Nekoma Mountain

Stay on the South side for the easiest logistics. Bandaisan Onsen Hotel, run by Hoshino Resorts, sits right at the base with hot spring baths, buffet dinners and ski storage, and it is the default choice for families and first-timers. The newer BunkLodge NEKOMA, also at the foot of the South Area, is aimed squarely at people who ski all day: bunk-style rooms at friendlier prices, a drying room, a tuning space and a ski-in route off the Batow chair.

Stay on the North side if powder comes first. The hotels and pensions around Urabandai and Lake Hibara are a short drive from the North base, and the resort runs buses from several Urabandai hotels in season. Evenings are quiet, which suits the dawn powder crowd.

For a cheaper base and more places to eat, Inawashiro town sits about 20 minutes' drive below the South base, with business hotels, ryokan and small guesthouses. See our guide to choosing between resort, village and city stays if you are weighing it up.

The North Area is the reason to come. It faces away from the sun, sits in beech forest and holds cold, light snow for days after a storm. The Deep cat chair serves the Deep courses, which the resort itself bills as a powder-guaranteed zone in high season, and Deep 1 collects the deepest snow on the mountain. Excite 1, known locally as the Nekoma bahn, is a single steep pitch that is fun groomed and even better with fresh snow on it. The North also runs the longest season in Fukushima, often well into May, with very early spring opening times for firm, fast morning snow.

The South Area is bigger, sunnier and steeper at the top end. The hooded Alts Express is the main workhorse and your way into the back of the resort. Black Valley is home to four steep pitches the resort calls its steep four brothers: Black Valley 4 is a wide, flat-out steep face that suits big turns, and Black Valley 5 is left ungroomed all season, with a large rock at the top and a drop-in that feels bigger than the numbers. Peak 3 is the mogul run, and Peak 2, a five-minute walk from Frozen 1, is a known hiding place for fresh snow. The Frozen area near the summit wears rime ice in midwinter and has the best lake views.

Tree zones: there are five signed tree-run zones covering about 27.5 ha, mostly off the Frozen chair. They range from gentle open glades to steep, tight lines in Black Tree D. They are self-responsibility areas: helmets are compulsory, rescues are charged and zones only open once there is enough snow to protect the vegetation.

Umaya hike and ride: a slice of the South has been opened as a free hike-up area for touring practice and snowshoeing, reached by the Batow chair. Outside the tree zones and Umaya, there is no gate system. Ropes are ropes and patrol can pull your ticket.

Lifts and flow: 13 lifts spread across both sides. The South's two express chairs carry most of the weekend load. The Nyalts connector chair runs both ways, but the last ride from the North is around 13:40, so plan your return well before then if your car or hotel is on the South side.

From Tokyo, the Tohoku Shinkansen takes you to Koriyama, and from there a direct express bus runs to the resort. Tokyo Station to the snow takes roughly two and a half hours. The resort also runs buses from Urabandai hotels, and a ski shuttle to and from Zao Onsen is planned, which makes a two-resort trip possible without driving.

By car, take the Banetsu Expressway to Inawashiro-Bandai Kogen IC, then follow the signs up the mountain to the South base or round to the North via Urabandai. Allow around three and a half hours from central Tokyo in normal conditions. Winter tyres are essential, as the mountain roads ice up quickly, and North and South are separate base areas with their own car parks, so decide where you are starting before you set off.

Fukushima and Sendai airports are closer, but flying into Tokyo and taking the Shinkansen is simpler. Our guide to getting around on a Japan ski trip compares hire cars, buses and transfers.

Powder riders and tree lovers should base their day on the North and the tree zones, especially midweek after a storm. Advanced skiers get the Black Valley steeps, Peak 3 bumps and an ungroomed face that means business. Intermediates have long cruisers on both sides, including the roughly 2 km Zunai run. Park riders get parks on both sides, including the hike-up park the South keeps open at night. Families do best on the South with its wide beginner slopes and base facilities. If you need 1,000 m of vertical and open alpine bowls, look elsewhere. Nekoma Mountain also sits on the Ikon Pass, and features on our list of Japan resorts on the Ikon Pass.

On-mountain food covers the usual ramen, katsu curry and rice bowls,, with the big South food court handling weekend crowds and the North keeping things simpler. There is also a small cafe rest stop at the bottom of Frozen 4, handy for a warm-up in the far corner of the South.

The biggest upgrade is apres. The Bandai Shokudo restaurant at the South resort centre turns into BeerHouse Matatabi in the late afternoon, serving drinks and snacks and working as a dinner option if you are staying nearby. On night-ski evenings there is a DJ and a lit-up base area. Otherwise apres means a hot spring and dinner. Head into Inawashiro for soba, family diners and a few izakaya, but do not come expecting Niseko-style nightlife.

• Seasons: the North opens first in late November and runs into early May. The South opens in mid-December and closes in early April.
• Night skiing: South Area only, on selected evenings (mostly Fridays) from mid-January to early March, 16:30 to 20:00 on the Zunai runs. The slopes are regroomed before the session.
• Connector timing: last ride from the North back to the South is about 13:40.
• Tree zones: helmet compulsory, rescue costs charged, no registration needed.
• Dogs: the South has a dog run all season.
• Language: the resort website and trail map are available in English, and Hoshino-run facilities are used to international guests.

Nearby resorts

Grandeco sits higher above Urabandai and is the best storm-day alternative. Inawashiro is a short drive down the hill with gentler groomers and lake views. Minowa, on the other side of the valley, is due to reopen after two lost seasons, and Numajiri is a small, quirky hill worth a half day. For a longer loop, our accessible tree skiing list covers other resorts with legal glades.