Travel to Daisen with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Located near the coast in the northwest of Tottori Prefecture, Mt Daisen is home to Daisen ski resort, a lofty strato-volcano with a series of mainly intermediate runs situated in a remote part of Japan. Located in Western Honshu, Daisen boasts deep powder and good snowboarding, while views from the top run are fantastic, stretching across the nearby mountains right down to the ocean below.

Facilities at Daisen ski resort’s base include a well-equipped base lodge, ski and snowboard school, equipment rentals and repairs and a variety of shops. A ski nursery is also available.

Daisen ski resort has 26 slopes that stretch over nearly six miles of well-groomed pistes. Seventy per cent of the runs are aimed at intermediate skiers and snowboarders and the highest run is 3,409 feet, while the longest is over one mile. There are 23 ski lifts at Daisen that traverse a 971-foot vertical and have the capacity to lift 23,500 people per hour.

The Daisen Royal Hotel provides accommodation at the slopes and has a wide range of comfortable rooms and suites as well as four top quality restaurants with interesting menus. For additional or cheaper lodging options try Daisen town or the nearby town of Yonago.

Daisen ski resort is very remote and there are no other ski destinations in the region; however, there are plenty of alternative attractions. The Matsue hot springs may be your first port of call, while Daisen itself is loaded with interesting sightseeing options such as a temple, the Equestrian Centre and a number of museums.

The ski season at Daisen ski resort runs from December to June, with the best snow in February and cheaper tickets during December, May and June, not including holidays and weekends. The most convenient and fastest way to reach the resort is to fly to Yonago via Tokyo or Osaka and then hire a car for the remaining journey.

Skiing in Daisen

Daisen ski resort is a relatively remote ski and snowboard destination near the Sea of Japan on the north coast of southwestern Honshu. Mount Daisen is a striking volcanic cone, not unlike Japan’s famous Mount Fuji, and offers some interesting pistes and powder for all levels of ski and snowboarder ability.

There are 26 slopes at Daisen ski resort that are divided into 20 per cent suitable for beginners, 70 per cent for intermediates and 10 per cent for those at an advanced or expert level. The total length of the pistes is a modest five miles, yet the longest run is over one mile. The high altitude powder will suit daring snowboarders.

If you tire of the slopes, there are numerous other winter activities and facilities available at Daisen ski resort including night skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, fishing and mini golf, while the nearby hot springs and the Daisen Royal Hotel’s wellness facilities, bars and restaurants provide welcome relief from a day on the slopes.

Daisen ski resort also enjoys good base facilities for those wishing to hire or buy ski or snowboard equipment, while the ski school also comes highly recommended.

There is a ski nursery here for toddlers and the Daisen Royal Hotel provides slope-side beds. Daisen town and the nearby town of Yonago have alternative accommodation options.

Daisen ski resort enjoys a long ski season from December to June and the best snow conditions can be enjoyed here in February and March. Flying to Yonago and hiring a car is the quickest and easiest way of getting here; however, making use of the train connection from Osaka to Yonago and then travelling by bus is the most practical travel option.

Transportation to Daisen

Daisen ski resort is about 200 miles northwest of Osaka and a long way from Tokyo. It can be approached from major cities by road, rail and air. Options for getting here include driving from Osaka, taking a train and bus combination from Osaka or by flying to Yonago from Tokyo or Osaka and then hiring a car or taking a bus. Most people make use of the high-speed train connection from Osaka, which is fast and relatively cheap.

The drive to Daisen ski resort from Osaka is fairly straightforward and takes you along two major expressways. The Chugoku expressway runs from Osaka in a westerly direction and meets with the Yonago expressway heading northwest. Take the exit near the town of Kofu for Daisen.

By rail from Osaka, the Sanyo Shinkansen service runs to Okayama, a 50-minute journey, from where the Yonago-bound express service runs on the Hakubi Line to Yonago. The 2 hour, 20 minute train ride is comfortable and buses meet the arrival of trains at Yonago Station for the 45-minute journey to Daisen ski resort.

The fastest option for reaching the resort is to fly to Yonago Airport, from where Daisen ski resort is a 45-minute drive. Buses run from the town to Daisen in about the same time.

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