April 23, 2026
It is definitely still skiable at the end of April. Of course, the snow quality cannot compare to peak season with good accumulation, but as long as I can ski, it’s perfectly fine for me. Plus, not having to wear multiple layers of heavy winter outfits is a big bonus!
The slopes are much less crowded, especially on weekdays. However, almost all the shops were closed when I visited, except for one small store selling drinks, hot snacks, general goods, and souvenirs.
Some of the ski lifts were closed too.
The place is great for beginners since there’s a wide, gentle slope right in front of the main building to practice on. It's a shame that the beginner magic carpet (escalator) was already closed for the end of the season.
Overall, it is still one of the best places where you can reliably find snow for winter activities late in the season.
From a beginner’s point of view, Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort felt more challenging than I expected. I’ve seen it described as beginner-friendly, but after trying it myself as someone who only skis once a year, I found it a bit less forgiving than that. It’s still a nice place overall, but I’d say beginners should go in with realistic expectations.
We went during the autumn foliage season and it was lovely! Weather was perfect and the ski lift ride provides a wonderful experience of viewing the autumn leaves. The only thing they have to improve is the quality of the food in the cafeteria. The curry rice portion is tiny and overall food quality can be improved a lot.
If you are a ski enthusiast, this is the place to visit. Real snow, powdery quality, fantastic for skirt sports.
The entire set up is well maintained, ski-lift and ski-cablecar.
Different restaurants are offered here to cater for different types of tastes.
Small but lovely mountain to visit in the winter. The runs are family-friendly and long, which makes it fun to go with a group. If I were to have hypothetically went on tree runs, I would say that they are fun as long as you have a way to get out of valleys and crawl out of downhill areas. Hypothetically, I would say that on the right and left side of the black diamond run are the most fun. But of course, you shouldn’t leave the designated roped courses.
