Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort — Attraction in Sapporo

Sapporo Kokusai is a great place for a day's skiing. Unless you are a very advanced skier, the runs should keep you entertained all day and the quality of snow here is usually as good as anywhere in Hokkaido. It is consistently the first of the major ski slopes around Sapporo to open.

Please keep in mind that Kokusai is not a resort. There are no hotels here and no apres ski. Kokusai is a day trip from Sapporo or Otaru. It's also quite old school, particularly the dining options, which are cafeteria style. There are lots of choices but don't expect anything fancy! The lifts and gondola are excellent and although it can get busy at weekends, you usually don't have to wait more than a few minutes.

What's best about Kokusai? The quality and quantity of the snow! Kokusai's location means it gets hit by all the weather coming over the Sea of Japan. Snow just dumps here and the season is long. The courses are also quite long and the vertical elevation is as good as the bigger resorts in Hokkaido. the views are also wonderful if you're lucky enough to come on a clear day. You can see over the Sea of Japan and down to both Sapporo and Otaru. The new(ish) cafe at the top of the gondola is great, with amazing views and western food. The price of the lift tickets are very cheap. In 2023, it's still only 5,000 Yen for an all day lift pass. That's about $35, which is ridiculously cheap considering the quality of the skiing on offer!

What's not so great? Unless you have a car to drive there, you will have to take the bus. It's easy enough from Sapporo but takes a couple of hours and gets very crowded on weekends. Pro tip: get on at the first stop in Sapporo so you can get a comfortable seat. The food options are also no better than average and a little old fashioned.

On balance though, I would highly recommend Kokusai for a day trip to ski near Sapporo. On balance, the skiing here is better than at Teine, the other main ski area around Sapporo. Teine is closer and more convenient, but Kokusai has the...

The resort is nice and beautiful. Less crowded than Nisekei. However if you book under Get Your Guide (GYG) it’s a waste of time. They send you the ticket it’s useless. You have to fill up a manual form issued by the guide on bus and then queue up to pay deposit yen500/person for ski rental although you may have paid everything in full. And then queue to get your ski wear, gear, shoes. Then go get your locker. Please prepare yen300 per locker in coins (there’s a coin changing machine). Go up 1 level which is level one (arrival is basement for paying n collection) choose your locker. Can store 2 backpacks and 2 pairs of shoes n winter jackets. Do bring some bread before you come cos you can eat before start ski. Remember you have your hp, some money before you lock it becos once lock you cannot open and relock again. It’s yen300 per use. For those who book ski basin it’s a basin for you to ride down. Quite fun though there’s not much details during booking. Sharing photos here. Overall experience ok except that the Get Your Guide didn’t show up with the flag so you can’t find her and you have to “figure” out at meeting point and of course the QR code ticket is useless as queuing to pay, collect is still there. Quite messy cos there are 3 queues (online- only their resort online not get your guide online), then the class queue, then followed by normal queue tho you may have tickets with QR code. Cable car last timing is 1520. So better get the cable car if you plan not to ski down and need to get down. Bus usually leaves around 1600hours. Ok that’s it. Just enjoy the fun holiday & not be affected this...

The shuttle bus took 2.5 hr+ from Sapporo hotel to Kokusai (I took 7:45am Bus from Keio Plaza on Sat morning and arrive at Kokusai at 10:30) and then again took another 2.5 hr+ back to Keio Plaza. The published bus schedule is only punctual at the terminal (I.e. at Keio Plaza and Kokusai), and you should expect to arrive at your destination hotel 1.5 hr late than their schedule!!!

Those who said it takes 40 min drive from Sapporo city is true only when you drive your own car with no traffic jam (when you leave Kokusai at around 4pm, you probably will end up the traffic jam when the Japanese are off from work). So 40 min is not true likely.

Conclusion: Ski runs are flatter than other resorts with their blacks feel like red (their blacks are 30 degree max and in short length), reds like green, and greens are very flat! There are lots of tree runs areas. Shuttle Bus takes too too too too too long. TEINE in terms of public transportation excels it. Many non-skiers/boarders tourists. The ticket office outside the rental building is absolutely inconvenient! They should swap the Ski school counter and the ticket office such that when you finish rentals, you can then buy the ticket right away, same for return skis and the...