Guide · Japow
Ikon and Epic passes in Japan: which resorts, how many days
Epic: one 5-day ticket across Hakuba Valley, plus 5 days at Rusutsu. Ikon: ten areas, 7 days on the full pass. Nozawa is on neither. Card rule and break-even.
Epic gives one free 5-consecutive-day ticket valid across all Hakuba Valley resorts, plus a separate 5 consecutive days at Rusutsu in 2026-27. Ikon gives 7 days on the full pass and 5 on Base at ten Japanese areas, from Furano to Appi, and only Niseko United also takes the Session Pass. Nozawa Onsen is on neither. Both passes carry day caps and conditions.
Dollar figures convert at ¥155 to US$1, rounded. You pay in yen, so check the rate. This page is part of the Japow guide, and the one-line version is Can you use an Ikon or Epic pass in Japan?
Which resorts does Epic cover in Japan?
Two destinations: the whole Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu. The days are consecutive, which is stricter than the valley’s own pass, where 5 days can be spread across a 10-day window.
| Destination | Epic days | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Hakuba Valley | 5 consecutive days on one ticket, no blackout dates listed | No night skiing; physical card needed |
| Rusutsu | 5 consecutive days | The page giving the days is labelled 2025-26; blackouts disputed, see below |
The Hakuba Valley ticket covers Jigatake, Kashimayari, Sanosaka, Goryu, Hakuba47, Happo-One, Iwatake, Tsugaike, Norikura Onsen and Cortina.
The conditions, from the official pages:
- Physical card. The Hakuba Valley page says the mobile pass cannot ride the lifts there. Bring the physical card and photo ID.
- No night skiing at Hakuba.
- No Epic lodging or dining discounts in Hakuba.
- Not valid in Japan: Epic Day Passes, Epic Mountain Rewards, Resort Charge and Bring-A-Mate.
- Call first. The Epic partner page asks you to call Vail Guest Services before you arrive. The number is on that page.
- Pass types. The Hakuba Valley page names Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia. The Epic page lists a few more, so check yours is on the list.
To verify Rusutsu. The Epic page lists no restricted dates for Rusutsu. One trade report lists blackouts on 26 to 28 Nov and 26 to 31 Dec 2026, 16 Jan and 13 to 14 Feb 2027. The sources conflict, so look at the Rusutsu entry on the Epic Pass site before you fix dates that fall on those days.
Which resorts does Ikon cover in Japan?
Ten areas, with a cap of 7 days on the full Ikon Pass and 5 on the Base Pass at each destination.
| Resort | Ikon | Base | Session | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niseko United | 7 | 5 | 2 to 4 | The four mountains have their own rows showing no access; use this row |
| Zao Onsen | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page |
| Furano | 7 | 5 | unconfirmed | Ikon page |
| Lotte Arai | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page |
| Myoko Suginohara | 7 | 5 | unconfirmed | Ikon page |
| Nekoma | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page |
| Mt.T | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page; Tanigawadake Tenjindaira |
| Appi Kogen | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page |
| Madarao | 7 | 5 | none | Ikon page; new for 2026-27 |
| Shiga Kogen | listed | listed | unconfirmed | Listed on the Ikon page for 18 areas; days shared across the 18 areas per a guide; confirm individual areas before you spend a pass day |
On the Ikon page rows, only Niseko United takes the Session Pass; Furano and Suginohara Session access is unconfirmed. A press report says Madarao has no blackouts; the Ikon page rows do not say.
Distance matters when the days are capped. By public transport from Tokyo Station, a resort database gives about 2 h 10 min to Madarao, 2 h 11 min to Lotte Arai, 3 h 15 min to Zao, 3 h 23 min to Suginohara and 3 h 26 min to Appi. Niseko needs a flight and about 4.5 to 5 hours door to door, according to one guide, which eats into a short trip.
The 2026-27 Ikon price and Japan blackout dates are on the Ikon Pass site, and a blackout can land on the week you already booked. Last known, 2025-26: the Base and Session passes were blacked out at Niseko on 27 to 31 Dec, 17 to 18 Jan and 14 to 15 Feb, and no Japan blackout was found for other Ikon resorts that season. The 2026-27 dates are unclear right now: check the Ikon Pass site before you buy.
To verify Shiga Kogen: the Ikon page lists the resort, but its rows for individual areas show no access. Confirm which areas count before you spend a pass day.
Which big names are on only one pass, or neither?
Nozawa Onsen is on neither pass, and neither are Kiroro, Naeba, Kagura or the Hakkoda ropeway area. The big names split cleanly between the two passes:
- Hakuba is Epic only. It is not on Ikon.
- Niseko United is Ikon only. It is not on Epic, and it also appears on Mountain Collective’s Japan list, with days not stated.
- Rusutsu is Epic only. It is not on Ikon.
Does a pass pay off on one Japan trip?
Only if the pass costs less than the days you would otherwise buy. Break-even is the pass price divided by the day price. The pass prices are on the Epic and Ikon sites; the table below is what the same days cost without a pass, from official 2026-27 prices.
| Destination | Days without a pass | Official price |
|---|---|---|
| Hakuba Valley | 5 days inside a 10-day window | $345 (¥53,400) |
| Rusutsu | 5 days, regular-season window price | $420 (¥65,000) |
| Niseko regular | 5 days, regular dates | $395 (¥61,000) |
| Niseko spring | 5 days, early and spring dates | $275 (¥42,700) |
| Niseko peak | 7 days, peak dates | $590 (¥91,500) |
| Madarao | 7 single days at $58 (¥9,000) | $405 (¥63,000) |
Epic’s two Japan allowances add up to $765 (¥118,400) at those prices. If the Epic price is higher and Japan is the only place you ski on it, those days do not pay for the pass. If you already hold Epic, the Hakuba days are free, and the table shows what they are worth.
Rusutsu is the soft spot in that sum. A regular-season day is $110 (¥16,700) at the window and $85 (¥13,200) online, so five online days cost $425 (¥66,000), about the same as the 5-day ticket at the window.
Ikon caps are per destination, so a trip split between Niseko and Madarao draws on two allowances. Compare the Base price with the 5-day rows, or the full pass with the 7-day rows. Niseko’s pricing seasons swing the answer: its 5 days cost about 30% less in early and spring weeks than on regular dates.
What should you check before you book?
Check the pass sites and each resort’s page, in this order:
- Ikon Pass site: the 2026-27 price, the Japan blackout dates, and that your resort is listed for your pass type (Ikon, Base or Session).
- Epic Pass site: the Rusutsu entry, and the Vail Guest Services number for the call before you arrive.
- Each resort’s own page: the day price and season dates, because the pass days sit on top of them.
Day tickets for 11 resorts are in Passes & prices. Resort picks are in Best ski resorts in Japan, and the area guides are Niseko and Hakuba.
Questions
One free ticket valid for five consecutive days across all 10 Hakuba Valley resorts (not five days at each), plus a separate five consecutive days at Rusutsu. Night skiing at Hakuba is excluded, and the Hakuba Valley page lists no blackout dates. The Rusutsu page that gives the 5 days is labelled 2025-26, and one trade report lists Rusutsu blackouts, so check the Epic Pass site.
Niseko United is on Ikon: 7 days on the full pass, 5 on Base and 2 to 4 on Session. It is not on Epic. Nozawa Onsen is on neither pass. The Ikon page also lists the four Niseko mountains on separate rows with no access shown, so use the Niseko United row.
Bring one. The Hakuba Valley Epic page says a mobile pass cannot ride the lifts there, and you need photo ID. The Epic partner page also asks you to call Vail Guest Services before you arrive and gives the number.
The 2026-27 price and Japan blackout dates are unclear right now: read both on the Ikon Pass site before you buy. Last known, 2025-26: Base and Session were blacked out at Niseko on 27 to 31 Dec, 17 to 18 Jan and 14 to 15 Feb, and no Japan blackout was found for other Ikon resorts.
Only if its price beats what the same days cost without it. Epic's two Japan allowances are worth $765 (¥118,400) at official window prices: Hakuba 5 days at $345 (¥53,400) plus Rusutsu 5 days at $420 (¥65,000). Compare that with the price on the Epic Pass site. For Ikon, compare the Base price with five days at your resort.