Washigatake Ski Area
Overview
Washigatake Ski Area breaks from the pattern of this batch in one clear way: it’s the only resort here located in Gifu Prefecture rather than Nagano, Niigata, or Hyogo. The resort itself sits in Gujo City, according to its own site, just 3 kilometers – about a five-minute drive – from the Takasu interchange on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. That regional shift also changes the access picture: Komatsu Airport, serving Kanazawa, is the nearest at 68.5 kilometers and the record’s listed gateway, with Nagoya Airport at 76.5 kilometers and Toyama Kitokito at 81.7 kilometers rounding out the options, a genuinely different flight-and-drive combination than the Nagano or Hyogo resorts nearby.
The mountain itself rises from a 902.1-meter base to a 1,346.8-meter summit, a 444.7-meter vertical drop, served by five chairlifts across 14 mapped runs. Total run distance comes to 9.67 kilometers, spread across easy (2.06 km, about 21 percent), intermediate (3.73 km, about 39 percent), advanced (1.97 km, about 20 percent), and a further 1.91 km (about 20 percent) of additional terrain outside the standard three-tier grading – enough total mileage that the mountain reads as mid-sized within this batch rather than one of the smallest. Averaged out, that’s roughly 1.93 kilometers of piste per lift and an average run length of about 690 meters. According to the resort’s own site, the main slope reaches a maximum width of 400 meters, wide enough that instructors and family groups can spread out well clear of faster traffic, and a dedicated park called “THE ACTIVE” runs roughly 1,200 meters end to end with jump and rail features aimed at freestyle skiers and boarders. The resort’s site also describes a shared lift ticket that extends onto a neighboring mountain’s terrain, together totaling 26 courses across both areas combined – notably more than the 14 runs mapped for Washigatake alone in this record.
On the ground, Washigatake’s three nearest cities – Kakamigahara, Gifu, and Kani – all fall within a tight 58.9-to-61.1-kilometer band rather than spreading out the way access points do for some of the higher-altitude Nagano resorts. On-mountain amenities include three named restaurants (Rocky, Eiger, and Washi) and a public bath, Washi no Yu, at the center house, plus slope-side lodging at the Washigatake Highland Hotel Rainbow. Ski and snowboard schools operate on-site as well, alongside dedicated children’s programs that fit the resort’s family-oriented positioning.
This particular record carries no multi-resort pass affiliation on its own, beyond the combined-ticket arrangement with its neighboring mountain mentioned above, so visitors chasing a bigger connected day out should confirm current terms directly with the resort.
Key stats
Official website — Last checked 2026-09-13
Lifts by type
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| chair lift | 5 |
Runs by difficulty
| Difficulty | Distance |
|---|---|
| easy | 2.06 km |
| other | 1.91 km |
| advanced | 1.97 km |
| intermediate | 3.73 km |
Maps
View official Washigatake Ski Area trail map (PDF) →
Run & lift overview
Washigatake Ski Area: 14 runs, 5 lifts. Reflects OpenStreetMap's run and lift mapping for Washigatake Ski Area, not the resort's own trail map graphic. © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenSkiMap (ODbL).
Typical conditions by month
Monthly conditions data for Washigatake Ski Area is not yet available.
Lift tickets & passes
Washigatake Ski Area has no multi-resort pass affiliations on record.
Getting there
Nearest airports
- Komatsu Airport / JASDF Komatsu Air Base (KMQ) — 68.5 km straight-line
- Nagoya Airport / JASDF Komaki Air Base (NKM) — 76.5 km straight-line
- Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY) — 81.7 km straight-line
Nearest cities
- Kakamigahara, Gifu — 58.9 km straight-line
- Gifu, Gifu — 59.9 km straight-line
- Kani, Gifu — 61.1 km straight-line
Also covered by
Where to stay
A dedicated lodging guide for Washigatake Ski Area is not yet available.
Nearby resorts
- WhitePIA Takasu — 1 km straight-line, 328.6 m vertical
- Hirugano Kogen Ski Resort — 7 km straight-line, 166.7 m vertical
- Dynaland Ski Area — 8 km straight-line, 440.7 m vertical
- Takasu Snow Park — 8 km straight-line, 554 m vertical
- Meiho Ski Resort — 9 km straight-line, 678 m vertical
FAQ
- What makes Washigatake Ski Area different from other resorts in this region?
- It's the only resort in this comparison set located in Gifu Prefecture rather than Nagano, Niigata, or Hyogo, which also shifts its nearest airports to Komatsu and Nagoya instead of the usual Matsumoto or Niigata options. The resort itself sits in Gujo City, just 3 kilometers from the Takasu interchange on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
- How big is Washigatake Ski Area?
- 14 runs totaling 9.67 kilometers, served by five chairlifts, with a 444.7-meter vertical drop from a 902.1-meter base to a 1,346.8-meter summit. That works out to roughly 1.93 kilometers of piste per lift and an average run length of about 690 meters.
- What's the nearest airport to Washigatake?
- Komatsu Airport, serving Kanazawa, is closest and the record's listed gateway at 68.5 kilometers, followed by Nagoya Airport at 76.5 kilometers and Toyama Kitokito at 81.7 kilometers. All three sit farther out than the airports serving the Nagano and Hyogo resorts in this batch.
- Is Washigatake good for beginners and families?
- The resort's own site describes a main slope up to 400 meters wide, giving beginners and family groups room to spread out, and its 2.06 km of easy terrain plus dedicated children's programs support that. Three on-mountain restaurants and slope-side lodging at the Washigatake Highland Hotel Rainbow also make full-day family visits easier.
- Does Washigatake have a terrain park?
- Yes, a park called 'THE ACTIVE,' roughly 1,200 meters long, with jump and rail features for freestyle skiers and boarders, which the resort promotes as among the larger parks in western Japan. It sits alongside 1.91 kilometers of additional terrain in the record's 'other' category, separate from the three standard difficulty grades.
- Are there onsen or bathing facilities at Washigatake?
- Yes, a public bath called Washi no Yu is located at the center house, alongside equipment rental and on-site ski and snowboard schools. Three named restaurants -- Rocky, Eiger, and Washi -- serve the mountain as well.
- Which cities are closest to Washigatake?
- Kakamigahara, Gifu, and Kani are all within a tight band, 58.9 to 61.1 kilometers away. That clustering is unlike some higher-altitude resorts in this batch, where the nearest cities are spread much farther apart.
- Is there advanced terrain at Washigatake?
- Yes, 1.97 kilometers is rated advanced, plus 3.73 km intermediate and a further 1.91 km in an additional terrain category outside the standard grading. Together, advanced and that extra category make up roughly 40 percent of the mountain's total distance.
Data sources
Last verified: 2026-09-15
Base facts from OpenSkiMap (ODbL), OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata (CC0), OurAirports (public domain) and GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). See /data-sources/.