Our operators

Iwanai Resort

Iwanai, Hokkaido, Japan

Iwanai Resort is a snowcat skiing operator on Mount Iwanai, on the west coast of Hokkaido, Japan, about 40 minutes' drive from Niseko. The mountain rises to 1,086 metres straight off the Sea of Japan — a former lift-served ski area now given over almost entirely to cat skiing, with the old chairs and huts still standing on the hill. It sits well outside the Niseko crowds, which is much of the point. Their terrain covers wide former course runs, old-growth glades, steep tree lines and open bowls, and the guides pick the day's zones based on conditions and the group's ability. A mixed-group day runs 7–9 runs and 4,500–5,000 vertical metres. Iwanai runs roughly December through March, with early season (about December 20 to January 10) limited to course runs and glades on a single cat, and terrain opening up through mid-January to the end of February as storms build the snowpack and the upper drop point and secondary cat road come into play. The day itself is built around the base lodge. Guests check in on the second floor by 8:30 AM for a briefing and beacon check, and the cat pushes off around 9:00. Coffee and homemade sweets get passed around in the cabin between runs, lunch is a sit-down at the on-mountain Three Birds Restaurant with Japanese and Western menus, and the afternoon runs out until around 3:30 PM. Après follows by the fire — appetisers, hot sake, cold Sapporo — and on a clear day the last run down drops toward a sunset over the ocean. For the 2026–27 season Iwanai is running three formats: a Mixed Group CAT seat, a Private CAT for a group of up to 12, and a full Private Resort takeover. There are no fixed multi-day packages this season — guests build their own by stringing cat days together and staying at Raiden Resort & Spa nearby, with the skiing and the accommodation booked separately. Cat availability is limited and the private formats book a long way out.