Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
ニセコモイワスキーリゾート42°51′ N 140°38′ E
Moiwa runs three chairs on its own at the western end of the Niseko lifts, and riders pay more than an All Mountain pass costs for birch glades that stay quiet well into the morning.
Photo Wakimasa · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Beginner0.9 km
- Intermediate3.4 km
- Advanced2.6 km
Moiwa stands apart from Niseko United at the western end of the lifts, and you need its own ticket to ride it. Three chairs reach 790 m from a base at 330 m, and the longest run is two kilometres. In 2025/26 a regular-season day cost ¥13,000 at the counter. The four-resort All Mountain pass cost ¥12,000, and Moiwa's price helps keep the crowd thin. Locals have treated it as their powder hill for years.
Giant Run is an ungroomed open face under the gates that pitches up to 35 degrees. The two Shirakaba slopes stay ungroomed through the birch, and on a storm day you can lap them off the Quad alongside the same handful of regulars. Lodge Moiwa 834 at the base has rooms, and Hotel Kanronomori is a short walk down the road.
How it rides
- Powder
- 5 out of 5
- Trees
- 4 out of 5
- Steeps
- 3 out of 5
- Sidecountry
- 4 out of 5
- Park
- 2 out of 5
- Beginners
- 2 out of 5
- Family
- 2 out of 5
- Quiet
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 2 out of 5
- Après
- 1 out of 5
Everything depends on the Quad. In 2025/26 it opened on 13 December, stopped for weeks, came back on 24 January and closed for the season around 25 March, and G6 stays shut whenever the Quad is down. Beyond that gate lie Moiwa's summit and the Mikaeri-no-sawa valley. The routes out run long and pass cliff bands, and the Niseko avalanche reports have flagged full-depth slides in the Moiwa bowl around 800 m.
Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Every run at Niseko Moiwaコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairy Tale妖精の森コースNotes | 539 m | 68 m | 16.7° | 7.2° | S | ||
| Family RunファミリーコースNotes | 353 m | 65 m | 13.5° | 10.5° | S | ||
| Sky SlopeスカイコースNotes | 1,908 m | 428 m | 21.1° | 12.6° | S | ||
| Main BurnメインバーンNotes | 908 m | 229 m | 21.7° | 14.2° | S | ||
| Forest Run林間コースNotes | 605 m | 169 m | 23.9° | 15.6° | SW | ||
| Shirakaba Slope白樺コースTreesNotes | 1,047 m | 272 m | 31.3° | 23.3° | S | ||
| Expert RunエキスパートコースNotes | 836 m | 210 m | 23.7° | 14.1° | SW | ||
| Giant RunジャイアントコースNotes | 668 m | 210 m | 28.8° | 17.3° | S |
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
G6 Moiwa Peak Gateモイワ山頂ゲート
gateExpert
G6 sits at about 800 m beside the top of the Quad and opens only when the Quad runs. It leads toward Moiwa's summit and Mikaeri-no-sawa, and the long way out from there heads toward Goshiki Onsen.
Good for summit trees, Mikaeri-no-sawa
G10 Anbetsu Gateアンベツゲート
gateExpert
G10 sits at about 760 m on the west side of the resort. The Anbetsu valley below it is off limits, and the map marks a cliff band on this side of the resort.
Good for west-side powder
Mt Moiwaモイワ山
peakExpert
The 839 m summit stands just above the Quad and is reached through G6. Its bowl has produced full-depth slides around 800 m, so treat it as avalanche terrain.
Good for short summit tour
Moiwa Quadクワッドリフト
lift
The quad runs about 1,550 m to the top of the resort at 790 m. Giant Run and the Shirakaba glades come off it, and G6 depends on it.
Good for top-to-bottom laps, gate access
Anbetsu valleyアンベツ谷
zone
The valley on Moiwa's west side is closed to riders. G10 opens terrain above it, and patrol marks the boundary.
Beyond the ropes · gates
Moiwa follows the Niseko Rules and uses the Niseko-wide gate numbers. G6 beside the top of the Quad leads toward Moiwa's summit and the Mikaeri-no-sawa valley, and G10 on the west side opens above the Anbetsu valley.
- G6 opens only while the Quad is running
- The Anbetsu valley itself is off limits
- Helmet and avalanche transceiver required beyond the gates
- Expect long hike-outs and cliff bands beyond G6; search and rescue is billed from ¥100,000
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
Check the Quad status before you drive over. Pairs #1 and #2 only reach the lower mountain, and G6 needs the Quad running.
Buy online for about 10% off the counter price.
The Moiwa Banked Slalom runs in late March; the sixth edition was set for 27 March 2026.
The car park is free and holds about 250 cars.
The Hokkaido Resort Liner stops at Hotel Kanronomori. From there it is a 15-minute walk or a 3-minute taxi to the lifts.
3 mapped lifts
The liftsリフト
Getting thereアクセス
From New Chitose Airport
- Drive
- About 2 hr via Route 276 and Bifue Pass
- Bus
- Hokkaido Resort Liner to the Hotel Kanronomori stop, then a 15-minute walk
- Train
- JR via Sapporo and Otaru to Niseko station, then 10–15 min by taxi
From Sapporo
- Drive
- About 2 hr via Route 230 and Nakayama Pass
- Train
- JR to Niseko station via Otaru, then 10–15 min by taxi
A car makes life much easier here. Niseko town's on-demand Nikkotto bus also reaches the area. The car park is free and holds about 250 cars.
Paid links
Line up the trip around Niseko Moiwa Ski 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 Niseko Moiwa Ski Resortよくある質問
How big is Niseko Moiwa?
Niseko Moiwa has 8 runs and 3 lifts over 460 m of vertical, from 330 m at the base to 790 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 6.9 km of piste there.
How steep is Niseko Moiwa?
The steepest mapped pitch at Niseko Moiwa is about 31.3° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model. Its advanced and expert runs add up to 2.6 km of the mapped total.
Can you ride off-piste at Niseko Moiwa?
Moiwa follows the Niseko Rules and uses the Niseko-wide gate numbers. G6 beside the top of the Quad leads toward Moiwa's summit and the Mikaeri-no-sawa valley, and G10 on the west side opens above the Anbetsu valley.
How much is a lift ticket at Niseko Moiwa?
An adult day ticket at Niseko Moiwa costs ¥13,000 in the 2025/26 main season and ¥8,400 early or late in the season.
Does Niseko Moiwa have night riding?
No. Niseko Moiwa closes its lifts at dusk.
How do you get to Niseko Moiwa from New Chitose Airport?
Niseko Moiwa is about 2 hr via Route 276 and Bifue Pass by car from New Chitose Airport. By bus: Hokkaido Resort Liner to the Hotel Kanronomori stop, then a 15-minute walk.
When is the season at Niseko Moiwa?
Niseko Moiwa usually opens early December (5 Dec 2025 on Pair #2; the Quad opened 13 Dec) and closes early April (5 Apr 2026). The deepest, most reliable snow comes mid January to late February.