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Site news: About the updating of our ski area information (2024-2025 season)


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  • SnowJapan Admin

About the updating of our ski area information   [2024-2025 season]

Every year, we manually check and update the information about Japanese ski areas published on SnowJapan.

The process of updating information for the upcoming 2024-2025 season has already started.

It's complicated and time-consuming, and over the next 3-4 months, we will be checking and updating information every day.

Here's more about what we do and what you can expect:

  • Our one intention is for the information we publish to be correct, reliable, and (as) up-to-date (as possible).
  • We only use original, reliable and official Japanese language sources. (Reasons: many ski areas are slow to update any official English information they have; also, lots of non-official English information that can be found online (*outside of SnowJapan, of course!) is out-of-date - sometimes extremely out of date!)
  • We are as careful and thorough as possible when checking and updating our information. 
  • It is a totally manual process.
  • Updates for each ski area (about 500 of them) are often done in stages as information becomes available and we become aware of it. (For example, planned opening dates are usually announced first, then lift ticket prices, with other details following at a later date).
  • During the process, we go back to check and update information on each ski area multiple times.
  • As such, updates may seem random, and some information from the previous season will temporarily remain on a page.
  • To be clear, updates do not appear automatically and/or simultaneously - it is an ongoing and gradual process.
  • We try to update information for larger, more well-known and popular ski areas as early as possible. However, that is not always possible since we rely on official information sources.
  • In our experience over 20+ years, most Japanese ski areas do not update their websites until November. As crazy as it might sound, some even wait until December to provide up-to-date information
  • You can expect the bulk of updates to appear on SnowJapan from late October through mid-December.

SnowJapan is not here to publish marketing messaging or promotional press releases. No one ever tells us what to do or publish, and we'll always do what we just feel is right.  :)

Please read this for more information on 'planned opening dates'.

Our weather/snow reporting will start appearing later in November and daily from when ski lifts open.

Gambarimasu!

(Late August 2024)

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Early September 2024

The main updates we are making at the moment are more detailed ski area 'planned season dates' for ski areas around Japan.

For example, take a look at the updated info for Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu (towards the top of the page):

https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/hokkaido/kutchan/niseko-mountain-resort-grand-hirafu

Remember to check out explanation of these 'planned season dates':

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates

 

 

 

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Early October 2024

The daily updates continue!

We continue to add more detailed 'planned season dates' as they are announced, and there are now more ski areas announcing lift ticket prices along with other details, so those are also gradually being updated.

(The information for the upcoming season for over 20 ski areas has now been completed.  Only about 480 left to finish up!)

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Remember to check out our explanation of these 'planned season dates':

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates

You can also check on when ski areas opened in the last two seasons here:

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/graphs/japanese-ski-areas-opening-closing-dates-2023-2024

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/graphs/japanese-ski-areas-opening-closing-dates-2022-2023

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

25th October 2024

Once again this year, Snow Park Yeti in Shizuoka Prefecture was the first ski area in Japan to open (today) for the ski season... with artificial snow, of course. It has now held that record for 26 years in a row. (Note: if you plan on going, be sure to check in advance - it has been known to not be able to open some days at this very early stage due to weather/temperature conditions).

The snow season is getting closer, with some sprinklings of snow spotted on some higher mountains. Exciting times!  :)

Some ski areas aim to open in November and early December, but the start of the season is still up to two months away for most ski areas in Japan. As reference, you can check on when ski areas opened in the 2023-2024 season and 2022-2023 season here:

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/graphs/japanese-ski-areas-opening-closing-dates-2023-2024
https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/graphs/japanese-ski-areas-opening-closing-dates-2022-2023

Our daily information updates continue. We have now finished updating the information for just under 100 ski areas throughout the country. The information for a further 100 or so has been partially updated. 

At the time of writing, we estimate that about 400 ski areas have still not completed updating their own information for the upcoming season. Many haven't even started!

We'll get our own updates done as quickly as we can, but, as always, expect it to take until mid-December.

Some of our Now weather reports will start to appear once we get into November. Not too long to wait now...!

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Remember to check out our explanation of these 'planned season dates':

https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/about/about-season-dates

Select news (*also in individual ski area listing pages throughout the site):

https://www.snowjapan.com/community/index.php?/topic/27280-japanese-ski-area-news-2024/
https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts

 

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

1st November 2024

The first Now report of the season has appeared:

https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-daily-snow-weather-reports

Our daily reports will gradually start to appear over the next few weeks as the ski season approaches.

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After opening on 25th October, Snow Park Yeti unfortunately had to close due to weather conditions (and is still closed today).

Karuizawa Prince Hotel ski area and the (sort of) indoor Sayama ski area both open today. All with artificial snow.

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

12th November 2024

As of today, we have (provisionally) completed the updating of information for about 190 ski areas.

Also as of today, we estimate 250-300 ski areas around Japan have still either not completed updating their own information for the upcoming season (meaning we can't complete ours).... or haven't even started.

The daily updates continue!

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

16th November 2024

We have been able to do a lot of updating this last week. We're up to 250 ski areas now.   :friend:

Most of the information for larger ski areas has been updated on our site, though we are still waiting for some updated information to be available for some big names.

If previous years are any indication (* they usually are), many smaller ski areas will only update their own information/websites once we get into December. Some will only update their details when they open. A handful even wait until after they have opened (!).

We will continue with our daily updates.

 

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

26th November 2024

The information on SnowJapan for around 300 ski areas has now been checked and updated for the 2024-2025 season. 

As noted a few weeks ago, most of the information for larger ski areas has been updated ---- though we are still waiting for some updated information to be available for some big names. If previous years are any indication (* they usually are), many smaller ski areas will only update their own information/websites in December and some even wait until they open.

The daily updates continue!

Here's our page listing ski areas that are open. It is updated regularly:

https://www.snowjapan.com/community/index.php?/topic/27308-early-season-ski-area-openings-in-japan-updated-until-early-december-2024/

 

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  • SnowJapan Admin

5th December 2024

The information on SnowJapan for around 340 ski areas has now been checked and updated for the 2024-2025 season. 

If previous years are any indication (* they usually are), many smaller ski areas will only update their own information/websites later this month December --- some even wait until they open!

The daily updates continue.

We are updating this page multiple times daily to keep a check on which ski areas are open:

https://www.snowjapan.com/community/index.php?/topic/27308-early-season-ski-area-openings-in-japan-updated-until-early-december-2024/

 

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