Iwanai Resort
いわないリゾート42°57′ N 140°31′ Ecat skiing
Iwanai Resort runs snowcats on a coastal volcano west of Niseko, and its bowls and glades hold 30 to 40 degrees above the Sea of Japan.
Photo Wakimasa · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Beginner0.1 km
- Intermediate2.3 km
Iwanai had seven lifts in the bubble years. By the time the town took it over in the early 2000s only one still turned, and YukiKamui bought the lodge and grounds in spring 2017 to build a cat operation on Mt Iwanai.
The terrain is steep for cat skiing. The cats work open bowls and the glades along the old ski runs at 30 to 40 degrees, and a good day adds up to around 5,000 m of vertical over seven to nine runs. The longest drops 690 m from top to bottom. Each cat carries a lead guide and a tail guide besides the driver, and the operator takes advanced riders only because the traverses wear snowboarders down.
How it rides
- Powder
- 5 out of 5
- Trees
- 3 out of 5
- Steeps
- 4 out of 5
- Sidecountry
- 3 out of 5
- Park
- 1 out of 5
- Beginners
- 1 out of 5
- Family
- 1 out of 5
- Quiet
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 2 out of 5
- Après
- 1 out of 5
The single chairlift still runs for the public, and a day on its three groomed runs costs ¥3,000. Touring parties sign in at the lodge before climbing Iwanai-dake by the route that leaves from the resort. Raiden Resort & Spa on the coast nearby pairs with Iwanai Resort for riders who want to stay out this way.
Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Every run at Iwanaiコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANotes | 702 m | 157 m | 20.8° | 12.6° | N | ||
| BNotes | 754 m | 156 m | 16° | 11.7° | N | ||
| CNotes | 856 m | 154 m | 19.8° | 10.2° | N |
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.
Peaks, gates and named areas
Know the zones before you goエリア
Mt Iwanai岩内岳
peakAdvanced
The 1,085 m summit rises straight above the resort with the Sea of Japan below. Expect wind loading and cornices near the top.
Good for sea views, summit tour
Northern bowl (cat zone)
zoneAdvanced
The main bowl north of the summit is the heart of the cat terrain and is closed to hikers. Pitches run 30 to 40 degrees.
Good for open-bowl powder, steep cat laps
Center Pair Lift
liftIntermediate
The 700 m pair chair serves three groomed runs between about 200 and 370 m. A day ticket costs ¥3,000.
Good for cheap laps, warm-up
Beyond the ropes · gates
Tourers climbing Iwanai-dake sign in at the lodge with photo ID, a phone number and their car's plate, and the main northern bowl belongs to the cats. Iwanai town has asked the resort to lead search and rescue on this side of the mountain.
- Sign in at the lodge before touring
- Keep out of the cat-ski zone in the main northern bowl
- No hiking from the top of the chairlift
- Cat guests must carry a transceiver and wear a helmet; minimum age 13
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
Snowboarders should bring poles or a splitboard for the traverses.
Free shuttles leave Kutchan, Hanazono, Hirafu and Niseko Village between 07:00 and 07:30.
Book early. Cancellations inside 14 days get no refund.
Iwanai Kogen Hotel is a separate business nearby and does not run the cats.
1 mapped lifts
The liftsリフト
Getting thereアクセス
About 40–50 minutes by car from Niseko via Route 5 and Route 276. Cat guests ride a free shuttle from Kutchan, Hanazono, Hirafu and Niseko Village at 07:00–07:30, returning about 16:30.
Paid links
Line up the trip around Iwanai Resort
Some of these links pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and keeps the guide independent. How the links work
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 Iwanai Resortよくある質問
How big is Iwanai?
Iwanai has 3 runs and 1 lifts over 690 m of vertical, from 210 m at the base to 1,085 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 2.6 km of piste there.
How steep is Iwanai?
The steepest mapped pitch at Iwanai is about 20.8° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model.
Can you ride off-piste at Iwanai?
Tourers climbing Iwanai-dake sign in at the lodge with photo ID, a phone number and their car's plate, and the main northern bowl belongs to the cats. Iwanai town has asked the resort to lead search and rescue on this side of the mountain.
How much is a lift ticket at Iwanai?
An adult day ticket at Iwanai costs ¥200,000 in the 2026/27 main season.
Does Iwanai have night riding?
No. Iwanai closes its lifts at dusk.
When is the season at Iwanai?
Iwanai usually opens late December (28 Dec 2025 for the lift area; cat season from about 20 Dec) and closes mid March (15 Mar 2026). The deepest, most reliable snow comes mid January through February.