Akabane is a ski area located about 15km south of central Tono City in the southern region of Iwate Prefecture.
This ski area describes itself as the closest family ski area to Tono and the coastal area.
Akabane has three surface lifts, each around 200-250m in length. It usually is only open for night skiing on weekdays with floodlights by all three lifts. On weekends it closes at 4:30pm.
The main course by the lifts is gentle and suitable for beginners, with more of a challenge available on a few trails around the side.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
620
Vertical (m)
80
Bottom/base (m)
540
Beginner runs (%)
50
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
10
Longest course (m)
600
Steepest slope (°)
30
Number of courses
3
Ski lifts
3
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
0
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
0
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
3
Information
Normal season dates
Akabane usually plans to be open from early January until early March. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Akabane is normally open from 9:00am until 4:30pm during the daytime on weekends and until 8:45pm on weekdays.
Night skiing
Night skiing is on weekdays only.
Park
There is a small Mini Park near base.
Families & children
There is a Chibbiko Hiroba area for young children (sledding).
Lessons
There is a ski school offering lessons. Snowboard lessons are available, reservations required.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment is available to rent.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 1,400 yen
Morning
Adult: 800 yen
Afternoon
Adult: 800 yen
1 lift coupon
Adult: 60 yen
12 lift coupons
Adult: 600 yen
Night
Adult: 1,000 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 10,500 yen
Lift tickets are the same price for everyone.
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
2024-2025 season: Actual dates unconfirmed
2023-2024 season: Unable to open due to lack of snow
2022-2023 season: 5th January - 5th March (59 days)
2021-2022 season: 2nd January - 6th March (63 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 30cm on 21st January - 6th February
2024-2025 season: 35cm on 7th February - 1st March
2023-2024 season: 5cm on 4th January
Resources
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
Introduction to the region
Iwate Prefecture is located in the Tohoku region, on the northeastern side of the main island of Honshu. It is the second-largest prefecture in Japan (after Hokkaido). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the west, and Miyagi Prefecture to the south.
Most of the ski areas in Iwate Prefecture are in the western mountainous regions of the prefecture, close to the border with Akita Prefecture.
Appi, Hachimantai Resort Panorama & Shimokura and Shizukuishi are in the northwestern region within the boundaries of Hachimantai City or Shizukuishi Town. In Kitakami City, further to the south, Geto Kogen usually receives some of the heaviest snowfall in Japan and refers to itself as ‘King of Snow’.
In recent years, both Appi and Geto Kogen, in particular, have been working to attract overseas visitors.
Most of the other ski areas in Iwate Prefecture are smaller operations.
Akabane is the only ski area currently operating in Tono City.
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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