Kurodake (Sounkyo)
Also known as: Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway, Mt Kuro
Daisetsuzan; Sounkyo gorge
Can the whole group come?
Who in your group gets a good week at Kurodake (Sounkyo) - the terrain split, the ski school, and what the people not skiing do.
Marked runs easy/int; character is expert hike-to backcountry
Large Snow Play Area at ropeway top station (families); limited ski split
Ropeway sightseeing, Snow Play Area, Sounkyo Onsen
- (Snow Play Area only)
No lessons; basic rental at upper station; limited English
Best for experienced/backcountry; families to Snow Play Area only
Snow & season
First Japan resort to open on natural snow yearly; frequent wind/weather closures
Typically mid-Nov to early May (with mid-winter closure; blizzard closures)
Feb-Apr (also earliest opener)
Quiet; weather-dependent
Semi-marked + summit backcountry
Frequent ropeway wind/blizzard closures; backcountry avalanche
The mountain
2.7 km piste
2.7 km marked
Hike-to summit backcountry powder; avalanche awareness essential
Quiet
Getting there & lift pass
~JPY 5,200 main season; ropeway round-trip 3,000, chair 800/ride
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Asahikawa (AKJ) ~1.5-2 h; ~30 min bus from JR Kamikawa
Bus from Kamikawa; CTS far (~3.5-4 h)
Limited on-mountain; Sounkyo Onsen town restaurants
Sounkyo Onsen village
Sounkyo / Kamikawa hub
Patrol & safety
Minimal formal patrol; self-responsibility character
Backcountry avalanche; frequent closures
Kamikawa clinics; Asahikawa hospitals (~1 h)
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand ski resort report. Coordinates are approximate.