity lies in its variety; participants are able to make one of many different things, like gel candles, music box toppings, glass toppings, pottery painting, can-badge making, or strap making!
But remember, you can only pick one project to take home with you, so choose wisely!
＜Indoor Activity Nature Center＞
Opening Terms：Middle of December to The Beginning of April
Opening Hours：10:00～16:00（L.O. 15:30）※From the middle of March, the closing hours will extend 30 minutes
Reservation Place：Nature Center
Fees：Canned Badge・Strap / JPY 350、Gel Candle Making・Glass Topping JPY 1,200（Music Box Topping is also available. Please check the detail from the Webpage.）
Target：Small children should be with parents
～Onsen～
3-5. Kiroro Onsen –Forest Hot Spring –
At the “Kiroro Onsen: Forest hot Springs,” you can enjoy the hot springs which flow from the caldera in Akaigawa.
This ferruginous bath boasts sodium, calcium chloride, and sulfuric acid content that will work together to warm your body from the wick and cure you of your skiing chill.
Rounded stones cover the bottom of the bath as well, so walking around is like receiving a personal foot massage!
So lay back and relax in this open-air bath located deep in the heart of Kiroro’s forests.
＜Kiroro Onsen ~Forest Hot Spring~＞
Winter Opening Terms：Middle of December to The Beginning of April
Opening Hours：Weekdays: 13:00～23:00 (L.O. 22:30)
Holidays (Saturday・Sunday・National Holidays)：11:00～23:00 (L.O. 22:30)
※Special Holidays will be around December 27th to January 6th.
Fees：
Day Trip One Day Free：Adults JPY 1,100 / Elementary School Students JPY 800 / Infants JPY 500
Hotel Guests One Day Free：Adults JPY 900 / Elementary School Students JPY 700 / Infants JPY 400
3-6. Resort Pool
The resort’s pool which opens even in winter, also authentically boasts a Jacuzzi and a sauna as well.
It has a 25m pool and a children’s pool as well, making it perfect for all ages!
The ticket for this water park is sold jointly with the Shinrin hot springs ticket, giving you even more parts of the resort to enjoy for even lower prices.
Enjoy your downtime in this aesthetic and relaxing fitness zone in this way and so many more!
＜Resort Pool＞
Opening Terms：Middle of December to The Beginning of April
Opening Hours：13:00～20:30 (Last Entrée will be 20:00)
Fees：
Day Trip Free Pass：Adults JPY 1,100 / Elementary School Student (7~12 years old) JPY 800 / Infants (Unser Age 3) JPY 500
Hotel Guests 1 Day Free Pass：Adults JPY 900 / Elementary School Student (7~12 years old) JPY 700/ Infants (Unser Age 3) JPY 400
※Kiroro Onsen Forest Hot Spring＋Resort Pool（Adults JPY 1,900 etc…）
4. Latest Information about Other Resort’s Accommodation
The Kiroro Resort is a destination spot featuring facilities brimming with personality. And at its heart is the hotel, which underwent rebranding in 2015.
What was originally known as “Hotel Piano” became “Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel Hokkaido,” and “Mountain Hotel” was reborn as “Sheraton Hokkaido Kiroro Resort.”
“Tribute Portfolio” is the newest brand developed by Starwood Hotels in the west for the Asian-Pacific region.
Regardless, you can fully expect this high-class establishment to feature white glove service and hospitality.
5. Kiroro Resort・Access Information
＜Kiroro Resort Information＞
Address： Tokiwa 128-1 Yoichigun Akaigawamura, Hokkaido 046-0571 Japan
TEL：0135-34-7111
Lift Fee：Adults : JPY 5500 / Children : JPY 2800
URL：https://www.kiroro.co.jp/en/winter/
＜Access Information＞
◆From New-Chitose Airport by Car
・Chitose I.C ► Douou Automobile Road ►Sapporo JCT ► Sapporo Automobile Road ► Asari I.C ► Hokkaido Road No.1 ► Intersection of Shinko 5 cho-me ► Hokkaido Road No.956 ► Hokkaido National Road No.393 ► Kiroro Resort
◆From Sapporo by Car
・Sapporo West I.C ► Sapporo Automobile Road ► Asari I.C ► Hokkaido Road No.1 ► Intersection of Shinko 5 cho-me ► Hokkaido Road No.956 ► Hokkaido National Road No.393 ► Kiroro Resort
◆From New-Chitose Airport by Train (JR)
・New-Chitose Airport Station ► JR Express Airport ► Otaru Station ► Hokkaido City Bus ►Kiroro Resort
・New-Chitose Airport Station ► JR Express Airport ► Otaruchikkou Station ► Free Pick-up Bus ►Kiroro Resort
◆From Sapporo by Train (JR)
・Sapporo Station（JR Area Express Ishikari Liner or JR Express Airport）► Otaru Station ► Hokkaido City Bus ►Kiroro Resort
・Sapporo Station（JR Area Express Ishikari Liner or JR Express Airport）► Otaruchikkou Station ► Free Pick-up Bus ►Kiroro Resort
Summary
Not only does Kiroro Resort feature excellent snow quality even for the Hokkaido area, but it’s easily accessible and abundant with activities to enjoy.
So bring your family, your significant other, or even a group of friends with you when you come around to visit. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the trip!
Please comment