Operator
About
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.
Locations
Where Iwanai Resort runs trips from — open any pin in Google Maps.
Iwanai Resort Base Lodge
The base lodge sits at the foot of Mount Iwanai and is where every cat day starts and ends. Guests arrive by 8:30 AM, park below and carry gear up the hill — there's no driving to the door — leave skis and boards on the outdoor rack, and head to the second floor for check-in, the safety briefing and transceiver issue. The lodge is also the lunch stop: the cat returns mid-day and guests eat at Three Birds Restaurant, which serves both Japanese and Western dishes and can handle vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy requirements given notice. At the end of the day it's the après spot, with drinks by the fire, light bites and a shop selling the house hoodie. Safety equipment is returned to lodge staff here before departure.
Open in Google Maps ↗Raiden Resort & Spa
Raiden Resort & Spa is the hotel Iwanai uses for guests who want to stay put rather than commute from Niseko each morning, and it's a few minutes from the resort's facilities. The rooms blend Japanese design with Western comforts, and the property has natural onsen baths, a sauna, private soaking tubs, a bar and lounge, a restaurant and complimentary breakfast. It's the base for any multi-day trip at Iwanai — guests wake up with gear ready and are on the hill in minutes. Accommodation here is booked separately from the cat skiing, and room rates vary by room type. Iwanai asks that cat dates be confirmed before the hotel is booked, since cat availability is the tighter constraint.
500 Nozuka, Iwanai, Iwanai District, Hokkaido 045-0024, Japan
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