Geto Kogen Resort — Attraction in Kitakami

Geto Ski resort in Iwate was nice. The snow at the resort is special, in that it is a denser, wetter, powder that can take a little bit of practice to get used to as a beginner. The medics on site are also were wonderful. And the staff who assisted me, apart from the lift ticket counter, we’re lovely and patient.

But the visitors at the resort were some of the worst I’ve encountered in Tohoku. Some were smoking outside in the ski parking area right as you exit the main lodge when there was a smoking section inside. One, in particular, put me on crutches due to mean spirited behaviour on a beginner slope. But I digress.

The resort is huge and often very busy during peak season. The gondola wait line can take a good chunk of time just to get to the gondolas and then the additional time it takes to reach the summit. If you are only going for a few hours, it’s something you should definitely factor in.

The food that we ordered was the worst katsu I’ve ever eaten in my life. It cost around ¥1200. It was rubbery, overcooked (or nuked in the microwave), and plain inedible. I know the chef was skilled because it takes true talent to mess up katsu that bad. The other sides and the rice were delicious though.

The slopes themselves were nice. The A1 course, although marked for beginners, beware that they are not smoothly groomed. It was a nice course once I got the hang of it, with two main steeper inclines and flattened points in between. They had a nice snowboarding park area towards the bottom that could easily be used for practicing and mastering jumps and tricks.

Even though the resort was crowded, the slope had waves of people with lulls inbetween that made it a nice experience overall for learning in new snow conditions.

For more advanced skiers and boarders, there are a plethora of options. Take note of the trail board, as it will alert you to changing conditions, such as...

It's now no.1 ski/snowboarding resort in my list! I stayed for 5 days in the resort itself and it was a charm. The weather was too windy at the beginning but when it cleared up, the view from the common lodge was spectacular! 🤩

The resort also has big open air bath (rotenburo) and sauna. The food didnt repeat when I was there and am grateful that it's not too much as I dont want to put in weight.

The slopes are amazing! There are steep parts on the beginner runs but otherwise really good! The resort cafeteria and main building also feels modern and new.

For the price of staying at the base of the lifts / gondola, having delicious breakfast and dinner (and access to other options), having an open-air bath and sauna, I think this place is really worth going! I can't wait...

I went to geto kogen in late december 2023 and Febuary 2025. Both times it was very windy. Aside from that it's a big ski resort with a lot of shops and restaurants in the building at the bottom it's almost like an airport. Outside there are lots of slopes for basically all levels of skiing. There is a cable car which takes you to the top from which there are a couple easy routes and some harder routes. There is also a more simple lift which doesn't take you far up the mountain (I think the other lifts were closed). Overall the prices are reasonable compared to places like the US and Europe. The food is a bit pricy (mainly the burgers) but there's a nice variety of food and it tastes...