Furano
Hokkaido's lavender-farm ski resort -- 800cm of powder and runs that are suspiciously empty.
Our Take
Furano is famous in summer for lavender fields that cover the hillsides in purple -- and in winter for being one of the snowiest ski resorts on Hokkaido, with over 800 centimeters (315 inches) of annual snowfall in the cold, dry Hokkaido interior air. The resort has two connected mountains -- Furano Zone and Kitanomine Zone -- with 24 runs and the kind of light, dry powder that makes Hokkaido skiing a winter religion for Japanese and increasingly international powder seekers. Furano was the location of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races in the 1990s and maintains a racing culture, but its character now is primarily powder skiing and tourism. The resort sits two hours from Sapporo by car, with New Chitose airport providing international access. The Furano Prince Hotel complex operates adjacent to the lifts with full resort infrastructure. The powder here is drier than coastal Hokkaido resorts like Niseko because the interior geography keeps temperatures consistently cold -- when Niseko gets rain, Furano gets powder. For the Hokkaido circuit skier, Furano is the alternative perspective.
Nerd Stats
Avg Annual Snowfall
315"
No. of Runs
24
Summit Elevation
3,714'
Distance from Sapporo
~2 hours
Fun Facts
- Furano gets 800cm (315") of annual snowfall on average -- the Hokkaido interior cold keeps the snow dry even when coastal resorts get wet Pacific dumps.
- The summer lavender bloom at Furano Farm Tomita is one of Japan's most photographed destinations -- the same hills are buried in powder in January.
- Furano hosted FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races through the 1990s -- the race infrastructure includes the kind of steep training terrain the sport requires.
- Furano is 2 hours from Sapporo by car, making it a genuine alternative to Niseko for Hokkaido visitors who don't want the Australian resort atmosphere.