Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area
札幌藻岩山スキー場43°01′ N 141°20′ Elocal hill
Sapporo's school-lesson hill on Mt. Moiwa let snowboarders in for the first time in 2025/26 and lights eight of its ten runs above the city until 21:00.
Photo Takisaw · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Beginner5.1 km
- Intermediate2.2 km
- Advanced1.6 km
Mt. Moiwa rises straight out of Sapporo's southern suburbs, and the city has run a ski area on it since 1960. Generations of Sapporo children learned to ski here on school lessons. In 1990 it sold about 2.87 million lift rides. For decades it was one of the few hills in Hokkaido that refused snowboards.
A new operator, Hokkaido Square, took over in April 2025 and opened every course to snowboarders that winter. It also brought in IC gates and a Hokkaido-resident price that drops a day ticket to ¥4,100. Board rental had not started by the end of that first season, so bring your own. Lifts 1 and 2 are now being rebuilt, and the terrain stays closed until 20 December 2026.
How it rides
- Powder
- 2 out of 5
- Trees
- 1 out of 5
- Steeps
- 3 out of 5
- Sidecountry
- 1 out of 5
- Park
- 1 out of 5
- Beginners
- 4 out of 5
- Family
- 4 out of 5
- Quiet
- 3 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- Après
- 1 out of 5
The steep runs sit on the north slope. Karamatsu tips to 38 degrees and keeps ungroomed sections. Dynamic is shorter and drops at 37 straight toward the city. Moguls build on Usagidaira's 35-degree pitch. The Kanko-doro course follows the Mt. Moiwa tourist road for 2,620 metres while it is closed to cars for winter. After dark eight runs stay lit until 21:00 over the city. M's Norte in the North Lodge does a ¥2,500 Moiwa Snow Mountain Curry heaped with fried food.
Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Every run at Sapporo Moiwayamaコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt.Moiwa Kanko Road藻岩山観光自動車道 | 2,489 m | 212 m | 15.6° | 4.9° | 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.
More named runs from the trail map
Karamatsuからまつ800 m
The steepest course on Moiwa reaches 38 degrees and includes ungroomed sections. It is not lit at night.
Good for steepest pitch, ungroomed snow
Dynamicダイナミック290 m
Short and steep at up to 37 degrees. It points straight down at Sapporo and is lit at night.
Good for short steep laps, city views
Usagidairaうさぎ平840 m
A mogul course reaching 35 degrees with a 15-degree average. It stays lit until 21:00.
Good for moguls, night laps
Crystalクリスタル470 m
An intermediate run that steepens to 28 degrees. Lit at night.
Good for intermediate laps, night riding
Panoramaパノラマ800 m
The south side's main run tops out at 24 degrees. Lit for night riding.
Good for views, relaxed cruising
Kanko-doro観光道路2,620 m
The longest run follows the Mt. Moiwa tourist road at about 5 degrees. Cars stay off the road all winter, and on a board you need to keep your speed up.
Good for longest run, gentle descent
Rinkan林間516 m
A forest course with an 18-degree maximum. Daytime only.
Good for forest run
Peaks, gates and named areas
Know the zones before you goエリア
North slope北斜面
zoneAdvanced
The main side of the hill holds the North Lodge, the restaurant, rental and the steep courses. Parking here takes about 450 cars.
Good for steep pitches, night riding, city views, moguls
South slope南斜面
zoneIntermediate
Lift 4 serves the south side and the Panorama course, with its own car park for about 250 cars. There is no rental on this side.
Good for quieter cruising, Panorama course
Fun×Fun SQUARE
zoneBeginner
A renovated beginner and sled area beside the North Lodge, set up for people trying snow for the first time.
Good for first-timers, sledding
Beyond the ropes · closed
Leaving the managed area and riding backcountry are prohibited, and the area can confiscate lift tickets and bill for search and rescue.
- Do not leave the managed ski area; backcountry riding is banned
- Roped closures are off-limits
- Lift tickets can be confiscated for breaking the rules
- Search and rescue costs may be charged
- Equipment must have metal edges; helmets are recommended
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
Bring your own board. There was no snowboard rental in 2025/26.
Hokkaido residents with ID pay ¥4,100 for a day and ¥1,600 for a night from 18:00.
The time tickets count down in one-hour blocks, so a 5-hour ticket covers several short evening sessions.
The shuttle from Makomanai subway station costs ¥1,000 and takes about 15 minutes; Sapporo primary-school pupils ride free.
Karamatsu and Rinkan go unlit at night. Ride them in daylight.
Check the website before you go in December 2026. Lift construction keeps the terrain closed until at least 20 December.
5 mapped lifts
The liftsリフト
Getting thereアクセス
From New Chitose Airport
- Drive
- about 1 hr 10 min
- Train
- JR Rapid Airport to Sapporo, Namboku subway to Makomanai, then the Moiwa shuttle
From Sapporo
- Drive
- about 20 min via Route 230
- Bus
- Shuttle from Makomanai Chugakko-mae stop to the north slope, about 15 min, ¥1,000, roughly hourly from 08:30; Jotetsu 南98 from Makomanai Station stand 6 to the south slope
- Train
- Namboku subway to Makomanai, then the shuttle
Free parking: about 450 cars at the north slope and 250 at the south. Taxi from Makomanai 10–15 min.
Paid links
Line up the trip around Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area
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 Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Areaよくある質問
How big is Sapporo Moiwayama?
Sapporo Moiwayama has 10 runs and 5 lifts over 358 m of vertical, from 173 m at the base to 531 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 9 km of piste there.
How steep is Sapporo Moiwayama?
The steepest mapped pitch at Sapporo Moiwayama is about 29.8° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model. Its advanced and expert runs add up to 1.6 km of the mapped total.
Can you ride off-piste at Sapporo Moiwayama?
At Sapporo Moiwayama: Leaving the managed area and riding backcountry are prohibited, and the area can confiscate lift tickets and bill for search and rescue.
How much is a lift ticket at Sapporo Moiwayama?
An adult day ticket at Sapporo Moiwayama costs ¥7,000 in the 2025/26 main season. Bankei × Moiwa common day pass holders ride here too.
Does Sapporo Moiwayama have night riding?
Yes. Sapporo Moiwayama runs night lifts 16:00–21:00. Eight of the ten courses are lit; Karamatsu and Rinkan are not. No night session on 31 December or 1 January. 2025/26 night tickets: ¥3,000 from 16:00 or ¥2,500 from 18:00, with Hokkaido-resident prices of ¥2,200 and ¥1,600.
How do you get to Sapporo Moiwayama from New Chitose Airport?
Sapporo Moiwayama is about 1 hr 10 min by car from New Chitose Airport.
When is the season at Sapporo Moiwayama?
Sapporo Moiwayama usually opens late December and closes mid-March. The deepest, most reliable snow comes january to February.