AKITA: Tazawako Ski Resort
Written on March 1st , 2024 by Eliot Cochrane
Tazawako Ski Resort
Mid-Size Resort Overlooking A Lake
Tazawako Ski Resort often ranks as one of the top destinations within the Tohoku area. With a picturesque view overlooking Lake Tazawa, a great community of skiers, and an active host of events ranging from World Cups to the local snowboarders competition, Tazawako Ski Resort is a great place to go.
Packing accessible terrain into a family-friendly package that also entertains the powderhounds is quite an achievement. Boasting some great powder days, terrain for almost every skier and boarder out there, and some small resort comfort, Tazawako Ski Resort is still a fan favorite among local skiers and boarders.
Getting There
Getting to Tazawako Ski Resort is a great drive on its own. Coming from Morioka in Iwate Prefecture, driving along the ravines between mountains that were covered with fresh morning snow was beautiful. Each twist and turn with the morning snow shining like glitter going around each turn.
Photo: View from the road leading up to Tazawako Ski Resort.
After following the ravine, we get a tiny glimpse of the lake before we head up the mountain. The mountain is littered with some summer events and some winter pensions to rent. Getting closer to the resort the fields begin to open up as we come across a cross-country ski course and then turn into the parking lot for the Tazawako Ski Resort.
Always Something
Every time that I have been to Tazawako, it seems there is always something going on. It just so happened that on the day I went, there were three different events that each took up a major course!
The biggest was the National Snowboard Technical Championship. This is an event where it pits the top technical snowboarders against each other for who can perfect the best form. Some great snowboarders descended and put all of their efforts into the few tens of seconds that they were given. At the bottom of the course they had a DJ, announcer, and some sponsors ready to sell some things and give interviews with some of their athletes.
Photo: Poster of competition in front of the piste.
The next biggest event was a snowboard time trial put on by the local snowboard shop. They tend to focus primarily on alpine carving snowboards but within the field, it was a mix of 50/50 between soft-boots and hard-boots. Although everyone was exclusively on carving boards. As a former alpine skier, I’ve always had an interest in carving boards and to see some of them during their warm-ups was really cool.
The final event was part of the Akita SAJ instructor’s test. Here the instructors have to perform the required exercises to a certain degree that a beginner would be able to watch and understand. In addition to the practical examination, there was also a paper test the day before. The exercises performed may look easy but they are judged to an incredibly high standard.
Photo: FIS Freestyle World Cup podium at Tazawako Ski Resort. (Freestyle Skiing Canada)
Tazawako is always a place that is buzzing because, in years past, they have also held Freestyle World Cups there!
On The Hill
Tazawako Ski Resort starts with three lifts right from the bottom. A lift to bring skiers to the start of the moguls that will also bring them to the second lodge quickly, a slow double chair that is geared towards beginners, and a super quad to bring skiers mid-way up the mountain. Presenting skiers with multiple choices right out of the gate is good.
Photo: Artsy closeup of the trail map.
From mid-way up the mountain, there is access to quite a bit of skiing already and some nice views overlooking Lake Tazawa. From there, one more lift goes up to reach the top of the ski area. Looking down on the national course that was used a few times for the national ski races, it overlooks the lake and also the surrounding mountains in a spectacular view.
From there, any sort of back-country skiers can go up further without restrictions. But for the majority of the skiers, the front side of the mountain is probably where most people will ski. And Tazawako brings quite a few different places to have fun.
Photo: Panoramic view from the top of the resort.
At the top, there is one slope winding around that is groomed but is pretty steep compared to the rest of the mountain. At the top, there is also access to tree skiing and open ungroomed areas that turn into bumps later in the season.
Coming down to the mid-mountain area it branches out into all sorts of trails but are relatively similar with a flat upper and lower which sandwiches a steeper portion in the middle. Oddly enough though, I found myself doing lap after lap on probably the most approachable slopes on the hill. They are a relatively mild courses that just go on forever.
Photo: Super-quad to easily accessible terrain for all skill levels.
On the skier’s right is a second super-quad that is great for mindless skiing because it’s just the right slope for endless carving without over speeding. From that second super-quad is also a ski-cross course that is open to the public. It is great fun to take a few friends and hash it out to see who is the best. There is also a tournament held every year for the ski-cross event.
Lodge Feels
The lodge feels a little strange compared to other places. Upon entering, skiers have to go up another staircase and exit a door there onto a plank way that leads to the ski racks. It feels just a little too cramped in the morning and skis are bumping the wall and people are going every which way. Not to mention, the rental area is right by the door so everybody renting is lined up in the same area.
Photo: Main hall within the Tazawako Ski Resort Lodge.
Getting to the second floor, skiers can buy their ticket there. It’s really quick, and they still use a paper-style ticket. From there it opens to the main room/dining hall. With the large windows, it is certainly very bright and has a great atmosphere. Many people will just leave their bags unattended on the side counters as there are no lockers that I could find. There may be lockers in the lower levels of the ski lodge.
Within the lodge, the types of food to choose from are pretty small. Outside of the regular ramen, udon, soba, and curry I couldn’t find too much. For more appetizer-type foods there was the “Fast Food Court” that had things like french fries and fried chicken.
Photo: The “Fast Food Corner” for appetizer dishes.
Access
Of course, it is accessible by car. Coming from Morioka in the morning, it took me just over 1 hour to get there with stops on the way for breakfast and to go use the bathroom.
For those taking the train, take the JR lines to get to JR Tazawako Station. From there it is a 30-minute bus ride bound for Kogen (Plateau) Onsen/Nyuto Onsen. Be sure to get off at Tazawako Ski-jo Mae and the bus will be at the feet of the resort. This bus runs almost hourly.
Photo: Front of the lodge at Tazawako Ski Resort.
For more detailed information, please see the pamphlet PDF at Tazawako Ski Resort Access.
