Record Season Wraps up In Japan

Record Season Wraps up In Japan

Season Wrap-Up at Japan’s Best Resorts

Japan’s 2024–25 winter season has officially wrapped up with record-breaking snowfall in Hakuba and brand new lifts at some of the major resorts. Niseko saw a major upgrade with a new gondola which opened at the start of the winter and the announcement of further lift upgrades for next year. Hakuba Iwatake also opened a brand new gondola as well making it a big season for Japan’s resorts. Our team was on the ground all winter long experiencing firsthand just how the winter unfolded.

Early Snowfall in Niseko

Niseko

A major highlight of the Niseko season was the debut of a brand new 10-seat gondola in Grand Hirafu. This new gondola replaces the much loved Center 4 chairlift and offers a faster, more comfortable ride with spacious cabins. Niseko received 815.5 cm of snowfall, including an impressive early snowfall of around 142cm by December 17 which meant a lot of terrain was able to open up quite quickly.
Grand Hirafu is currently working on additional upgrades for next winter including a brand new chairlift to replace the King Quad #3 chairlift with a brand new 6-seater chair (with heated seats!) meaning more time spent riding and less time queuing. Grand Hirafu are also upgrading their on-mountain restaurants for next winter with more details to be announced later.

Opening Day at the Ace Gondola in Hirafu

Ben: “I’ve never seen a December like it! Out of my twenty-plus winters, this one stands out as being one of the most fun. It was great to see so many of our guests enjoying themselves on the mountain.”

Duncan: “Having the backcountry gates open so early – right after Christmas – was a huge benefit this year.”

Alister: “The new Ace Gondola is such a big upgrade from the old 4 seater chair. The ride up is so much more comfortable and warm, and the morning queue gets processed so much faster. Even during peak season there’s hardly a wait which is awesome!”

Managing Director Ben Thorpe Riding in Niseko

Hakuba

Hakuba had one of its snowiest winters in recent memory, with Happo-One recording 782 cm of snowfall by mid-February. This one of the largest snowfalls in 70 years with many saying it was a record breaker. Hakuba Iwatake opened a brand new 10-seater gondola this winter, making it the biggest lift upgrade in the Hakuba Valley in recent years.

Sarah: “Winter 2024/25 was nothing short of spectacular in Hakuba! The 10 ski resorts that make up the Hakuba Valley experienced record breaking snowfall and the skiing conditions were phenomenal. Powder day after powder day, it really felt like the snow didn’t stop. 70 or 80cm overnight wasn’t uncommon! With Iwatake mountain resort’s brand new gondola up and running, and the village buried so deep in snow, it was a really exciting time to be in Hakuba. It really felt like lots of guests enjoyed exploring more and trying all the different resorts – which is a great thing, as we love to encourage everyone to enjoy everything Hakuba has to offer. It was so lovely to see lots of happy smiling faces around town after a big day in the powder!”

Sarah in Hakuba with Friends on a Powder Day

Thao: “Probably one of the best winters in the last 10 years for Hakuba. December set the tone right for the whole season with close to 3 metres of snowfall, and this snowstorm continued throughout the first three months of 2025. Plenty of smiles, plenty of woo-hoo’s on the slopes, and probably too much snow clearing that left my arms sore for days. I was constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be living in one of the snowiest places on earth, and I hope the 500+ groups of guests we assisted had a wonderful time in the valley too! Hope Winter 25/26 is just as good, if not better, but in the meantime, I will treasure the warmer days and get ready for another epic season.”

Thao Digging her Car out of the Snow

New Gondola at Hakuba Iwatake Resort

Rusutsu

Rusutsu recorded 992 cm of snowfall according to local reports, with the snowiest week in late December, when the resort averaged 43 cm of snow each week. Even with slight fluctuations in snowfall levels, Rusutsu’s powder conditions remained exceptional all season long.

Duncan: “Rusutsu never disappoints. The powder here is always legendary, and the conditions were fantastic this year.”

Alister: “Another great season at Rusutsu! The powder is amazing at Rusutsu of course, but the team there does such a great job with the groomers so even if it’s not a powder day, it’s still an unreal day. This winter there was a bit of a break in the powder, so getting some groomer laps in at Rusutsu was absolutely my go-to. I highly recommend checking out Rusutsu if you haven’t already!”

Great Views in Rusutsu

Furano

Furano had a total snowfall of 513cm which was slightly less than the previous year’s total, it still provided more than enough snow for a fantastic winter, particularly in December and January when the conditions were at their best. February and March had more sunny days with lighter snowfalls occurring frequently.

Ben: “Furano had plenty of snow to ensure great conditions all season long. Even with a lighter snowfall compared to last year, it’s still an amazing place to ski.”

Alister: “If Furano had less snow than usual, it sure didn’t seem like it. The terrain in Furano is great no matter how much snow, and there were plenty of great powder days as well as sunny ones. My favourite moment for me this winter in Furano was actually a sunny day in the Furano backcountry when there was just a few centimeters of snow overnight. Just goes to show that you don’t need huge snowfall every day to enjoy skiing in Furano!”

Great Snow and Skiing in Furano

Next Winter

At the time of writing, it is too early for long-range forecasts to be released for the 2025-26 winter, however at current there is a 60% chance of ‘neutral’ La-Nina / La-Nino conditions in the lead up to winter – meaning that the snowfall is likely to be about average. This doesn’t sound too bad when you consider that the average snowfall at some of Japan’s best ski resorts is between 10 – 15 meters! If you’re waiting to see what the long-range forecasts predict before booking a trip – don’t! The most sought after accommodations begin to get booked out early, so if you’re considering a trip get a quote early so you’ve secured a spot and you’ll be able to see the incredible snowy scenes of Japan.

Snowy Scenes in Japan

About Japan Ski Experience
Founded in 2007, Japan Ski Experience is an industry leading inbound travel agent dedicated to offering ski holidays to Japan’s best ski destinations.

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