SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 4 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 4 Japanese ski area news & developments 2023-2024 season Significant ski area news and developments that we hear about from around Japan. Additional information is reported on the individual ski area pages within SnowJapan as they are checked and updated every year (mainly from September through December). Important: We do not publish rumours, press releases or marketing promotions. Most ski area news is usually announced from September through December. SnowJapan is not a news organisation, and we cannot cover everything; our priority is developing our own information/website. If you know of any ski area-related information that might be of interest, we would be happy to hear from you. Contact us here. The news presented on this page is just a selection of information posted on the individual ski area pages within SnowJapan. Latest update on 2nd December 2023 (details below) New pair lift to connect Alts Bandai with Urabandai Nekoma [Fukushima Prefecture] Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort installs artificial snow-making machines and plans to open in October [Nagano Prefecture] Gokase Highland closed for 2023-2024 season (due to nearby typhoon damage) [Miyazaki Prefecture] Alts Bandai and Nekoma officially become Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain [Fukushima Prefecture] Snow Resort Nekoyama will be closed during the 2023-2024 season [Hiroshima Prefecture] New pulse gondola lift at Kusatsu Onsen to open for the 2023-2024 season [Gunma Prefecture] Two more lifts re-opening at White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka [Nagano Prefecture] Snow Cruise Onze will not be using snow-making machines this season [Hokkaido] Tsuguro Kogen will be closed during the 2023-2024 season [Okayama Prefecture] Memuro Shin Arashiyama Sky Park will be closed during the 2023-2024 season [Hokkaido] Kijimadaira to change official name to Snow Resort Romance no Kamisama [Nagano Prefecture] An explanation about ski area 'planned opening dates' Niki Chomin will be closed during the 2023-2024 season... but it will be back! [Hokkaido] Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort opening postponed [Nagano Prefecture] New pulse gondola to open for the 2023-2024 season at Kusatsu Onsen [Gunma Prefecture] Snow Park Yeti confirms planned opening date of 21st October 2023 [Shizuoka Prefecture] GRANSNOW Okuibuki installs 'ice crusher' snow making machine(s) [Shiga Prefecture] Lotte Arai Resort now officially known as ARAI SNOW RESORT [Niigata Prefecture] Echo Valley will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season [Nagano Prefecture] Ski lift to re-open at Kashimayari Skijo Family Park [Nagano Prefecture] Snow Park Yeti extends opening record to 25 years [Shizuoka Prefecture] Top lift at Muikamachi Hakkaisan to re-open [Niigata Prefecture] The Baragi quad lift at Palcall Tsumagoi Resort has been taken off official course map [Gunma Prefecture] New pair lift at Ishiuchi Maruyama [Niigata Prefecture] New name and several changes at Ipponsugi in Yuzawa [Niigata Prefecture] Two ski lifts to operate at Suhara during the 2023-2024 season [Niigata Prefecture] Number 7 lift and Gold courses closes at Marunuma Kogen [Gunma Prefecture] Nakasato Kiyotsu will be closed for the 2023-2024 season [Niigata Prefecture] Mt Granview will be closed for the 2023-2024 season [Niigata Prefecture] Ishiuchi Hanaoka will be closed for the 2023-2024 season [Niigata Prefecture] Itsukamachi will be closed for the 2023-2024 season [Niigata Prefecture] Montdeus Hidakuraiyama Snow Park has changed name to Takayama Shimin [Gifu Prefecture] Only one lift operating at Nihonmatsu Shiozawa for the 2023-2024 season [Fukushima Prefecture] Fujisato Choei will not open for the 2023-2024 season [Akita Prefecture] Akasawa has announced that the 2023-2024 season will be its last [Gunma Prefecture] Niyama Kogen has announced it will not open for the 2023-2024 season [Hokkaido] Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 4 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 4 New pair lift to connect Alts Bandai with Urabandai Nekoma The top of Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai and Hoshino Resorts Urabandai Nekoma ski areas are geographically close - but not connected. In recent years, a 'walk route' has been available, and there have been rumours of plans for a new ski lift. Hoshino Resorts (operator of both ski areas) has announced plans for the new ski lift this week. It will go from the top of the Black Valley Express quad at Alts Bandai to the top of the Excite Cat Chair at Urabandai Nekoma, about 785m. This new pair lift will be constructed this year and plans to make its debut in December 2023. Interesting news! More details will be available later. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/fukushima/bandai/hoshino-resorts-alts-bandai https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/fukushima/kita-shiobara/hoshino-resorts-urabandai-nekoma Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted August 3 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted August 3 Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort is planning to open on 21st October 2023 New snow-making machines installed Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort in Nagano Prefecture plans to make headlines this year by opening as soon as 21st October. The early opening date comes thanks to 4 newly-installed French-made (MND SNOW) artificial snow-making machines, apparently the first of their kind in Japan. The run that plans to open is the 450m Family Course in the central Taro area of the resort. They plan to start 'making snow' from sometime in mid-September (next month!) More information on the link below coming soon. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/ueda/sugadaira-kogen-snow-resort Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted August 3 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted August 3 Gokase Highland closed for 2023-2024 season (due to nearby typhoon damage) Gokase Highland（五ヶ瀬ハイランドスキー場）in Gokase (Miyazaki) will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. The ski area was closed last season (2022-2023) due to a powerful typhoon causing damage to the access road. Unfortunately, the road has not been fixed sufficiently, and it has been announced that the ski area will not be opening for the 2023-2024 winter season. Gokase Highland is the most southerly ski area in Japan. We wish them well and hope to see them back next year. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/miyazaki/gokase/gokase-highland Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted August 11 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted August 11 Alts Bandai and Nekoma officially become 'Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain' Earlier, we reported a new ski lift being built to connect Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai and Hoshino Resorts Nekoma. The two ski areas will effectively 'merge' from the coming season to become Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain. The new name in Japanese is 星野リゾート ネコマ マウンテン The relevant information within SnowJapan will be updated within the coming week. Updated here (15th August 2023): https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/fukushima/bandai/hoshino-resorts-nekoma-mountain Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 1 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 1 Snow Resort Nekoyama will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season The management of Snow Resort Nekoyama in Hiroshima Prefecture have announced that the ski area will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. Reasons given include unreliable weather in recent years, the effect of the last few years of the coronavirus situation, rising costs and ageing facilities. Snow Resort Nekoyama https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/hiroshima/shobara/snow-resort-nekoyama Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 1 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 1 New pulse gondola lift at Kusatsu Onsen to open for the 2023-2024 season A new 'pulse gondola' lift is currently being built at Kusatsu Onsen ski area in Gunma Prefecture. The new lift is in the ski area's lower section, and two nearby pair lifts will be removed. It will be ready to open for the 2023-2024 winter season. More information will be added to the Kusatsu Onsen page on SnowJapan in the coming weeks. Kusatsu Onsen https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/gunma/kusatsu/kusatsu-onsen Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 6 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 6 Two more lifts re-opening at Hakuba Sanosaka For the 2022-2023 winter season, one quad lift and one pair lift were operating at White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka. Some good news just in! For the 2023-2024 season, the 875m Number 3 quad lift and the 370m Number 5 pair lift will also be re-opening. White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/hakuba/hakuba-sanosaka Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 11 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 11 Snow Cruise Onze will not be using snow-making machines this season Snow Cruize Onze in Hokkaido usually plans to open in the middle of November with the help of snow making machines. The ski area has announced that those machines will not be used this season, and that they are instead aiming for an opening sometime in the middle of December 2023. Snow Cruise Onze https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/hokkaido/otaru/snow-cruise-onze Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 19 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 19 Tsuguro Kogen will not be opening during the 2023-2024 season The management of Tsuguro Kogen in Okayama Prefecture have announced that the ski area will not be opening for the 2023-2024 season. Reasons for the closure include a lack of enough available staff to operate safely. It is currently unclear if there is a chance of re-opening in the future. Tsuguro Kogen https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/okayama/maniwa/tsuguro-kogen Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted September 28 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted September 28 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 2 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 2 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 name for the ski area is going to be Snow Resort Romance no Kamisama スノーリゾートロマンスの神様. Quite how that works in reality and whether they choose to also add any English in the name remains to be seen, as do full details. For the moment, the ski area will remain Kijimadaira on SnowJapan, but we will change this when full details are known. Kijimadaira (soon to be Snow Resort Romance no Kamisama) https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/nagano/kijimadaira/kijimadaira Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 7 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 7 An explanation about ski area 'planned opening dates' Please be sure to read this: https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 10 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 10 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 12 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 12 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 12 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 12 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 12 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 12 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 16 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 16 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 on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/shiga/maibara/gransnow-okuibuki Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 18 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 18 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 19 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 19 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 19 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 19 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 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 20 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 20 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 we look forward to winter. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/shizuoka/susono/snow-park-yeti Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 27 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 27 Top lift at Muikamachi Hakkaisan to re-open for 2023-2024 season The top pair lift at Muikamachi Hakkaisan in Minamiuonuma (Niigata) had to close last season due to damage caused by a snow slide. Without that lift operating you had to take the main Ropeway from base to get to the top of the ski area. The good news is that the lift will be up and running for the 2023-2024 season. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/niigata/minamiuonuma/muikamachi-hakkaisan Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 27 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 27 Quad lift at Palcall Tsumagoi Resort taken off 2023-2024 season official course map The quad lift in the lower section of the Baragi Area of the ski resort has been removed from the official course map for the 2023-2024 season, so presumably it will not be operating. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/gunma/tsumagoi/pallcall-tsumagoi-resort Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 29 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 29 New pair lift at Ishiuchi Maruyama There have been a lot of changes and additions at Ishiuchi Maruyama (Niigata) in recent years, and this year is no exception as they have built a new 2-person ski lift. The new lift is close to the Sunrise Express gondola, and it covers the lower section of the Chuo area. The ski area has not yet updated the official website with details. We will update our page (below) when more confirmed details are available. Ski area information on SnowJapan: https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/niigata/minamiuonuma/ishiuchi-maruyama Link to post Share on other sites
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