Rusutsu
Rusutsu is Hokkaido's largest single ski resort with three mountains (west, east and izora) serviced with 4 gondolas, 7 quad lifts, and 8 pair lifts. The resort has been awarded with the 2007 BEST SMALL RESORT AWARD from the British skiing magazine "The Great Skiing and Snowboarding Guide". It has pristine champagne powder snow with 37 beautiful runs and 12 off-piste runs enabling advanced skiers to enjoy tree runs. The resort also has ski in ski out accommodations. Rusutsu Resort is easily accessible. It is only 2 hours from New Chitose Airport (Sapporo) by shuttle bus.
Rusutsu Resort is considered one of the best ski resorts in Hokkaido with good powder and a variety of long runs. Rusutsu has 3 main mountains - East, West and Mt Isola offering a moderate terrain for beginners, wide open cruisers for intermediates and an endless selection of glade, off-piste powder for experts.
Location
Rusutsu, located on the island of Hokkaido, Northern Japan, is a year round destination for both Japanese and international holiday makers.
How to get there
Commonly you will need to fly into New Chitose Airport (Sapporo) or arrive on a domestic flight from Tokyo or Osaka. Bus transfers are the most convenient and economical way to get to Rusutsu from Sapporo New-Chitose Airport or Sapporo City. The bus to Rusutsu takes about 1.5 - 2 hours depending on road conditions and your drop off point.
Mountain Statistics
Shuttle buses
From late Novemeber to early April, a free shuttle bus for resort guests operates daily between Sapporo and the resort. The bus departs from the Rusutsu Resort Sapporo Office near Sapporo Station in the morning and returns to Sapporo in the evening. Also from December to early April multiple buses run daily between Sapporo and Rusutsu resort, operated by Donan Bus and Hokkaido Access Network. Buses continue on to Niseko and Lake Toya. Reservations are required in advance.
Restaurants & Nightlife
The hotel complex offers lots of meal options for around ¥4800. Ordering a la carte can be around ¥2000. Or you can leave the complex and walk down the road to a few small restaurants for a much more reasonably priced meal average ¥800 to ¥2000 that will still be tasty, while drinks are around ¥600. On-mountain lunch facilities all offer similar menus, and offer basic reasonable and tasty food. However in terms of night lift there is very little.