Japan's longest season — opens in April when everyone else is closing and skis well into summer. Mostly open terrain, spring snow, lift-accessed backcountry.
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 4°C, wind 7 km/h. We’ll resume the daily report once snowfall picks up.
Forecast data via Open-Meteo. Refreshes hourly. Always verify with the resort before driving up.
Why Gassan Ski Resort
Japan's longest season — opens in April when everyone else is closing and skis well into summer. Mostly open terrain, spring snow, lift-accessed backcountry.
Gassan Ski Resort is a hidden-gem ski resort in Yamagata, Tohoku, with 7 marked runs and 300m of vertical. The terrain suits advanced skiers. Expect backcountry access and summer skiing.
Terrain in detail
SeriousPlenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
71
Plenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Cold Tohoku storms — drier than the Sea of Japan coast.
Drier on cold storms, deeper when the Sea of Japan fires.
—
m
per season
Snowfall data not published — frequency is the regional baseline.
Expert runs
4 of 7
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
300m
Compact mountain.
Steepest pitch
—
Pitch not published.
Backcountry gates
Open
Lift-accessed sidecountry — register at the gate.
Tree skiing
Limited
Mostly groomed terrain.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain
Getting there
From airport
Approximately 2 hours from Yamagata Airport
Drive
Rental car recommended Approximately 2 hours from Yamagata Airport
Rental car recommended Approximately 2 hours from Yamagata Airport
Photo: 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Curated guides covering Gassan Ski Resort and the rest of Tohoku.
More resorts in Tohoku
resort town
A long-season resort overlooking the Sea of Japan, run by the Rockwood Hotel — a short hop from the Shinkansen and rarely crowded.
powder-focused
A single ropeway into Tohoku's most legendary backcountry — snow-monster ridges, tree runs through beech forest, and some of Japan's deepest, driest snow. Experts and guides only on most days.
day trip
A city mountain on the edge of Aomori — short lift lines, floodlit night skiing, and a reliable first day of a Tohoku trip.
resort town
Overlooking Lake Tazawa — Japan's deepest — with long cruising runs and a clean shuttle connection from the Akita Shinkansen.
