Why Furano Is The Ultimate Family Destination

As we all know, at times the snow can lead to a fairly nomadic lifestyle, with riders chasing seasons around the world, visiting resort to resort and chasing the endless terrain on offer. 

Although, what that quite often means is that so many blogs are written from the perspective of a single traveller, which isn’t always relevant to a family looking to book a ski trip. 

So we wanted to give you a blog that’s actually handy for your family trip, pointing out some of the main reasons why we think Furano is an epic spot to venture with the fam this snow season.

Gentle Slopes

While the top runs are pretty epic terrain, the lower portions of the mountain feature wide, well-groomed, family-friendly runs, enclosed beginner areas equipped with free magic carpet lifts/conveyor belts for easy practicing.

Lowkey Atmosphere

If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a ski trip is big loud groups of 20 year olds loudly hollering in lift queues and turning every restaurant into an après hotspot… you’re not wrong. This is fairly accurate at certain resorts around the world, especially in locations like Australia, but that doesn’t mean it happens at every resort. 

In Furano, it’s not really a thing. In fact, it’s not even a consideration. After all, who has time to do party laps when there’s this much fresh snow?

So if you’re keen on taking the fam on a ski trip but want to avoid all the young crew living it up, Furano is an incredibly safe bet. 

Disclaimer: Does this mean that there are no bars in Furano? Absolutely not. More so that drinking a Strong Zero on a chairlift isn’t as much a priority for those in central Hokkaido.

Kids Ski Free

This isn’t one of those scams where you pretend your 15 year old is still 7 so they can get the kids menu. Kids actually ski free in Furano, with the Prince Furano Resort offering lift passes to kids 12 and under completely FOC. It’s literally too good to be true, yet it is.

Pow Without The Surcharge

¥2,500 for a burger, 12 bucks a beer… we all know about the infamous snow surcharges. 

If you’re visiting a well known ski resort, chances are that the business owners also know that they are sitting on a huge moneymaker and charge accordingly.

In Furano, which operates as a year-round city as opposed to a seasonal ski destination, surcharges aren’t really used all that much. Instead, most of the time you’re paying less than you’d expect, with most restaurant owners just happy to be serving up their homemade farm-to-table meals.

Less Crowds

The biggest downside of the snow? Waiting for lift lines. 

You’ve just cut a lap, you’re all warmed up and the last thing you want to do is wait outside for a solid 10 minutes before jumping on your next chairlift. 

Now, what if we told you that you could more or less skip them?

Well, not all together - we can’t guarantee that Furano will NEVER have lift-lines. But, as an emerging resort, Furano is only just starting to gather crowds outside of the local crew, so there’s significantly less chance you’ll be stuck behind massive crowds just to get on a lift. 

Food Scene

We seem to be the only ones harping on about this, but we guess that just goes to show that we aren’t lying when we say about Furano’s food scene being one of Japan’s best kept secrets. 

It is the next level. Fresh farm to table cuisines, homebrewed coffee beans, it’s truly an artisan cafe lovers dream, while also being MUCH more accessible options for younger kids than Japanese staples like ramen and sushi.

Off-Snow Activities

Beautiful national parks, waterfalls, art museums, bowling and game centers, Furano is an epic spot to spend some time off the snow enjoying activities. And, if you’re finding that your legs are sore after a few days riding, it’s only an hour away from Ashaikawa, Hokkaido’s second largest city behind Sapporo.

Ikon Pass

Visiting Jackson Hole, Big Sky or Aspen over the starting months of the season and looking for a bit of springtime action?

Did you know that the Furano ski resorts are now covered under the Ikon Pass. Meaning, if you’ve already purchased a pass for back home, you can bring it with you and ride totally free of charge during your Furano stay.

Easy Access From The Airport

A quick train or bus straight from Sapporo’s New Chitose straight to the station in central Furano CBD, your airport commute couldn’t be easier.

Ningle Terrace

A literal winter wonderland, loaded with small, snow-covered log cabins, each offering up small trinkets, food and souvenirs. The perfect spot to take the fam for an afternoon adventure before settling into some local cusine.

Kan Kan Mura

Located in front of the New Furano Prince Hotel, the Kan Kan Mura provides epic off-snow fun for the fun, serving up a snow dome, ice sculptures and the longest Snow Tubing course in Japan!

Good Choices of Accommodation

When you’re heading to really prominent resorts like Niseko or Furano, it’s not always the easiest to find family friendly accommodation that doesn’t require the use of a car. More often than not, your options are either: a central hotel or a full house, slightly on the outskirts of town. 

In Furano, there’s much more options, with everything from lodges and budget guesthouses to mid-range hotels and apartments.

Lift Passes

We know, with kids under 12 riding for free and the Icon pass deal, lift passes seem like a pretty distant thought. Although, for those of you who aren’t stocking up on an icon pass before getting to town, Furano generally sits about ¥5,000 cheaper than Niseko or Rusutsu when comparing one day adult lift passes.

So even if you are one of the few purchasing your passes at the resort, you’ll still be scoring mega savings.

A more cultural experience

No matter where you choose to visit in Japan, you’ll never stop thinking you’re in Japan. Although, in resorts like Niseko and Hakuba, where you are surrounded by other tourists from around the world, it can at times feel more like a cultural melting pot than specifically Japan. 

Furano on the other hand, still offers modern infrastructure and amenities, without being a completely gentrified city. Giving visitors a slightly ‘truer’ Japan experience than they may have received at other resorts. 

And as we all know, the best part about travelling with kids is seeing their interests ignite for new topics. So if you’re bringing the little ones, why not immerse them in real Japanese culture!

Does this mean Niseko and Hakuba Aren’t Good For Kids?

Not at all. Any mountain you visit will always offer kids play areas, ski schools and many other activity programs to keep the little ones safe, secure and having fun during your trip. So really, the choice is yours – they are all epic options. 

Where Furano does distinguish itself really comes down to two main things: less crowds and a significantly cheaper experience on your hip-pocket. Which, if you ask us, are too pretty major selling points.