Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort Safety & Emergency
In an emergency
Many Japanese fire departments handle 119 calls in major foreign languages via three-way simultaneous interpretation through a telephone interpretation center, 24 hours a day, year-round. Reviewed 2026-07-21
Medical facilities nearby
This list shows the nearest 15 hospitals, 10 clinics, 10 pharmacies and 5 dentists, plus every emergency hospital. More are in the area.
| Facility | Straight line | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital 15 | ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 10.4 km | 36 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 10.9 km | 23 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 11.7 km | 25 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 13.1 km | 28 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 13.4 km | 29 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details Accepts emergencies Emergency care: 24 hours | 14.0 km | 29 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details Accepts emergencies Emergency care: 24 hours | 14.2 km | 47 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 15.1 km | 32 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 15.5 km | 31 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 20.2 km | 50 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 22.3 km | 47 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 22.4 km | 48 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 22.4 km | 49 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 22.5 km | 48 min |
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| Reception hours are in the details | 23.0 km | 44 min |
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Pre-trip planning notes
Gathered ahead of your trip as a planning aid — details change; verify locally on arrival.
- Rescue protocol
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Inside the managed area, an accident is reported to patrol or other staff (terms of use Art. 11). Outside it the rules change: anyone who enters a prohibited area and is hurt or lost there gets no search or rescue from the resort at their own request, and the resort accepts no responsibility (Art. 14). The resort goes into those areas only when the police, fire service or another public authority asks it to, and then bills the person rescued. The orange and pink parts of the resort's course map mark the no-ski, outside-the-managed-area zones.
As of 2026-10-12 - Backcountry policy
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No backcountry access. The terms of use prohibit entering or skiing in areas outside the managed area or in no-ski zones, entering or skiing on closed runs, and hiking up within the runs for mountaineering (Art. 4). The terms do not use the word backcountry; the course map marks the no-ski areas, and users must not pass ropes, nets or signs into them. Anyone hurt or lost there gets no search from the resort on request, and is billed if a public authority asks the resort to rescue them (Art. 14). Breaking the rules can lead to the lift ticket being suspended and entry refused (Art. 16).
As of 2026-10-12 - Major trauma center
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The central Hokkaido doctor helicopter is based at Teine Keijinkai Hospital in Sapporo, a critical-care emergency centre. The national doctor-heli coverage table (updated 5 June 2026) matches the resort's area, Ishikari subprefecture, to the central region. The helicopter flies by visual flight rules, so in daylight only. Standby hours change by season, from 08:30 to 16:00 between 16 October and 31 January and up to 18:00 from mid-April to late August, and it may not fly at dusk or in bad weather even within those hours.
As of 2026-10-12
Show this to staff
Each line is in Japanese a receptionist can read, with its meaning underneath.
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スキー中にけがをしました。
I was injured while skiing.
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ここがとても痛いです。
It hurts a lot here.
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診察を受けたいです。
I would like to see a doctor.
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海外旅行保険に入っています。
I have travel insurance.
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クレジットカードで払えますか？
Can I pay by credit card?
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英語を話せる人はいますか？
Is there anyone who speaks English?
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保険請求用の診断書と領収書をください。
Please give me a medical certificate and a receipt for my insurance.
Cost, insurance and medicines
- Rescue costs
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The terms of use set charges only for rescues in prohibited areas; they say nothing about charging for help on the open runs. When the resort rescues someone there at the request of the police, fire service or another authority, the terms (in force from 1 November 2024, revised 15 October 2025) bill the person rescued ¥50,000 per hour as a base fee, ¥5,000 per staff member per hour, ¥50,000 per snowcat per hour, ¥10,000 per snowmobile per hour and ¥2,500 per person per gondola round trip. Staff charges rise 25% from 17:00 to 22:00 and 50% from 22:00 to 10:00, and any damage to the resort is billed on top. A rescue of a few hours with several staff and a snowcat therefore costs hundreds of thousands of yen.
As of 2026-10-12
Japan's National Health Insurance does not cover tourists — hospitals bill the full cost and generally expect payment upfront by cash or card. Ordinary travel insurance often excludes off-piste and backcountry rescue; dedicated mountain-rescue insurance exists, so check your policy before you ride.
Reviewed 2026-07-21Some common medicines are restricted in Japan — e.g. codeine-containing products, pseudoephedrine above set limits, and ADHD stimulants — and may require advance permission to bring in. Check the MHLW guidance before you travel.
Reviewed 2026-07-21Nothing here is medical advice. We compile this information from Japan's national medical registers and the official websites of facilities and resorts, as a planning aid. Hours, phone numbers and services change, and we cannot guarantee that any of it is current or correct. Decisions you make with it are your own responsibility: check with the facility before you go, and in an emergency tell ski patrol or call 119.