Destination · Japow
Hokkaido ski resorts beyond Niseko: Furano, Rusutsu, Kiroro
Furano and Kiroro cost about a third less than a Niseko peak day; Rusutsu costs more at the window. Pass status and access from New Chitose for each.
Furano and Kiroro cost about a third less than a Niseko peak day, and Rusutsu costs more at the ticket window than Niseko does. Furano is on Ikon, Rusutsu is on Epic, and Kiroro is on neither pass. From Tokyo, all three start with a flight to New Chitose (about 1.5 hours), then two to three hours by bus or rail.
Dollar figures convert at ¥155 to US$1, rounded. You pay in yen, so check the rate.
How do Furano, Rusutsu and Kiroro compare?
Furano and Kiroro are the cheaper days and Rusutsu the dearest, with Niseko as the yardstick. Prices are adult day tickets for 2026-27.
| Resort | Adult day, main dates | Cheaper dates | Pass | From New Chitose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furano | $58 (¥9,000), 5 Dec to 22 Mar | $48 (¥7,500) | Ikon 7 days | 2.5 to 3 h by rail |
| Rusutsu | $110 (¥16,700) at the window, $85 (¥13,200) online, 19 Dec to 14 Mar | $51 (¥7,900) before 12 Dec | Epic 5 days, not Ikon | 2 to 2.5 h by bus |
| Kiroro | $59 (¥9,200), 12 Dec to 11 Apr | $37 (¥5,800) | Neither | about 2.5 h by rail and bus |
| Niseko | $87 (¥13,500) at peak | $57 (¥8,800) | Ikon 7 days | 2.5 to 3.5 h |
Snow depth is where Kiroro leads. One database lists typical peak bases of 355 cm at Kiroro, 229 cm at Furano and 217 cm at Rusutsu. Those are database figures, not resort measurements, and no source promises powder on any date.
Furano: is it the cheaper Ikon option?
Furano is the cheaper Ikon option next to Niseko: an adult day is $58 (¥9,000) from 5 Dec to 22 Mar and $48 (¥7,500) from 28 Nov to 4 Dec and 23 Mar to 5 May, per the operator’s own page. The season, 28 Nov 2026 to 5 May 2027, is tentative and depends on snow and lifts. Night skiing runs from mid-December to 21 Mar: $20 (¥3,100) on weekdays, $25 (¥3,900) on weekends, holidays and 26 Dec to 3 Jan.
Many guides still show $52 (¥8,000). That is last season’s price.
- Pass: the Ikon page lists 7 days on the full pass and 5 on Base. One guide says there is no resort-specific blackout; check the Ikon page for 2026-27 dates.
- Getting there: the Rapid train to Sapporo, then the Furano Line, takes about 2.5 to 3 hours from New Chitose. A Resort Liner bus and a Sapporo express bus also run. The Resort Liner took about 120 minutes and cost about $39 (¥6,000) in an earlier season, per a database; the 2026-27 fare is unclear right now, so check the operator page before you go.
- Suits: Ikon holders, and skiers who want Hokkaido snow for about a third less than a Niseko peak day. One database says guides rate it beginner to intermediate friendly.
- Open figures: vertical (sources say 839 to 964 m), lift and course counts, and English support are unconfirmed.
- Off-snow: the tourism site names local onions and a cheese factory; no onsen is named.
Rusutsu: why is the ticket window so expensive?
Rusutsu charges $110 (¥16,700) for an adult day at the window from 19 Dec to 14 Mar and $85 (¥13,200) online. The window price is $23 (¥3,500) above the online price. It is also above Niseko’s peak ticket, and the online price sits just under it.
Early dates cost less: $51 (¥7,900) at the window from 28 Nov to 11 Dec, then $68 (¥10,500) from 12 to 18 Dec and 15 to 31 Mar. Regular-period window prices for 2, 3 and 5 days are $170 (¥26,000), $250 (¥39,000) and $420 (¥65,000). Night skiing, 16:00 to 20:00 from mid-December to 30 March, is $26 (¥4,000) at the window. The season is listed as 28 Nov 2026 to 31 Mar 2027; some listings say 30 Mar.
- Pass: Epic holders get 5 consecutive days. The Epic partner page lists no restricted dates, but one trade magazine shows blackouts including 26 to 31 Dec 2026 and 13 to 14 Feb 2027, and Rusutsu’s own Epic page carries a 2025-26 label. Check the Epic page. Not on Ikon.
- Getting there: about 2 hours by bus from Sapporo, $17 (¥2,600) on Donan Bus or $35 (¥5,500) on Hokkaido Access Network, and 2 to 2.5 hours from New Chitose for $35 (¥5,500) in 2025-26. The resort shuttle was free and turns paid from 28 Nov 2026; the 2026-27 fares are unclear right now.
- Suits: Epic holders, and anyone who wants the hotel on site. One guide lists an indoor pool, onsen baths, restaurants and two large hotels, Rusutsu Resort Hotel and Westin. The amusement park is summer only.
- Open figures: terrain split by level, a settled lift count (17 or 18 by source) and English support are unconfirmed.
- Soak: one guide lists onsen baths at the resort; the bath name, price, hours and tattoo rule are unconfirmed.
Can you drift in the snow at Rusutsu?
Yes, as a passenger. The resort sells snow drift ride-alongs for the 2026-27 season, listed as mid-December 2026 to late February 2027 (dates may change, and weather can cancel). A 4-minute ride costs $110 (¥17,000) each for 1 or 2 people, $90 (¥14,000) for 3 to 5 and $71 (¥11,000) for 6 or more, and $175 (¥27,000) each in a GT-R or GR Yaris. A passenger needs no licence and must be at least 140 cm tall. Book by 17:00 the day before, and check the Rusutsu snow driving page for dates and prices.
This is the winter drift option while the Ebisu taxi is unconfirmed. The comparison is in Can you ride a drift taxi in Japan without a licence?
Before you book Book the snow drift car ride before the lift ticket: the resort wants the booking by 17:00 the day before.
Kiroro: the cheap, deep one?
Kiroro’s adult day ticket is $59 (¥9,200) in the high season, 12 Dec 2026 to 11 Apr 2027, and $37 (¥5,800) on early and spring dates (28 Nov to 11 Dec, 12 Apr to 5 May). Night skiing in the high season is $19 (¥3,000). Last season’s high-season price was $57 (¥8,800). The season is tentative and prices can change in season.
- Pass: not on the Ikon or Epic lists.
- Getting there: the Hokkaido Resort Liner from Sapporo takes 90 to 150 minutes, costs $16 (¥2,500) and needs a reservation. It runs mid-December to early April per a page updated in November 2025, so the 2026-27 fare and schedule are unclear right now: check the operator page before you go. By car from Sapporo it is about 70 minutes. From New Chitose, the Rapid to Otaru (74 minutes) plus the Otaru bus (75 minutes) comes to about 2.5 hours and $33 (¥5,040), per a database.
- Suits: skiers with no pass who want a lower ticket than Niseko. The resort lists 22 groomed courses and 14 in-bounds off-piste areas on its winter page, with about 660 m of vertical per a database.
- Open figures: a current lift status (the official panel looks out of date) and English staff levels are unconfirmed. The resort has an English site and phone line.
- Off-snow: Otaru is the nearest town; no bath, price or hours are sourced.
Is the 2026-27 snow looking good?
The 2026-27 outlook leans warm, though Hokkaido fares better than Honshu. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s September outlook (unconfirmed figures) gives Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan side a 40% chance of below-normal snowfall, 40% near normal and 20% above. The reports do not map each resort to an outlook zone. A snow-forecast site rates Hokkaido the better of the two main islands, and a snow-report site says it tends to stay reliable into early March.
To verify Guide prices and the resorts’ own pages disagree in places. This page uses the resort’s price; check the resort’s ticket page before you pay.
What do the rules say about leaving the piste?
No gate or backcountry rules for Furano, Rusutsu or Kiroro are confirmed, and a missing rule is not permission. Read Backcountry & safety, then ask the resort before you go past the rope.
Where next?
Check pass rules in Passes & prices, plan the route in Tokyo to ski resorts and see the ranked list in Best ski resorts in Japan. The Honshu side is in Honshu ski resorts beyond Hakuba. Back to Japow.
Questions
Furano and Kiroro, level on main dates: $58 (¥9,000) and $59 (¥9,200) for an adult day. Rusutsu is $110 (¥16,700) at the window and $85 (¥13,200) online. Kiroro has the lowest early and spring price at $37 (¥5,800).
Furano is on Ikon: the Ikon page lists 7 days on the full pass and 5 on Base. Rusutsu is on Epic for 5 consecutive days and not on Ikon. Kiroro is on neither list.
Rusutsu is about 2 to 2.5 hours by bus, Kiroro about 2 hours 30 by rail and bus, and Furano 2.5 to 3 hours by rail. Winter 2026-27 timetables and fares for the Furano and Kiroro buses are not confirmed, so check the operator.
Yes, as a passenger. The resort sells snow drift ride-alongs for 2026-27, listed as mid-December 2026 to late February 2027, from $71 (¥11,000) each. A ride needs a booking by 17:00 the day before. Dates and prices can change, so check the Rusutsu snow driving page.
Many show last season's. Furano's regular adult day is $58 (¥9,000) for 2026-27, not the $52 (¥8,000) in older guides. Kiroro is $59 (¥9,200) against $57 (¥8,800) last season. A 2025 guide shows Rusutsu at $47 (¥7,300), far below its $110 (¥16,700) window price now. Use the resort's own ticket page.