Sapporo Bankei Ski Area
さっぽろばんけいスキー場43°02′ N 141°17′ Elocal hill
Sapporo's closest ski hill sits twenty minutes from the station, and its FIS halfpipe hosted the 2026 Snowboard World Cup.
Photo Wakimasa · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Beginner5.7 km
- Intermediate2.7 km
- Advanced1.4 km
Bankei is the ski hill Sapporo reaches without thinking about it. The base sits 8.5 kilometres from Sapporo Station. The Bankei Bus climbs from Maruyama-Koen subway station in thirteen minutes, and a taxi from downtown runs about ¥3,000. The lifts turn until 21:00 on weeknights and 22:00 on Saturdays. A day ticket carries straight into the night session, and the night ticket alone costs ¥2,000.
The halfpipe is the reason riders from outside the city know the name. At about 180 metres the ban.K pipe is FIS-certified. Japan had gone ten seasons without a World Cup halfpipe before Bankei staged one in March 2026. Sapporo's Ryusei Yamada grew up riding here and took bronze in halfpipe at the Milano-Cortina Olympics a month earlier. Away from the park, the Slalom Bahn averages 30 degrees over 270 metres of ungroomed snow, and the FIS mogul course holds 27.
How it rides
- Powder
- 2 out of 5
- Trees
- 1 out of 5
- Steeps
- 3 out of 5
- Sidecountry
- 1 out of 5
- Park
- 5 out of 5
- Beginners
- 4 out of 5
- Family
- 4 out of 5
- Quiet
- 2 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- Après
- 1 out of 5
On a weeknight the car park fills with office workers and kids fresh out of school. Panke on the second floor of the Center Lodge serves miso ramen and a ban.K burger, and the kitchen takes last orders at 20:00. In September 2026 Bankei opened Hokkaido's first quarterpipe for summer halfpipe training.
Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Every run at Sapporo Bankeiコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurumi | 947 m | 137 m | 22.8° | 8.2° | NW | ||
| Green Forest | 618 m | 105 m | 17.3° | 9.7° | N | ||
| Center A | 441 m | 88 m | 21.7° | 11.1° | N | ||
| Center BセンターBNotes | 411 m | 88 m | 17.7° | 12° | N | ||
| Center C | 434 m | 87 m | 17.8° | 10.9° | N | ||
| West forest | 492 m | 82 m | 18.1° | 9.4° | N | ||
| Kinoko | 443 m | 72 m | 15.7° | 9.1° | NE | ||
| Donguri | 422 m | 41 m | 9.9° | 5.3° | S | ||
| Orange Connection | 458 m | 40 m | 10.1° | 4.6° | N | ||
| OrangeオレンジNotes | 840 m | 215 m | 24.3° | 14.1° | N | ||
| East B | 476 m | 145 m | 24.9° | 16.8° | NW | ||
| Green A | 379 m | 105 m | 22.7° | 15.4° | N | ||
| West AウエストANotes | 408 m | 75 m | 17.3° | 10.5° | N | ||
| East AイーストANotes | 541 m | 147 m | 33.4° | 14.9° | N | ||
| Mogul | 216 m | 102 m | 29.9° | 25.4° | N | ||
| Slalom | 187 m | 92 m | 30° | 26.1° | N | ||
| Half PipePark | 243 m | 54 m | 18.9° | 12.3° | NE |
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
Slalom Bahnスラロームバーン270 m
Short and ungroomed with a 30-degree average. The steepest sustained pitch on the hill.
Good for steep ungroomed, short hard laps
Mogul Bahnモーグルバーン
A FIS-certified mogul course with a 27-degree average. The All-Japan Freestyle Championships have been held at Bankei.
Good for moguls, competition line
Peaks, gates and named areas
Know the zones before you goエリア
ban.K Halfpipeハーフパイプ
parkExpert
The FIS-certified pipe runs about 180 metres. It hosted the FIS Snowboard World Cup in March 2026 and earlier the 2017 Asian Winter Games halfpipe events.
Good for halfpipe, competition training
ban.K Night Parkban.K ナイターパーク
parkIntermediate
Opened in January 2026 on Center B, the night-only park set three kickers of different sizes under the lights. It closed for the season in mid-March.
Good for night park laps, jumps
East Areaイーストエリア
zoneAdvanced
The East Pair lift serves the area Bankei leaves ungroomed. Head there the morning after a snowfall.
Good for ungroomed snow, steeper laps
West Areaウエストエリア
zoneBeginner
The West Pair serves the forest course and the ski-school slopes. The ski school runs its lessons here.
Good for lessons, forest run
Beyond the ropes · closed
The terms of use keep riders inside the managed area and on designated courses, even within the boundary.
- Do not leave the managed ski area
- Stay off undesignated ground inside the boundary
- Skis, snowboards and edged snowfeet only; snow skates and snowscoots are banned
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
Buy the night ticket for ¥2,000 and ride from 16:00. It is one price for all ages.
Hokkaido residents save ¥1,300 on a day ticket with ID.
The Bankei Bus from Maruyama-Koen takes 13 minutes, and on Saturday night sessions a late bus leaves the hill at 22:19.
Public access to the halfpipe can be delayed around competitions, so check the news page before you bring a pipe board.
Parking is free for about 1,000 cars.
Rentals are walk-in only at the Salomon Station; ski and board sets cost the same.
6 mapped lifts
The liftsリフト
Getting thereアクセス
From New Chitose Airport
- Drive
- about 1 hr 20 min
- Train
- JR to Sapporo, Tozai subway to Maruyama-Koen, then the Bankei Bus (13 min)
From Sapporo
- Drive
- about 20 min (8.5 km)
- Bus
- Bankei Bus from Maruyama-Koen (13 min), Hassamu-Minami (20 min, ¥240) or Makomanai (about 20 min, ¥370)
- Train
- Tozai subway to Maruyama-Koen, then the Bankei Bus
Free parking for about 1,000 cars. Taxi about ¥3,000 from Sapporo Station or ¥2,000 from Maruyama-Koen. The Hassamu and Makomanai buses run about every two hours with late departures on night-session days.
Paid links
Line up the trip around Sapporo Bankei Ski Area
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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 Sapporo Bankei Ski Areaよくある質問
How big is Sapporo Bankei?
Sapporo Bankei has 17 runs and 4 lifts over 283 m of vertical, from 200 m at the base to 483 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 10.1 km of piste there.
How steep is Sapporo Bankei?
The steepest mapped pitch at Sapporo Bankei is about 33.4° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model. Its advanced and expert runs add up to 1.4 km of the mapped total.
Can you ride off-piste at Sapporo Bankei?
At Sapporo Bankei: The terms of use keep riders inside the managed area and on designated courses, even within the boundary.
How much is a lift ticket at Sapporo Bankei?
An adult day ticket at Sapporo Bankei costs ¥7,000 in the 2025/26 main season. Bankei × Moiwa common day pass and Hokkaido Ski Season Net holders ride here too.
Does Sapporo Bankei have night riding?
Yes. Sapporo Bankei runs night lifts 16:00–21:00 (Saturdays to 22:00). Mid-December to mid-March (15 December 2025 – 21 March 2026 planned, ended early in warm weather). Night ticket ¥2,000 at one price for all ages, and a day ticket stays valid through the night session. In 2025/26 the ban.K Night Park ran three kickers on Center B under the lights.
How do you get to Sapporo Bankei from New Chitose Airport?
Sapporo Bankei is about 1 hr 20 min by car from New Chitose Airport.
When is the season at Sapporo Bankei?
Sapporo Bankei usually opens mid-December and closes late March. The deepest, most reliable snow comes january to February.