Shizukuishi
Northern Tohoku's dry atmosphere is perfect for high quality snow. Shizukuishi Ski Resort offers various courses from the beginner course in base area to the 4.5 kilometers long course from the top. Superb light and dry powder snow falls in vast quantities on the world-class terrain that has been host to three FIS ski and snowboard world cups, as well as the FIS World Alpine Ski Championship. Free-style skiers will enjoy the intermediate to advanced features in the Easy Park, and children can build up their skills on the fun features in the Children’s Ski & Snowboard Park.
Location
Shizukuishi Ski Resort is located in the northern Honshu prefecture of Iwate. Most international travelers will arrive at either Narita International Airport or Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.
| How to get there | |
| From Tokyo Narita Airport: | 3.5 hours by train & bus |
| From Tokyo City: | 2.5 hours by train & bus |
| From Osaka Itami Airport: | 2.5 hours flight & bus |
| From the closest airport (Hanamaki Airport): | 1 hour by bus |
From Tokyo Station, there are two different bullet train routes that will take you to Shizukuishi:
Take the Tohoku Bullet Train Hayate from Tokyo Station to Morioka Station (approximately 140 mins). From Morioka Station, either take a local shuttle busdirectly to the ski resort or a taxi.
Or, take the Akita Bullet Train from Tokyo Station to Shizukuishi Station. From Shizukuishi Station, Shizukuishi Prince Hotels offers a free shuttle bus (advanced bookings required). Taxis from Shizukuishi Station are also available and take approximately 15 min.
Mountain Statistics |
|
| Ski Season: | Middle December to Late March |
| Mount Elevation: | 720 meters / 1,145 (summit), 428 (bottom) |
| Total Area: | 86 ha |
| Snowfall Average: | 6.6 meters |
| Longest Run: | 2,648 meters |
| Vertical Rise: | 702 meters |
| Numbers of Courses: | 20 |
| Number of Lifts: | 6 chair lifts |
| Terrain | Beginner: 30%, Intermediate: 45%, Advanced: 25% |
Shuttle buses
Buses connect Morioka Station with the Shizukuishi Ski Resort . The one way trip takes about 50 minutes and costs 1,400 yen. The fare is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the JR East Pass. Free shuttle buses are available from JR Shizukuishi Station to take you to the resort.
Restaurants & Nightlife
Two restaurants and a log house style bar in the Prince Hotel. French cuisine KOBUSHI's dinner course took in the ingredients which are from Tohoku- Iwate, and local made Sake, Wine, other restaurant is Japanese- Western style buffet restaurant. As for the dinner, it includes a variety of appriximately 40 kinds of Japanese foods, Western food buffet. Enjoy liquor in the log house of the winter mountain. Take the shuttle bus from the hotel to Shizukuishi town, you will find few Izakaya bars and restaurants in Shizukuishi Town. "Kawa" Izakaya bar is the slightly luxurious bar which is a mark between cooking small dishes and a bar. " Oraho" izakaya bar is a cozy atmosphere, you put it willingly even for the first time. No.1 popular bar in Shizukuishi-cho.
Culture
A rugged, sparsely populated region, Shizukuishi makes for the trip of a lifetime. Along with breathtaking views from the slopes, enjoy some awesome day trips from the hotel. The area abounds with volcanic activity, including geysers, boiling mud pots and hot springs.The Shizukuishi Takakura hot spring, is a garden-like pond. The spring ambiance is calm by source gravity feed irrigation. There is a natural hot spring too. Migrating swans can be seen bedding down for the winter at nearby Lake Gosho or you may prefer to immerse yourself in the ethereal beauty of Geibi Gorge in winter.The Iwate Snow Festival features impressive snow sculptures and a chance to try thinly sliced beef or lamb grilled over a fire. For cultural aficionados, the Golden Hall of Chusonji Temple and its 3,000 national artifacts will be of interest.