The Asahikawa, Furano, and Tomamu areas of Hokkaido are called the Hokkaido Powder Belt. This area is located in the inland area of Hokkaido and is surrounded by the Daisetsuzan Mountain Range and the Tokachi Mountain Range, so it receives a lot of light snow. Hidemitsu Okada and Mirai Nakagawa, who usually live in Sapporo, took a short trip to experience the lightest snow in Hokkaido. Let's take a look at their journey and the appeal of powder in the Hokkaido powder belt.
photo: Ayako Niki
The two first headed to Asahikawa City. Although Asahikawa City is Hokkaido's second largest city, there are 12 ski resorts within an hour's drive. Surrounded by ski resorts, each with its own unique characteristics, the city center is lined with numerous restaurants, where you can enjoy gourmet food and sightseeing.
“Ski City” Asahikawa is a place where you can enjoy the city and snowy mountains
Among the many ski resorts in Asahikawa, the two wanted to go to Kamui Ski Links, also known as Kamui. Here, 30% of the ski area is occupied by uncompacted snow area and tree run area. It is a ski resort where you can fully experience the light snow that falls on the Hokkaido powder belt.
The two of them especially recommend the deep powder course at the north end of the ski resort. This is an 800m long course for advanced climbers with a steep slope with a maximum slope of 32 degrees. There are plenty of terrain changes, and you can also try freeriding by using jump points and undulations in the terrain. Because the slope faces north, the snow quality remains good for a long time.
After skiing the deep powder, there are still many uncompacted snow courses such as ``Todomatsu,'' ``Bumps,'' and ``Royal.'' The secret to Kamuy's popularity is that it has a wide variety of fun courses, including gentle courses, fun tree runs, and open courses.
When you come to Kamui, you definitely want to ski the "Gold" course. It is divided into ``Gold 3'', ``Gold 2'', and ``Gold 1'' from the top, with a total length of approximately 3km. Above all, "Gold 3" and "Gold 2" are 150m wide, allowing you to ski while making dramatic turns.
A hotel in the city that warmly welcomes skiers
After skiing Kamuy, the two returned to Asahikawa and checked into their hotel. The accommodation in Asahikawa is OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts. This is located in the center of the city, giving you a city feel while providing ample services for skiers.
First of all, there is a ski drying room in front of the entrance, and the room for two people has space to store snow items, such as gloves and boots, where you can dry them. The world around Asahikawa is a world where -20 degrees Celsius is common. It's nice to be able to dry items, as frozen gear can cause glide problems.
In addition, there is the OMO Ticket Counter, where you can purchase lift tickets for nearby ski resorts, and Today's Powder Information/Live Broadcast, which forecasts the best powder spots for the day and connects you with the local ski resorts. There are many generous services for skiers, including the OMO WAX BAR, where you can use about 30 types of wax for free. Additionally, there is a free shuttle bus service to four ski resorts: Kamui Ski Links, Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway, Pippu, and Santa Present Park.
Asahikawa Stay where you can enjoy the night
At night, let an OMO ranger who knows everything about Asahikawa take you around the city. For a guide fee of 1,000 yen, you can be guided to sightseeing spots in Asahikawa and bars where snow bums gather. If you want to know more about the city, you have no choice but to use it.
The ultimate relaxation to immerse yourself in skiing
After enjoying walking around Asahikawa and enjoying powder powder, the two headed next to Hoshino Resorts Tomamu. Tomamu is located three hours south by car from Asahikawa. The three-hour journey in vast Hokkaido is a daunting task for two people. As soon as we arrived, we headed out onto the slopes.
Due to Tomamu's inland climate, only dry powder falls. Shimukappu Village, where Tomamu is located, is also the village that recorded the lowest temperature in Japan since 2000. The temperature is actually -35.8 degrees Celsius, so once the powder has fallen, it stays cold forever. This season, a ``Super El Niño'' climate is expected nationwide, leading to a warmer winter, but I wonder how such a wind will blow in Tomamu.
Among the recommended uncompacted snow courses are ``No Gravity'' on the Tower Mountain side, which has a steep slope of 770m with a maximum slope of 35 degrees, and ``Glory'', a course along the ridge. My regular routine is to ski no-gravity first thing in the morning, then other non-compacted snow courses. Once you've finished skiing the uncompacted snow course, you'll want to head to the ``advanced skier-only area.'' This is an area for advanced skiers, where you can register on the Yukiyama app, agree to a philosophy agreement, and wear a helmet when skiing. Powder is still sleeping here. Tomamu's powder has been so good in the past that both of them described it as ``unforgettable.''
One of the great things about Tomamu is that it has such a great amount of powder, but it also has a lot of snow parks.
Okada, who is originally from the park, and Nakagawa, who has been practicing jumping recently, took to the park right away. Both of them fell in love with the well-maintained park. According to Okada,
``It's natural for overseas ski resorts to have parks, but Tomamu is the only resort in Japan that has a park like this.'
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First thing in the morning, when the snow conditions are good, we ski on Pistenbahn and the uncompacted snow area, and then move to the park in the afternoon. One of the great things about Tomamu is that there are variations in the way you skate.
Luxury to enjoy within Tomamu
After enjoying the ski resort, the Tomamu way is to relax at a hotel.
All rooms at Risonare Tomamu are suites, and each room is spacious and equipped with a private sauna and jet bath. A must-see for skiers is the ``Skier's Suite,'' the only room at Risonare Tomamu. It is equipped with a dedicated rack for drying boots and clothing, as well as a boot heater, and the wallpaper is a photo of a ski resort. There is a long storage space under the bedroom that can store ski bags. Furthermore, the interior of the chair is made from a reused one-person chair lift that was actually used in the past. The room is sure to tickle the hearts of ski lovers.
After dinner, the two headed to Ice Village. Inside the ice building, there are bars, restaurants, and general stores, so you can enjoy sightseeing. You can also enjoy other activities such as a skating rink and zip line. Tomamu also has many other activities that you can enjoy other than skiing, such as Minamina Beach, where you can enjoy the feeling of summer in the pool even in the middle of winter. You can enjoy your stay in Tomamu without having to travel repeatedly.
The ultimate CAT tour
The next day we went on a CAT tour. From Tomamu, we took a shuttle car to the foot of Mt. Karifuridake. From there, a CAT takes you to an empty no-track slope. The running surface is mainly on the northeast slope. There are approximately six runs per day, and each run is about 200 to 450 meters long. You can enjoy a wide variety of riding conditions, such as the open barn at the top of the mountain and the forest zone below halfway up the mountain. Although there had been no snowfall the day before the two arrived in Tomamu, powder remained in the areas where they skied on the CAT tour.
At noon, we will enjoy a sumptuous lunch in a large tent called a yurt. On this day, it's sukiyaki (contents subject to change).
Okada and Nakagawa said,
``Without having to walk a single step, they lead us to a place where there is powder, and then we have sukiyaki for lunch, which is something I've never done before lol.'' The content is so gorgeous that it makes you laugh
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Hokkaido Powder Belt is a place in Hokkaido where you can get some of the highest quality powder.
The essence of the Hokkaido Powder Belt is that you can not only ski in one area, but also enjoy the experience of powder while staying there. If you're looking for the best powder experience, we recommend staying in three areas for a longer period of time so you can enjoy the experience to the fullest.
Hidemitsu Okada
Lives in Sapporo. After being a slopestyle athlete, he currently skis all-mountain, including backcountry skiing. He is good at park-trained jump tricks, and he leaves behind dynamic images in numerous photo shoots. He loves ramen as much as skiing.
Instagram: @hidemitsu_okada
Mirai Nakagawa
Lives in Sapporo. He has trained in alpine skiing, basic skiing, and now also competes in freeride competitions. 2023 JFO winner. The carving turns trained in the alpine are fascinating to watch.
Instagram: @mikinakagawa1015
OMO7 Asahikawa (Omo) by Hoshino Resort
Location: 1, right, 6-jo-dori 9-chome, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido
Price: From 20,000 yen per night per room (tax included, meals excluded)
URL: https://omo-hotels.com/asahikawa /
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Hoshino Resorts Tomamu/Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Tomamu
Location: Naka Tomamu, Shimukappu Village, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido 079-2204 Telephone
: 0167-58-1111 (Main number)
Number of rooms: 735 rooms (Tomamu The Tower 535 rooms, RISONARE Tomamu 200 rooms )
Check-in: 15:00 ~ / Check-out: ~ 11:00
Prices: Tomamu The Tower 11,400 yen per night, RISONARE Tomamu 21,900 yen per night (both are per person when 2 people occupy a room, tax and Service charge included, breakfast included)
Access: Approximately 100 minutes by car from New Chitose Airport, approximately 90 minutes by JR (transfer required, free shuttle bus available from Tomamu Station, no reservation required) URL
: https://www.snowtomamu.jp
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Mt. Karifuri CAT tour
Business period: January 26, 2023 - March 10, 2023
Price: 50,600 yen per person
Click here to apply: https://www.snowtomamu.jp/winter/ski/expert/cat.php
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