Getting to Japanese ski resorts in winter: tyre rules and live closure sources by region, when car parks fill, lift operating hours and wind holds, and what a day pass costs.
Practical detail for driving in a Japanese winter: studless tyre and chain rules, pass closures, when ploughs run, parking costs and the hour each lot fills, plus how lift tickets are sold.
Hokkaido roads freeze hard and stay that way; the Sea of Japan side of Honshu gets heavy wet snow instead. The gear and the driving habits that keep you safe differ by region.
Walk-up window prices are the highest you will pay; online pre-purchase and multi-day passes usually beat them. The page compares prices and purchase routes for the main resorts.
We cover 573 ski areas and 127 live webcams in total, across Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata, Tohoku, Gunma, Gifu, Fukui, Yamagata, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Our introduction to Hokkaido, Our introduction to Nagano Prefecture, Our introduction to Fukushima Prefecture, Our introduction to Iwate Prefecture.