Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort, often known as just Moiwa, is a ski area located in Niseko Town in the western region of Hokkaido.
Moiwa is on the southwestern slopes of Mt Niseko Annupuri and has a long history dating back to 1919.
It is close to the other famous ski areas on the mountain, but is not physically connected and there is no shared lift . Niseko Moiwa has one 1,547m quad lift and two pair lifts (919m and 392m). A few areas are left ungroomed. Backcountry gates 6 and 10 are at the top of the ski area.
Those other ski areas east of Moiwa are known as Niseko United. They are, closest to furthest away, Niseko Annupuri Kokusai, Niseko Village Ski Resort, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko HANAZONO Resort further north.
When people talk about 'Niseko', they are often referring to one of Japan's most popular ski resort regions (rather than just one ski area). The region is located to the west of Sapporo City, with ski areas on the eastern and southern slopes of Mt Niseko Annupuri, within the boundaries of Kutchan Town and Niseko Town. The ski areas afford fine views of the beautiful Mt Yotei to the east. View the full list here.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
800
Vertical (m)
470
Bottom/base (m)
330
Beginner runs (%)
30
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
30
Longest course (m)
2800
Steepest slope (°)
35
Number of courses
8

Ski lifts
3
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
1
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
2
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
Moiwa usually plans to be open from early December until early April . See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort is normally open from 8:30am until 3:30pm every day.
The quad lift is normally open from 9:00am until 3:00pm (and only during the peak season).
Night skiing
There is no night skiing at Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort.
Ungroomed & Niseko Rules
A number of the official courses are left ungroomed.
There are 11 backcountry gates at 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.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 13,000 yen
Child: 3,000 yen
Senior: 12,000 yen
2 days
Adult: 24,700 yen
Child: 5,700 yen
Senior: 22,800 yen
3 days
Adult: 36,200 yen
Child: 8,300 yen
Senior: 33,400 yen
4 hours
Adult: 12,000 yen
Child: 2,000 yen
Senior: 11,000 yen
30 hours
Adult: 52,000 yen
Senior: 52,000 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 91,000 yen
Child: 41,000 yen
Senior: 84,000 yen
Cheaper tickets are available online and also for the early season (until 19th December 2025) and spring season (from 9th March 2026).
A spring season pass, valid from 1st March, is available:
Adults: 28,000 yen
Elementary school age: 13,000 yen
Junior High School age: 14,000 yen
Senior High School age: 24,000 yen
Seniors (65 and over): 26,000 yen
Niseko United lift tickets are not valid at Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort.
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 - 5th April (122 days)
2024-2025 season: 1st December - 6th April (127 days)
2023-2024 season: 2nd December - 7th April (128 days)
2022-2023 season: 3rd December - 9th April (128 days)
2021-2022 season: 4th December - 3rd April (121 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
Data is not available for this ski area.
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 20.4km)
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 Moiwa Ski Resort is one of 3 ski areas currently operating in Niseko 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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