Rusutsu
Rusutsu ski resort has been operating in Hokkaido for over half a century and is the second largest and second most visited ski resort in Hokkaido. The ski resort is located on the other side of Mt Yotei from where you will find Niseko. Rusutsu ski resort first opened to the public in 1972 and the resort has grown extensively in both terrain and overall experience since. Thanks to its location the resort gets hammered by the strong storms from the Sea of Japan and Rusutsu ski resort will typically open earlier than most other resorts in Japan and remain open will until mid-April, with the peak of the skiing and snowboarding happening during the months of January and February.
During a standard season at Rusutsu the resort is blessed with nearly 20m or 800” of light fluffy Japanese powder snow with January and February seeing more storm riding days than bluebird sunny days. Typically once the Christmas season has passed the resort will be operating at 100% which means all 1977 acres of terrain is open for riding, this makes Rusutsu ski resort the second largest ski area in Hokkaido, sitting just behind Niseko.
At Rusutsu ski resort you wil find 37 marked trails which are spread across two main resort zones. On the West Mountain at Rusutsu which is the smaller of the two zones you will find many beginner trails as well as intermediate and advanced trails. If you want to catch a glimpse of Mt Yotei then take the gondola to the summit on a clear day, the vistas of the whole surrounding area are exceptional. To explore the larger part of Rusutsu ski resort you need to jump on a gondola and head over to East Mountain and Mt Isola. Here you can experience the full 594m or 1,949ft of vertical that’s on offer at Rusutsu as well as extensive beginner trails, the largest collection of intermediate trails and some of the most advanced riding plus some of the best inbounds tree skiing available in Hokkaido.
Rusutsu’s main base area is at the base of the west mountain zone and this is where most riders will start their day. In the main base lodge buildings you will find lift tickets, ski and snowboard rental, restrooms, restaurants as well as access to lodging and accommodation. There is also a large theme park with roller coasters and other thrill rides, however this is a summer attraction only, roller coasters and 20m of snowfall don’t make a good mix.
Rusutsu Web Cam & Live Snow Cams
Stay up to date with the snow conditions from every corner of Rusutsu Mountain Resort. We have collected all the best shots from the Rusutsu web cam so you can see every aspect of the ski resort and surrounding mountains.
If you want to check out the snow depth from the latest storm, see if the sun is going to be shining or check out the weather at Rusutsu before your next visit - check out the Rusutsu web cam below.
Rusutsu Web Cam | Mt Isola Snow Stake
Located at Mt Isola the famous Rusutsu snow ruler is your place to check how much fresh snow has fallen in the last 24 hours. Cleared daily at 4pm.
Elevation: 994m (3,261ft)
Rusutsu Resort Lift System
Rusutsu Resort Stats
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Seasons
OPENING AND CLOSING DATES -
The official opening and closing dates for , Japan for current and past seasons. These dates are subject to change at Ski Resort discretion based on weather and snowfall. Estimated dates are based on historical averages or advice from the resort and retrieved from the resort website.| Season | Opening | Closing |
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Where is Rusutsu Resort
Rusutsu Ski Resort is located in the town of Rusutsu, in the southwestern part of the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It is approximately 90 kilometers southwest of the city of Sapporo, which is the capital of Hokkaido. The resort is easily accessible by car, bus or train. The nearest airport is New Chitose Airport, which is located approximately 90 kilometers east of Rusutsu Ski Resort.
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Japan Snow News
The 23/24 winter season was the polar opposite to the 22/23 season in by way of the fact that there was far less snowfall across the whole country. We take a look at which resorts in United States saw the largest snowfall during the 23/24 winter season. All the total snowfall reports have been taken directly from the ski resort websites as of the 25th of April 2024.