SnowJapan

Snow Park Yeti extends opening record to 25 years Snow Park Yeti (Susuno City, Shizuoka Prefecture) opens this morning for the 2023-2024 season. It is the 25th year in a row that Snow Park Yeti has been the first ski area in Japan to open. However, it was going to be a close race this year, with Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort installing brand new machines and hoping to open this weekend. Unfortunately, they have encountered some issues with the devices and delayed opening. The snow at Snow Park Yeti may not be natural and coming from the skies, but it's always good to see this news as w

Ski lift to re-open at Kashimayari Skijo Family Park The number 5 pair lift at Kashimayari Skijo Family Park in Nagano Prefecture will be re-opening for the 2023-2024 season. That means there should be two quads and three pairs operating at the ski area this coming season. Kashimayari Skijo Family Park https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/omachi/hakuba-valley-kashimayari

Echo Valley will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season Echo Valley in Nagano Prefecture has announced that it will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. It has been closed since the 2020-2021 season. Echo Valley https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/nagawa/echo-valley

Updated with more information and photos from June 2023 https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/toyama-nanto-snow-valley-toga

Lotte Arai Resort now officially known as ARAI SNOW RESORT The ski area at Lotte Arai Resort in Niigata was known by the same name.... Lotte Arai Resort. From this season, the ski area will officially be known as ARAI SNOW RESORT. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/niigata/myoko/lotte-arai-resort

Our Niseko Now reporter is starting to wake up from hibernation and posted a message. The report isn't appearing on the Niseko Now section of the site yet (for complicated technical reasons), so it is being posted here... ------------------------------------------------------------ NISEKO NOW Tuesday 17th October 2023 Hello, and good morning from Niseko. It's been a while! It's Tuesday, 17th October 2023, and I am just about starting to slowy emerge from my annual hibernation. I'm just glad I didn't melt away in the silly heat of the summer! All intact, I think.

Our Niseko Now reporter is starting to wake up from hibernation and posted a message. The report isn't appearing on the Niseko Now section of the site yet (for complicated technical reasons), so it is being posted here... ------------------------------------------------------------ NISEKO NOW Tuesday 17th October 2023 Hello, and good morning from Niseko. It's been a while! It's Tuesday, 17th October 2023, and I am just about starting to slowy emerge from my annual hibernation. I'm just glad I didn't melt away in the silly heat of the summer! All intact, I think.

GRANSNOW Okuibuki installs 'ice crusher' snow making machine(s) GRANSNOW Okuibuki in Shiga Prefecture have announced their use of Italian-made 'ice crusher' machine(s), enabling them to produce up to 100 tons of snow a day. It's particularly interesting in that this ski area boasts about the large amount of snow that the region receives, even calling it 'world's largest snowfall'... At the time of writing, they have not yet announced their planned opening date for this season. Perhaps they are aiming to open before the usual 'mid-December' opening date? Ski area information

Snow Park Yeti confirms planned opening date of 21st October 2023 Snow Park Yeti is often the first ski area to open in Japan every season. Here are the dates it opened in recent years: 6th October 2017 19th October 2018 25th October 2019 30th October 2020 22nd October 2021 21st October 2021 The ski areas has confirmed that it plans to open for the 2023-2024 season on Friday 20th October 2023. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/shizuoka/susono/snow-park-yeti

New 'pulse gondola' at Kusatsu Onsen A new 'pulse gondola' is going to be opening this coming winter season at Kusatsu Onsen ski area in Gunma Prefecture. The new 460m lift, starting at the base of the ski area, is currently nearing completion. Details to follow on the below page in the coming weeks. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/gunma/kusatsu/kusatsu-onsen

SnowJapanHistory.com takes a look back at ski areas from Japan's past. Koeji Ski Area 越路スキー場 Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture 岐阜県奥州市 https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/iwate-oshu-koeji

Added 12th October 2023: Koeji, Oshu, Iwate https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/iwate-oshu-koeji

Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort opening postponed Following on from the news that Sugadaira planned to open on 21st October 2023.... The opening has been delayed due to some technical issue with the new machines they have installed. It sounds like they are now hoping to be able to open 'in mid-November'. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/ueda/sugadaira-kogen-snow-resort

Niki Chomin will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season... but it will be back The small Niki Chomin ski area in Hokkaido will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. The ski area is 40 years old this year and is are planning on re-opening with new upgraded facilities in time for the 2025 season. Niki Chomin https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/hokkaido/niki/niki-chomin

An explanation about ski area 'planned opening dates' Please be sure to read this: https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates

New Member Area on SnowJapan What you can do: Upload photos & write ski area reviews The new member area of SnowJapan is now available. You can now upload photos and write reviews of Japanese ski areas to share with other SnowJapan readers. The new functionality is intentionally simple. To learn more about it, please be sure to read this: https://www.snowjapan.com/about-members-area A few important points we’d like to make: In order to avoid spam, advertising, and other such nonsense, all submitted reviews and photos need to be approved (by us) before

SnowJapanHistory.com takes a look back at ski areas from Japan's past. Takadaira Ski Area 高平スキー場 Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture 岐阜県郡上市 https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/gifu-gujo-takadaira

Added 6th October 2023: Takadaira, Gujo, Gifu https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/gifu-gujo-takadaira

'Planned season dates' We have added a new page explaining in detail what the 'planned season dates' shown on our site mean: https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates

Kijimadaira to change official name to Snow Resort Romance no Kamisama The Kijimadaira Ski Area in northern Nagano is going for a very interesting name change soon. The new name comes from the title of a famous song from 1993 performed by Kohmi Hirose. The song is called ロマンスの神様 (Romance no Kamisama, or 'The Cupid of Romance', literally 'The God of Romance'). It was used by the Alpen sports shop chain in commercials and has since become synonymous with the winter season, helping earn the singer the nickname 冬の女王 (Winter Queen). Here's the song on YouTube. Anyway the new na

SnowJapanHistory.com takes a look back at ski areas from Japan's past. Tsurugisan Ski Area Tsurugi Town, Tokushima Prefecture https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/tokushima-tsurugi-tsurugisan

Added 29th September 2023: Tsurugisan, Tsurugi, Tokushima https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/tokushima-tsurugi-tsurugisan

Shin Arashiyama Memuro Sky Park will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season The management of Memuro Shin Arashiyama Memuro Sky Park in Hokkaido have announced that the ski area will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. Specific reasons are unclear, but the decision appears to be permanent. Memuro Shin Arashiyama Memuro Sky Park https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/hokkaido/memuro/memuro

Updated on 24th September 2023 with photos

SnowJapanHistory.com takes a look back at ski areas from Japan's past. Kawayu Nupuri Ski Area 川湯ヌプリスキー場 Teshikaga Town , Hokkaido 北海道弟子屈町 https://www.snowjapanhistory.com/hokkaido-teshikaga-kawayu-nupuri