Tomamu - Ski Passes

Tickets can be easily purchased from either the Resort Centre building, right near the foot of the slopes, or from The Tower Hotel or The Risonare’s lobby desks. These are open from early morning through to the evening; however, the Resort Centre closes at 4pm – so you if you’re looking to do some night skiing it might be best to buy your tickets early!

There are a large range of tickets available, ranging from 1 to 9-day tickets, 4-hours tickets and night ski tickets, with adults and children’s prices. There is also a 20% senior discount available, and pre-school aged children (under 7 years old) ski free. There are no group or party tickets available, however.

Ski & Board Rentals

Tomamu offers rental services at The Tower Hotel, The Risonare Hotel and the Resort Centre building. All of the rental services are run and owned by the same company, so they all offer consistent quality and relatively the same range of products. There are both ski and snowboard gear items available, with the majority being Atomic or Salomon brand. Understanding that the resort is great for families and beginners, the rental stores offer full-set discounts – with all of your ski or snowboard items included –as well as other combination sets, such as accessories and clothing sets.

Of course, you’ll need to check during your stay, but most of the rental services offer almost all gear in a large range of sizes and, surprisingly, it is also very good quality as the rental equipment is only used for three seasons before it is discarded. This means not only are you going to be comfortable, but you’ll also be kept very safe. As all of the rental shops are owned by the same company, you can also choose to return your gear to any of the three outlets.

Ski & Board Lessons

GAO Snow Academy runs lessons for both adults and children of all levels, as well as offering private lessons for groups or individuals. A rare finds, there are also dedicated lessons for women only and a session purely for three-year-old children. There are, however, some limited English-speaking instructors, and you’ll definitely need to make a reservation in advance if your Japanese is limited.

Despite this, the instructors are incredibly skilled and helpful, and are highly trained to help you become the best skier or snowboarder you can be. The academy is only open throughout the winter season, from November to April, and runs three sessions a day – one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night, each 120 minutes long. The lesson prices change throughout the three daily sessions and, of course, depend on the course taken.

Lessons can be booked from the Hoshino Resorts official website, or from the front-desk upon arrival.

Winter Activities

Tomamu is arguably one of the best-serviced resorts in terms of entertaining activities. Not only does the resort obviously have fantastic ski runs, but there’s so much more to do throughout the resort, and it’s all within walking distance of the major hotels. The GAO Outdoor Centre is the activity hub for the resort, with most of the popular and exciting activities running directly through or around here, and it’s located just a few minutes from The Tower Hotel.

The range of activities includes guided snowshoe tours for explorers of all ages, including snow shoe hire, snowmobiling for the adrenaline junkies among us, snow rafting for the whole family to enjoy together, and night picnics in the snow for a romantic and beautiful couple experience. There’s also a dedicated kids park, where there is plenty of room to slide around and enjoy the snow – maybe even a snow fight or two – as well as much more, including ice skating and fishing for pond smelt.

Not only are the activities fantastic for adults, with plenty of exciting and exhilarating options, but the host of family friendly options also makes this a fantastic resort to visit with the whole family, with no one being left out! The emphasis throughout the resort is on getting the kids to enjoy and love the snow as much as the adults, and the range of fun activities – plus free skiing – definitely achieves this.