Otaru Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort
朝里川温泉スキー場43°09′ N 141°02′ Elocal hill
Otaru's onsen-valley ski hill sits five minutes off the expressway, and its long runs look straight out over the Sea of Japan.
Photo y_ogagaga · Flickr · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Beginner3.3 km
- Intermediate2.3 km
- Advanced1.1 km
Asarigawa opened in 1968 in the hot-spring valley behind Otaru, about fifteen minutes from the canal and five from the Asari interchange. The runs face the sea, and on a clear morning you ride straight down toward the water. The longest line strings Purple into Yellow for about three kilometres.
The steep stuff sits on the ungroomed courses. Orange pitches to 35 degrees. Blue winds 1,500 metres through forest at up to 29, while Green A is left to grow moguls. Two tree-run zones open off the Tree Run Gate near the top of the Purple lift. One sits at the summit and the other halfway down, and you need a helmet to go in.
How it rides
- Powder
- 3 out of 5
- Trees
- 3 out of 5
- Steeps
- 3 out of 5
- Sidecountry
- 1 out of 5
- Park
- 1 out of 5
- Beginners
- 3 out of 5
- Family
- 2 out of 5
- Quiet
- 4 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- Après
- 2 out of 5
Hotel Musashitei and Hotel Classe in the onsen village below both sell day baths for under ¥1,000. In December 2025 a five-year-old died after being caught in the outdoor conveyor at the base. Police searched the operator's offices, and a third-party committee reported in April 2026 that the automatic stop may have been disabled by staff.
Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Every run at Otaru Asarigawa Onsenコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green BグリーンBNotes | 832 m | 118 m | 15.9° | 8.1° | NE | ||
| Yellow B | 411 m | 101 m | 20.5° | 13.8° | E | ||
| RED A | 697 m | 178 m | 22.8° | 14.3° | E | ||
| Red BレッドBNotes | 760 m | 178 m | 28.3° | 13.1° | E | ||
| Green AグリーンANotes | 448 m | 118 m | 27.1° | 14.8° | NE | ||
| Yellow A | 342 m | 103 m | 19.6° | 16.8° | E | ||
| PurpleパープルNotes | 985 m | 201 m | 24.4° | 11.5° | NE | ||
| OrangeオレンジTreesNotes | 158 m | 81 m | 32.1° | 27° | SE |
Lengths, vertical, pitch and aspect are computed from OpenStreetMap run lines and 30 m elevation data. Steepest is the hardest 60 m pitch. Treat them as a guide and trust the signs on the hill.
More named runs from the trail map
Blueブルー1,500 m
This 1,500-metre run cuts through the forest at up to 29 degrees with a 17-degree average. Good shelter from wind off the sea.
Good for forest run, sustained pitch
Peaks, gates and named areas
Know the zones before you goエリア
Tree Run Zoneツリーランゾーン
zoneAdvanced
Two signed areas of trees open inside the boundary at the summit and mid-mountain. You enter through the Tree Run Gate near the top of the Purple lift. Helmets are mandatory and patrol may close them in bad weather.
Good for storm-day trees, short powder laps
Mini Parkミニパーク
parkBeginner
A small park is marked on the course map near the Coffee House. It suits first jumps more than a full park session.
Good for first jumps, kids
Beyond the ropes · gates
Two signed tree-run zones sit inside the boundary at the summit and mid-mountain, and riders enter them through a Tree Run Gate near the top of the Purple lift. Helmets are mandatory in them and the resort accepts no liability.
- Enter the tree-run zones only through the signed Tree Run Gate
- Helmets are mandatory in the tree-run zones
- The resort accepts no liability inside the tree-run zones and may close them in bad weather
Check the daily avalanche report before you leave the resort. Carry a beacon, shovel and probe and know how to use them.
Worth knowing before you go
Ride the Purple lift first on a clear day for the long run with the sea in front of you.
Hokkaido residents get a cheaper day ticket, so bring ID if you live here.
The Chuo Bus Asarigawa Onsen line stops at Onsen-minami, and the lifts are a five-minute walk from there.
Parking is free for about 800 cars.
Stop for a day bath in Asarigawa Onsen on the way back to Otaru for dinner.
4 mapped lifts
The liftsリフト
Getting thereアクセス
From New Chitose Airport
- Drive
- about 1 hr
- Train
- JR to Otaru-Chikko, then the Chuo Bus Asarigawa Onsen line (about 15 min) to Onsen-minami and a 5-minute walk
From Sapporo
- Drive
- about 40 min via the Sapporo–Otaru Expressway (Asari IC, 5 min from the hill)
- Train
- JR to Otaru-Chikko, then the Chuo Bus Asarigawa Onsen line to Onsen-minami
About 15 min by car from central Otaru, or about 30 min on the Chuo Bus from Otaru Station. Free parking for about 800 cars.
Paid links
Line up the trip around Otaru Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort
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Where to stay nearby宿
Soak after温泉
Touring close by山スキー
Towns to base in町
Ride these on the same trip近くの山
Quick answers about Otaru Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resortよくある質問
How big is Otaru Asarigawa Onsen?
Otaru Asarigawa Onsen has 9 runs and 5 lifts over 520 m of vertical, from 140 m at the base to 660 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 7.3 km of piste there.
How much is a lift ticket at Otaru Asarigawa Onsen?
An adult day ticket at Otaru Asarigawa Onsen costs ¥5,500 in the 2025/26 main season.
How do you get to Otaru Asarigawa Onsen from New Chitose Airport?
Otaru Asarigawa Onsen is about 1 hr by car from New Chitose Airport.
When is the season at Otaru Asarigawa Onsen?
Otaru Asarigawa Onsen usually opens mid-December and closes early April. The deepest, most reliable snow comes january to February.