Niseko HANAZONO Resort, often known as Hanazono, is a ski area located in Kutchan Town in the western region of Hokkaido.
Hanazono is one of the four connected ski areas that share a joint lift ticket and make up Niseko United. The others (closest to the furthest away) are Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village Ski Resort and Niseko Annupuri Kokusai. A little further to the west, unconnected and not part of the Niseko United group, is Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort.
In recent years, a new 1,362m Gondola lift and two new courses were added, and the Number 1 quad lift was converted into a 6-person covered lift. (The icons on this page shows three quad lifts - one of those is this new six-person lift). Night skiing also became possible in the Hanazono area thanks to the new gondola lift.
A joint lift ticket for just Hanazono and Niseko Grand Hirafu is available.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
1040
Vertical (m)
732
Bottom/base (m)
308
Beginner runs (%)
22
Intermediate runs (%)
66
Advanced runs (%)
12
Longest course (m)
3300
Steepest slope (°)
30
Number of courses
11
Ski lifts
4
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
1
Quad lift (4-person)
3
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
0
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
This ski area usually plans to be open from early December until early to mid-April. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Niseko HANAZONO is open from 8:30am until 4:30pm in the daytime.
Night skiing
Night skiing is from 4:30pm until 7:00pm and planned daily from Saturday 13th December 2025 until Sunday 22nd March 2026.
Park & Niseko Rules
HANAZONO PARK calls itself one of the largest terrain parks in Hokkaido. There are a few distinct areas and it should be open from around mid-December. There's a few areas known as Hanazono Main Park, Gondola Park and Hana2 Mini Park.
There are 11 backcountry gates across the ski areas in Niseko providing backcountry opportunities.
Official Niseko Rules have been established to reduced and try to prevent accidents in backcountry areas:
Always use gates when entering backcountry areas.
Do not duck boundary ropes
Everyone skiing/snowboarding in backcountry areas should wear a helmet and carry an avalanche beacon
Backcountry skiing/snowboarding is prohibited when gates are closed.
Never enter off-limits areas at any time (except for official rescue and research operations).
Elementary school children are not allowed in backcountry areas unless accompanied by an elder companion.
Families & children
There are various activities for children in the base area. The Galaxy of Kidz facility is an indoor kids centre with various activities including climbing walls and a ball pools. The charge to use is 3,300 yen per session.
Lessons
A number of ski and snowboard schools operate around the Niseko resort areas, offering lessons in English and other languages.
Rental
There are many ski and snowboard equipment and wear rental facilities are available around the Niseko resort areas, including at the base HANAZONO 308 building.
Lift ticket prices
The lift ticket charges shown below cover all four of the Niseko United ski areas - Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu, Niseko HANAZONO Resort, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri Kokusai - during the peak Regular season (Saturday 13th December 2025 until Sunday 22nd March 2026).
1 day: 12000 yen, 7200 yen, 10200 yen (ticket office price)
2 days: 23500 yen, 14100 yen, 20000 yen (ticket office price)
3 days: 35000 yen, 21000 yen, 29800 yen (ticket office price)
4 days: 46500 yen, 27900 yen, 39500 yen (ticket office price)
5 days: 58000 yen, 34800 yen, 49300 yen (ticket office price)
6 days: 69500 yen, 41700 yen, 59100 yen (ticket office price)
7 days: 81000 yen, 48600 yen, 68900 yen (ticket office price)
50 Hour Pass: 115400 yen (only available online)
(Ticket type: 16-64 years, 4-12 years, 13-15 years & 65 years and over)
2025-2026 Season: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Lift Tickets
The below lift tickets are valid at just Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu and Niseko HANAZONO Resort.
PM 4 hours: 7800 yen, 4700 yen, 6600 yen
1 day: 11000 yen, 6600 yen, 9400 yen (ticket office price)
2 days: 21500 yen, 12900 yen, 18300 yen (ticket office price)
3 days: 32000 yen, 19200 yen, 27200 yen (ticket office price)
4 days: 40300 yen, 24200 yen, 34200 yen (only available online)
5 days: 50300 yen, 30200 yen, 42800 yen (only available online)
6 days: 60300 yen, 36100 yen, 51300 yen (only available online)
7 days: 70300 yen, 42100 yen, 59600 yen (only available online)
Night: 6000 yen, 3600 yen, 5100 yen (ticket office price)
30 Hour Pass: 63600 yen (only available online)
50 Hour Pass: 91900 yen (only available online)
Gondola return: 4100 yen, 2900 yen
(Ticket type: 16-64 years, 4-12 years, 13-15 years & 65 years and over)
Regular Season is from Saturday 13th December 2025 until Sunday 22nd March 2026.
Early Season is from Saturday 29th November 2025 until Friday 12th December 2025.
Spring Season is from Monday 23rd March 2026 until Sunday 5th April 2026.
Night skiing is from Saturday 13th December 2025 until Sunday 22nd March 2026.
All lift tickets are cheaper during the Early and Spring season periods and cheaper tickets are available online.
Historical snow depth data
The following ski season and official snow depth data have been independently compiled by SnowJapan for publication on this website. Where available, the data is updated annually after each ski season.
First and last dates of recent seasons
2025-2026 season: 5th December - 12th April (129 days)
2024-2025 season: 4th December - 13th April (131 days)
2023-2024 season: 2nd December - 7th April (128 days)
2022-2023 season: 5th December - 9th April (126 days)
2021-2022 season: 4th December - 3rd April (121 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 315cm on 17th February
2024-2025 season: 330cm on 19th February
Resources
Daily weather & snow reporting on SnowJapan
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listing in the region
Freedom Inn (about 0.5km)
SnowJapan Directory: travel services listings in the region
Introduction to the region
Hokkaido is the second-largest and most northerly of Japan's four main islands. It is separated from Aomori Prefecture on the Honshu mainland by the Tsugaru Strait (and connected by the Seikan Tunnel railway).
Hokkaido is the largest prefecture in Japan, forming its own 'region'. Unlike most other prefectures, it is usually referred to simply as 'Hokkaido', rather than 'Hokkaido Prefecture'. Sapporo City is the capital of Hokkaido and is famous for, among other things, the annual Sapporo Snow Festival held in February.
With a colder climate than most of Japan, Hokkaido enjoys some of the most consistent snowfall and conditions in the country. There are more ski areas in Hokkaido than in any other prefecture in Japan, and they are scattered throughout the mountains of the large island.
Hokkaido is home to some of Japan's most famous ski areas. The ski areas in Niseko and Kutchan in the west, and Furano in the central region, have long been popular with Japanese skiers. In recent years, those ski resorts, along with several others, have gained a worldwide reputation and now attract a significant number of overseas visitors.
In striking contrast to the international feel and increasing exclusivity of such resorts, most of the ski areas in Hokkaido are very small. The majority have only one or two ski lifts (often single-person or surface-rope tow lifts), and some are even free to use. Many of these small ski areas are owned and operated by the local village or town and very much cater to locals.
Niseko Hanazono Resort is one of 3 ski areas currently operating in Kutchan Town.
About the information on this page
SnowJapan independently researches, checks and updates the information on this page at least once each year, in the lead-up to every ski season. We also update it whenever we become aware of other changes. The information published on SnowJapan is based on independent research using official Japanese-language sources and is not supplied by ski areas. If you are planning to visit a ski area, we recommend checking the official ski area website for the latest operational information. We take great care to keep the information on SnowJapan accurate and up to date. However, SnowJapan accepts no responsibility for decisions made based on information published on this website.
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