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Mt Moiwa and the Niseko range under snow seen from Satomi

Niseko Moiwa: the small hill outside the Niseko United pass

Resorts · ニセコモイワ · Checked for 2026–27, 11 Oct 2026

Three lifts, its own ticket, and a hundred years of skiing next door to Annupuri.

Niseko Moiwa sits just west of Annupuri. It is not part of Niseko United, so your All-Mountain pass does not work here. You buy a Moiwa ticket.

Moiwa dates its skiing back to 1919 and still runs only three lifts. It sells itself on powder, birch trees and the view of Mt Yotei, with a small base lodge rather than a village.

Personally I'd suggest saving Moiwa for a snowy day when you have a car or are staying at the Annupuri end, and budgeting for its separate ticket.

Best when

  • It's snowing and you want trees and powder
  • You have a car, or you're staying at the Annupuri end
  • You want one small hill for the day
  • You'll pay for a separate ticket for a change of scene

Skip when

  • You hold an All-Mountain pass and won't buy another
  • You want night skiing or a long list of runs
  • You need gear held for you (rental is walk-up)
  • You're relying on the free Niseko United shuttle

Niseko Moiwa at a glance

Lifts
1 quad, 2 pair lifts
Skiable distance
6,000 m in total
Skiable area
228,373 m² (about 23 ha)
Longest run
Sky Slope, 2,000 m
Parking
Free, 250 spaces
Pass
Own ticket; not on Niseko United
Last season
29 Nov 2025 – 5 Apr 2026

Terrain and who it suits

Moiwa is small: 6,000 m of runs in total over about 23 hectares. The advanced runs are mostly left ungroomed. Giant Run (600 m) averages 24° or more from the summit, Expert Run (800 m) is a race slope that is often left as powder, and the Shirakaba runs drop through white birch.

The groomed runs are Sky Slope, 2,000 m with Mt Yotei in front of you, Main Burn (1,200 m) and Forest Run (600 m). Beginners have Fairy Tale, two short loops on flat-to-rolling ground, plus a bunny slope.

Moiwa follows the Niseko Rules for the backcountry: gates only, helmet and beacon, and stay out when a gate is closed. Search and rescue outside the boundary costs from ¥100,000.

  • Powder and tree skiers on a storm day
  • Small groups who want one compact hill
  • Drivers: free parking for 250 cars
  • Families who want a bunny slope and a small base

Lifts and gondolas

  • Quad Lift — 1,547 m. Last season it ran 13 Dec 2025 – 22 Mar 2026, a shorter window than the pairs
  • Pair Lift #1 — 919 m. Last season it ran 29 Nov 2025 – 5 Apr 2026
  • Pair Lift #2 — 392 m. Same dates as Pair Lift #1

Lift lengths are from Moiwa's live lift-status board, and dates are from its 2025–26 lift-pass page. 2026–27 dates were not published when we checked.

Getting there and between areas

Moiwa says the drive from New Chitose Airport is about 2 hours via Route 276, and from Sapporo about 2 hours via Route 230 and the Nakayama Pass. Parking is free.

Without a car, Moiwa's advice is a bus from the airport or Sapporo to Niseko, then a taxi. The NISEKO UNITED shuttle and passes do not cover Moiwa.

Annupuri is the next resort east, so Moiwa pairs naturally with an Annupuri or Niseko Village stay.

New Chitose to Niseko · Niseko map

Which lift pass for Niseko Moiwa

Moiwa had not published 2026–27 prices when we checked. Its last confirmed season, 2025–26, priced an adult day at ¥13,000 in regular season (¥11,700 online), ¥10,400 early and ¥8,400 spring. Kids aged 7–15 paid ¥3,000, and preschoolers were free.

There is no keycard deposit at Moiwa since the 2023–24 season.

Full 2026–27 Niseko lift pass prices and chooser

When to go

  • Go on a storm day, when the trees hold the snow. Moiwa says it often gets up to 4 metres of snowfall.
  • Mid-winter is when the quad runs. Last season it ran 13 Dec – 22 Mar, while the pair lifts kept going to 5 April.
  • Lodge Moiwa 834, the resort's own lodging, opened 2026–27 bookings in July 2026.

Niseko month by month: snow, prices and busy weeks

Stay

Where to stay near Niseko Moiwa

Moiwa runs its own lodging, Lodge Moiwa 834, which opened 2026–27 bookings in July 2026. Otherwise, look on the Annupuri side of Niseko Town.

Booking.com

Hotels and apartments in Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village, and Annupuri.

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Compare Niseko Moiwa with the other villages

Where to eat near Niseko Moiwa

We don't list a restaurant at Moiwa itself. The nearest tables in this guide are on the Annupuri side.

All Niseko restaurants, with diet filters

Rental shops

Moiwa's own rental counter is walk-up, with no bookings. If you want gear reserved, Ciao at Annupuri is the nearest shop we list that takes bookings (online only).

Onsens after skiing

The closest day-use baths we list are on the Annupuri and Niseko Village side.

Sources, checked 11 Oct 2026

Other areas: Grand Hirafu · Hanazono · Niseko Village · Niseko Annupuri · Compare all resorts