Consistent Katashina powder and some of the best snow quality in Gunma — a growing Tokyo day-trip favourite.
Runs
19
Vertical
620m
Summit
1870m
Base 1250m
Annual snow
6m/season
Popular
Best season Early December to mid-April
Why Kawaba Ski Resort
Consistent Katashina powder and some of the best snow quality in Gunma — a growing Tokyo day-trip favourite.
Katashina area; consistent powder snow
Plan your trip
Kawaba is a Tokyo day-trip favourite in northern Gunma — wide groomed pistes, the famous Tochi-no-Ki gondola, and the Denen Plaza farm-to-table mall at the base. Joetsu Shinkansen + 50-min shuttle.
Trains, shuttles, and rentals from the airport.
Direct ski bus from Tokyo (Shinjuku, Ikebukuro) to Kawaba — ~3 hrs, popular bundled lift+bus packages.
Hand-picked stays across the resort's two zones.
Kawaba is a day-trip resort — base in Numata or Minakami onsen towns 20–30 min away for hot-spring ryokan options.
Pass, lessons, gear, and guides for powder days.
Adult 1-day ~¥5,000. Free for kids 12 and under — making Kawaba one of the most family-friendly Tokyo day-trip resorts.
Terrain in detail
BalancedMixed terrain — solid intermediate base with sharper lines for advanced skiers. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
45
Mixed terrain — solid intermediate base with sharper lines for advanced skiers.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Sea-of-Japan storm cycles — deep, heavier snow.
Heavier, frequent storm cycles — deep refills, denser snow.
6
m
per season
Frequent deep days through midwinter
Expert runs
6 of 19
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
620m
Solid sustained pitch.
Steepest pitch
—
Pitch not published.
Backcountry gates
None
In-bounds skiing only.
Tree skiing
Limited
Mostly groomed terrain.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain & features
Photo: Qurren / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Getting there
Nearest airport, train and bus options, and what the drive looks like in winter conditions.
From airport
80 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Train / bus
Shuttle from JR Jomo-Kogen Shinkansen Station 80 minutes by Shinkansen from Toky
Overview
Shuttle from JR Jomo-Kogen Shinkansen Station
From airport
80 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 10°C, wind 5 km/h. We’ll resume the daily report once snowfall picks up.
Forecast data via Open-Meteo. Refreshes hourly. Always verify with the resort before driving up.
Nearby resorts
More resorts in Gunma
powder-focused
A ropeway onto Mt Tanigawa — serious steep backcountry, gate-managed powder, genuine alpine terrain much closer to Tokyo than people think.
resort town
Japan's most famous onsen town, with a working ski resort on the ridge above — 2,000m summit, expansive views of Mt Shirane, and 100 public baths in the village.
resort town
A high-elevation onsen resort next to an active volcano — one of Japan's highest ski bases, dry snow, and a very distinctive sulphur-scented village.
family-focused
Long groomed runs across the Agatsuma highlands — high enough to ski late into March reliably.
Trail map
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Stays, lift passes, rentals — everything you need in one place.
Book & plan
At the resort
Book accommodationOfficial resort siteGetting there
Domestic flights to Tokyo HanedaNagano airport transfers
