Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort features seven courses that cater to skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels, making it a popular destination for families. In addition to the slopes, the resort also offers snow banks for sledding. The ski area boasts a newly constructed snow escalator, which makes it an ideal spot for beginners. Advanced snowboarders will appreciate the downhill course, which includes a board park with a jump and moguls.

If you're planning to visit Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort, you can take a direct bus from either JR Sapporo Station or the Sapporo Municipal Subway Makomanai Station on the Namboku Line.

To catch the bus from JR Sapporo Station, you'll need to go to the bus terminal outside the south exit and find the No. 17 stand. The bus terminal is located on the first floor of the commercial complex ESTA. It is recommended to take the underground passage to reach the bus terminal as it can be difficult to find the entrance from street level.

From the underground shopping mall, make your way towards ESTA. You'll see stairs that directly lead to each bus stop near the underground entrance of ESTA. Take the stairs that go to the Nos. 13 ~ 18 bus stands.

Some of the direct buses to Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort also make stops at hotels in Sapporo City center. If you are staying at a hotel in the city, you can inquire at the hotel for more information.

Please note that this bus gives priority to those with reservations. If the bus is fully booked when it is ready to depart Sapporo, you will not be able to board it without a reservation. Therefore, it is advisable to make a reservation in advance.

Sapporo Bankei is a popular skiing destination among tourists in Sapporo due to its convenient operating hours, with the resort being open until 10 PM. Additionally, the resort offers rental equipment for all your skiing needs. There are a variety of 17 courses available, ranging from gentle slopes for beginners and families to challenging courses used in international competitions. The resort also features the Snow Kids Park with sleds and snow tubes for children to enjoy.

If you take the ban.K Bus, which departs from the Maruyama Park Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Tozai Line, you can get to Sapporo Bankei Ski Resort in about 13 minutes.

After you exit the ticket gate at Maruyama Park Station, follow the directions displayed in the bus terminal. After a 1 or 2-minute walk, you will come to the stairs and an escalator which will take you up to the bus waiting room.

If you plan to go to Bankei Ski Resort, take the green bus with “ban.K” written in large letters on it. It departs from platform 4 of this bus terminal. However, please note that other buses to different destinations also leave from here. Don't assume that others carrying ski equipment are going to the same resort as you.

If you're looking for a great night view of the city, you can head to the SNOW CRUISE ONZE, which is a popular ski area that offers a stunning view of the sea from its slopes. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you can enjoy the gentle slopes, steep ones, and moguls this ski area has to offer.

To get to SNOW CRUISE ONZE from the Miyanosawa Station of the Tozai Sapporo Municipal Subway, you can take a free shuttle bus. You can also take this bus from Teine Station, but for our purposes, we will explain the route from Miyanosawa Station.

To begin, find Exit No. 5 in Miyanosawa Station. After passing through the ticket gate, turn left and you will see an escalator to your right. Take the escalator up and proceed along the underground passageway until you reach Exit No. 5, which will take you to the street level.

It is important to note that the shuttle bus to SNOW CRUISE ONZE departs from a place other than the normal bus terminal and is free. Therefore, follow the directions towards the No. 5 Exit and disregard the bus terminal posted directions.

After going out Exit No. 5 to the street level, turn right and walk straight down the sidewalk. You are headed in the right direction if you go down the sidewalk as shown in this picture. If you go past the left side of SEIYU, you will see the signboard for Sorachi Shinkin Bank on the other side of the road.

The signboard for Sorachi Shinkin Bank (a vertical white board with blue lettering) is located close to the free shuttle bus stop. The shuttle bus does not have a designated bus stand, so if you're unsure where to go, you can show the photo of the signboard to someone who can guide you.

During the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, the Sapporo Teine location served as the venue for bobsled, luge, and ski alpine competitions. The area is divided into an Olympia zone and a Highland zone, each of which can be accessed by gondola. Both zones have a variety of slopes and courses that cater to different skill levels, from beginners to experts.

If you want to go to Sapporo Teine, you can take the Teine Highland Line JR Hokkaido Bus from JR Teine Station. The bus ride takes approximately 16 minutes.

To get to the bus stand, exit the ticket gates located on the second floor of Teine Station. Proceed straight along the side of the waiting room until you see two exits, south and north. Turn right and take the South Exit. You will find several stairs leading down to the ground level. Take the stairs marked South Exit 3, and you will be able to see the bus stand for the Teine Highland Line bus.

If you're planning to take a JR Hokkaido bus to Sapporo Teine, it's important to know that there are three different bus stops. To ensure you get off at the right one for your destination, we've provided information about each below.

- Seikadai Ski Bamae Bus Stop: This is the stop you should get off at if you're heading to the Dinosaur Kids Park. Please note that there are no rental items available near this bus stop. If you need to rent regular skis and ski wear, we recommend getting off at the next stop, Teine Olympia.

- Teine Olympia bus stop: If you're looking for rental shops and restaurants, this is the stop for you. It's conveniently located near the newly established Olympia Ski Center and is a great place for beginners and those who enjoy night skiing.

- Teine Highland bus stop: This stop is also near several rental shops and restaurants, but it's recommended for more serious skiers. Please note, however, that night skiing is not available here.

Dynasty Ski Resort, with its family-oriented slopes, is ideal for beginners and intermediate skiers, and has a sense of openness about it. In addition to areas where children can enjoy playing safely in the snow, snow rafting is also available, making this a popular place with families.

You can take the free shuttle bus to Dynasty Ski Resort from the Mitsui Outlet Park Sapporo Kitahiroshima outlet mall. From here it is a 10-minute ride to the resort.

Many tour buses also arrive and depart from here, so be careful not to board one of them instead of the small shuttle bus.

To get to the Mitsui Outlet Park Sapporo Kitahiroshima you can use local buses from JR Sapporo Station or Kitahiroshima Station, Fukuzumi Station on the Toyo Line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway, or from Oyachi Station on the Tozai Line. If you are coming from New Chitose Airport, it may be convenient to take an airport shuttle bus going into Sapporo as some of them also make a stop here.

Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area has 10 courses for beginners to experts, but snowboards are not allowed on any of them. By taxi from the city center it takes about 30 minutes. Skiing at night is also possible and affords an excellent night view of the city and the slopes are popular because they are easily accessible.

Getting to the Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area is easy and convenient. Simply take the Jotetsu Bus, a local bus that departs from Makomanai Station on the Namboku Line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway. The bus ride takes only about 15 minutes.

However, it's important to note that there is almost no information displayed about unscheduled buses going to the ski area, even though there are many bus stands at Makomanai Station. To find the right bus, go out from the doors directly in front of the North Exit ticket gate, cross the street at the pedestrian crossing in front of you, and proceed for a few minutes in the direction of the clock tower. There you will see several bus stands where the Jotetsu Bus departs from.

You will want to take the bus from the No. 17 stand, which goes to the Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area.

photo & text: Nobuhiro Kawashima