Kunimidaira

There is nowhere to stay at the hill itself, so pick a base by what else you want from the trip. Mizusawa, in central Oshu, is the practical choice: plain, inexpensive business hotels, convenience stores, petrol and supermarkets, and about 40 minutes' drive to the lifts. It also sits near Mizusawa-Esashi Station if you are arriving by Shinkansen and picking up a car.

Hiraizumi is the more memorable base. The old temple town is roughly 40 minutes away, and staying there lets you pair a ski day with the gold-leafed Konjikido hall at Chuson-ji. Hotel Musashibo is the classic choice, a large ryokan-style hotel with hot-spring baths and Japanese dinners, close to Chuson-ji. Ichinoseki, a little further south, has more business hotels around the station and is the stop for the Geibikei gorge boat ride, which runs heated kotatsu boats in winter.

If you plan to ski both hills, stay at Geto Kogen and drive over. The two share an operator, and a Kunimidaira season pass gets you half-price day tickets at Geto Kogen. Our guide to where to stay at Geto Kogen covers the on-mountain hotel and onsen.

The No.1 Pair climbs from the Center House up the middle of the hill and serves most of the terrain. Off its top, the red Downhill course is the main cruiser back to base, the green Family course is the easy way down, and right beside the lift line sit the three most interesting runs: Chotto Wild (a bit wild), the black Shinsetsu Wild (fresh-snow wild) and the black Mogul Bahn. The Rinkan forest course is the longest run on the hill at about 1.3 km, a gentle green that loops out through the trees and makes a pleasant first run for nervous skiers. The second lift sits across the hill and serves the red Technical course and the black Kuma no Odoriba, with a red detour around it. Maximum pitch is about 30 degrees, so the blacks are short and steep rather than long. On a powder morning, go straight for Shinsetsu Wild and Kuma no Odoriba before they are skied out, then cruise the Downhill once the groomers soften. Trees are for looking at only. There is no off-piste access and patrol expects you inside the ropes.

By car: Kunimidaira is about 40 minutes from Oshu Smart interchange if you are coming from Morioka or Akita, and about 40 minutes from Hiraizumi-Maesawa interchange if you are coming from Sendai. Allow roughly an hour and a quarter from Iwate Hanamaki Airport, and about two hours from Sendai. The prefectural and city roads up to the hill are ploughed early in the morning, but heavy snow can pile up again after the plough has passed. Winter tyres are a must, and take extra care in a two-wheel-drive car on icy mornings. Parking is free, with space for around 500 cars right at the Center House. Our winter car hire and driving guide covers rental tips and snow tyres.

By train: the Tohoku Shinkansen stops at Mizusawa-Esashi Station, around three hours from Tokyo. There is no regular ski bus to the hill, so rent a car at the station or take a taxi, which costs more than the lift ticket each way.

Kunimidaira suits families, budget skiers and anyone based in Oshu, Hiraizumi or Ichinoseki who wants a cheap, uncrowded day without a long drive. The green runs are genuinely gentle and separated from the steeper stuff, so kids can roam a bit. Confident intermediates will have fun for a morning, and the ungroomed blacks give stronger skiers a reason to come on a fresh-snow day. Powder hunters and tree skiers should spend their big days at Geto Kogen and treat this as the easy day. For more quiet hills like it, see our guide to Japan ski resorts with fewer crowds.

The Center House cafeteria opens from 10:30 to 15:00 and does the usual ski hill menu: curry rice, ramen, katsudon and soba, filling and cheap. Bring snacks if you plan to ski from first chair, since the kitchen opens two hours after the lifts. The local food is the reason to linger. Oshu is home to Maesawa beef, one of Japan's top wagyu brands, and plenty of restaurants in Mizusawa and Maesawa serve it as steak or sukiyaki. Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi are known for mochi, served as a spread of small bowls with different toppings, from sweet red bean to grated daikon. Après is a soak and an early dinner. There are no bars at the hill, and Mizusawa's izakaya around the station are the closest thing to nightlife.

• Lift hours: both lifts run from 8:30 to 16:30, usually from late December to late March depending on snow. There is no night skiing.
• Tickets: the day pass is cheap, a five-hour ticket suits a half day and preschoolers ride free. Kids and teenagers pay less.
• Snow: with no snowmaking and a low base, an early-season or late-season visit is a gamble. The website and social media post opening decisions, often early the same morning.
• Lessons: ski and snowboard lessons run on set days, mostly weekends and holidays, in Japanese. Check the school calendar on the website.
• Backcountry: none. All runs are inside the ropes, and patrol does not allow off-piste.

Nearby resorts worth pairing

Geto Kogen is the obvious partner, roughly an hour north, with far more snow, a gondola and real tree skiing. Namari Onsen, a bit over an hour away, adds a hot-spring stay to a small-hill day. Shizukuishi and Appi Kogen are both further north, closer to Morioka, if you want bigger terrain for a few days. For more cheap hills worth a day, see our list of the best budget ski resorts in Japan.