Appi Kogen sits deep in the highlands of Iwate Prefecture in Japan's Tohoku region, about two hours north of Tokyo by bullet train. The name comes from the Ainu language, meaning a place where one can live in peace. Spend a ski season here and you will understand why that name stuck.
Voted Japan's Best Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards 2022 and 2023, it's the largest resort operated by a single company in Japan. North facing slopes that keep humidity low and the powder dry. A ski season that runs from December through to May, around 160 days of winter! Appi quietly delivers the goods every single season. And most people still haven't heard of it.
The Ski Instructor Season Starts in Switzerland
The Appi Kogen ski internship starts before you even land in Japan. You train first in the Pearl of the Alps - Saas-Fee, Switzerland, earning a globally recognised qualification among some of the highest alpine peaks in Europe. Then you arrive in Japan and the season of instructing begins.
Appi offers a quiet, authentic Japanese experience. Staff accommodation is a ten minute walk from the slopes with discounted meals on your doorstep. It is agrowing international ski school and a crew that gels fast.
Beyond the Crowds, Discovering Appi Kogen,
Six designated tree zones, 828 metres of vertical drop, and some of the most consistent blower dry powder in Honshu. The north facing slopes protect the snow quality. Behind the groomed runs is seriously good untracked terrain for those who know where to look. Fall line skiing that goes on longer than you'd expect. If you came to Japan to chase powder, Appi will make you a very appi chappy.
Appi's international ski school is still growing, which means you're not just another face in a large operation. You are apart of building something. When the nearest town is an hour away and the resort moves at its own quiet Japanese pace, the crew becomes everything.
Onsen, Karaoke & Quiet Tohoku Nights
A day off at Appi is unique. After your last run an open-air onsen waits! Hot water, cold mountain air, and the kind of stillness that only exists this far north in Japan. Back at the accommodation, karaoke rooms, a handful of bars, and a dining scene ranging from fresh sushi to Korean BBQ, all within walking distance of the mountain.
The nightlife is limited. That's exactly the point. This is a quintessential Japanese mountain experience at its own pace. No tourist traps. No western resort bubble. Affordable staff accommodation, ski-in ski-out village, discounted meals, and a mountain community that looks after its own. This is a place with a strong local idenity.
Be Happy in Appi
The powder, the trees, the crew, the culture. One season at Appi and you will wonder why it took you this long to find it.
Ski and snowboard internship spots are open this winter.
