Tazawako
たざわ湖スキー場39°46′ N 140°46′ E600 m vertical13 runs13 kmSeasonal
Tazawako suits skiers who want powder and moguls above Japan's deepest lake, and the season is a short one, from 19 December 2026 to 28 March 2027.
Photo 掬茶 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Beginner5.3 km
- Intermediate4 km
- Advanced3.7 km
Figures the resort does not publish are measured from the map data.
OpenStreetMap maps 13 named runs and 6 lifts at Tazawako, and the guide measures each one against the elevation model.
Open the 3D map ↓Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Ride every run at Tazawakoコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| かもしかコース | 1,086 m | 268 m | 20.1° | 13.9° | NW | ||
| かもしかジュニアコース | 1,084 m | 268 m | 17.5° | 13.9° | W | ||
| 白樺コースNotes | 1,021 m | 174 m | 14.7° | 9.6° | W | ||
| 水沢コース | 946 m | 165 m | 16.1° | 9.9° | W | ||
| 国体コースNotes | 1,450 m | 473 m | 25.2° | 18.1° | W | ||
| ぎんれいユートピアコース | 822 m | 240 m | 24.4° | 16.2° | W | ||
| 駒ケ岳第2コース | 736 m | 204 m | 21.3° | 15.5° | W | ||
| かもしか林間コース | 982 m | 202 m | 16.6° | 11.6° | NW | ||
| 水沢チャンピオンコースTreesNotes | 1,048 m | 375 m | 28.1° | 19.7° | W | ||
| 駒ケ岳第3コースNotes | 560 m | 217 m | 24.7° | 21.2° | NW | ||
| ぎんれい第2コース | 637 m | 193 m | 26.9° | 16.9° | W | ||
| 黒森山コースNotes | 540 m | 173 m | 27.6° | 17.4° | SW | ||
| ぎんれいパラダイスコースNotes | 428 m | 145 m | 28.6° | 18.7° | W |
Lengths, vertical, pitch and aspect are measured from OpenStreetMap run lines and the elevation model. Steepest is the hardest 60 m pitch. Read them as a guide and follow the signs on the hill.
Beyond the ropes · Through gates
The AKITA Tazawako local rules allow riders out of the managed area only from the top of the Ginrei No. 3 lift or along the climbing route from Alpa Komakusa to the Akita-Komagatake 8th-station hut. Semboku City bills search and rescue costs to the person who asked for help or their family.
- Leave the managed area only from the top of the Ginrei No. 3 lift or by the Alpa Komakusa to 8th-station hut route. Ducking a rope anywhere else is banned.
- Submit a climbing plan to Semboku City before you go.
- Carry a beacon, a probe and a shovel outside the managed area.
- Anyone who breaks the rules may lose their ticket and be asked to leave.
- Search costs ¥30,000 per searcher per day plus ¥2,000 per searcher per day for meals and ¥5,000 per vehicle. Snowcats and snowmobiles are billed at cost.
- Akita-Komagatake is an active volcano at JMA Level 1, and JMA notes a slight rise in ground heat on the north-east slope of Medake.
6 lifts on the map
Know the liftsリフト
Season 2026/27
Buy the right ticket
- Adult day
- ¥5,800, about CAD 52 or USD 37 (October 2026 rates)
The full 2026/27 price list wasn't posted as text on 11 October 2026. A set of five day tickets costs ¥24,000 (¥4,800 a day) by mail order until 30 November 2026, limited to 300 sets. Children under primary-school age ride free but need a ticket and must ride with a parent. Disabled riders get half price on the day ticket with their handbook. Early season passes went on sale on 1 October.
Get thereアクセス
From Tokyo Station
- Drive
- About an hour from Morioka IC on Route 46
- Bus
- Ugo Kotsu's Lake & Port overnight highway bus runs from the Tokyo area with reserved seats.
- Train
- Akita Shinkansen Komachi from Tokyo to Tazawako, then the Ugo Kotsu route bus in about 30 minutes or a taxi in about 20.
The nearest station is Tazawako. JR Akita Shinkansen. The route bus to the ski area takes about 30 minutes.
From Akita Airport, the Airport Liner shared taxi to Kakunodate, Tazawako and Nyuto Onsen needs booking by noon the day before.
Tazawako climbs the side of Akita-Komagatake above Lake Tazawa, which the resort calls Japan's deepest lake, and the lake fills the view from the slopes. Six chairs serve 13 courses, with the Lera ski centre at the bottom.
Three courses stay ungroomed for powder. Mizusawa Champion is the steepest at up to 38°, and Komagatake No. 3 and Ginrei Paradise hold fresh snow after a storm. Kuromoriyama, a short advanced run of groomed and deep snow, hosts the Moguls World Cup. The Kokutai course gives a long run with the lake below you.
The resort plans to open on 19 December 2026 and close on 28 March 2027. Its 2026/27 flyer puts a regular day ticket at ¥5,800. Tazawako Camp's outdoor guides run hike-up backcountry tours from late December to early April, at ¥5,200 for a half day and ¥9,500 for a full day.
Worth knowing
- Order the five-day ticket set by 30 November 2026 if you'll ski Tazawako for a week. It saves ¥1,000 on each day.
- From Tazawako Station the Ugo Kotsu bus takes about 30 minutes, and a taxi about 20.
- The ticket office halfway up the mountain at Kamoshika sells tickets on weekends and holidays only. Kamoshika House takes cash only.
Quick answers about Tazawakoよくある質問
How big is Tazawako?
Tazawako has 13 runs and 6 lifts over 600 m of vertical, from 575 m at the base to 1,175 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 13 km of piste there.
How steep is Tazawako?
The steepest mapped pitch at Tazawako is about 28.6° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model. Its advanced and expert runs add up to 3.7 km of the mapped total.
Can you ride off-piste at Tazawako?
The AKITA Tazawako local rules allow riders out of the managed area only from the top of the Ginrei No. 3 lift or along the climbing route from Alpa Komakusa to the Akita-Komagatake 8th-station hut. Semboku City bills search and rescue costs to the person who asked for help or their family.
How much is a lift ticket at Tazawako?
An adult day ticket at Tazawako costs ¥5,800, about CAD 52 or USD 37 (October 2026 rates) in the 2026/27 main season.
How do you get to Tazawako from Tokyo Station?
Tazawako is about an hour from Morioka IC on Route 46 by car from Tokyo Station. By bus: Ugo Kotsu's Lake & Port overnight highway bus runs from the Tokyo area with reserved seats.
When is the season at Tazawako?
Tazawako usually opens 19 December 2026 (planned) and closes 28 March 2027 (planned).
Within 25 km
Places to stay nearby宿
Within 30 km
Hot springs nearby温泉
Within 35 km
Towns and neighbourhoods nearby町
Within 80 km
Ski resorts nearby山
In the journal and guides
Read more about Tazawako特集
Comparison · 10 min read
Which ski-hill onsen towns are best for a soak after the last lift?
Nozawa puts thirteen free public baths a short walk from the lifts. Kusatsu is the clearest answer for tattooed riders, and Shibu and Ginzan give their best baths to the people who stay the night.
Practical guide · 10 min read
How do backcountry gates and rescue costs work at Japan's ski resorts?
Japanese resorts let riders out only through designated gates once a climbing plan is filed, and every resort here that publishes a rescue rule bills the rider. Zao bans riding off its courses altogether.