Hachi Kita is sort of the default boarding destination for folks living in northern Hyogo, due to its fairly central location (when compared to places like Ojiro or Kannabe), variety of difficulties, and size. Having Hachi Kougen included in the lift ticket allows park boarders access to that side of the mountain as well, even if it is kind of time-consuming to get over there from the bottom.
I basically learned to snowboard on Hachi Kita, so I've been over most of the runs a number of times. The bottom half is fairly straightforward and short, and has tons of people planted on their butts in every possible place. The upper half is more enjoyable for a slightly more skilled boarder, with longer runs, steeper drops, and less people. You'll still get a lot of folks trying to learn, but the difference in difficulty and the annoying trip from the first lift to the summit lift deters a fair amount of that.
No real jumps or rails to speak of on the Kita side, aside from natural formations or those pieced together by visitors.
There's also a couple of nice beginner areas with conveyor belts to allow folks learning how to stop to practice.
Date visited:
From 2009 To 2010
Snow condition on visit:
From barely anything in mid-December to fairly thick powder in mid February
Things I liked:
Connected to Hachi Kogen, easily accessible semi-back country, Naruhodo Burger set
