GALA Yuzawa is famous for being the only ski and snowboard resort in Japan with its own Shinkansen bullet train station - the train station and ski gondola which goes up to the base of the main courses are actually in the same base building. Such convenience makes GALA Yuzawa extremely popular for day-trips from Tokyo and the resort increasingly caters for the growing number of international visitors. GALA Yuzawa has been operating since 1990.
There are four main areas to GALA - Central Area, Southern Area, Northern Area and the downhill course. With a relatively high altitude, GALA Yuzawa enjoys a long season and generally some of the best snow conditions in the region. Much of the Southern Area is left ungroomed and is usually relatively quiet. There is also an ungroomed course (Super Swan) in the Northern Area.
GALA Yuzawa is lift-connected to the Yuzawa Kogen resort (from the Southern Area) and also to the Ishiuchi Maruyama resort (from the Northern Area). A joint lift ticket that is valid at all three resorts is available - it is called 'Yuzawa Snow Link'. A new simple course that connects the North Area with the base of the Central Area opened for the 2017-2018 season and last season the ‘play in the snow’ area near the Central base - called 'Snow Enjoyment Park' - has been expanded.
Yuzawa town and neighbouring Minamiuonuma city - located around 200km to the north north-west of the Tokyo region in Niigata Prefecture - are together home to over 20 individual ski and snowboard resorts, including some of the most well-known ski resorts in Japan. With easy and quick access by both train and road and a wide choice in a relatively compact area, this region is one of the most popular ski destinations in Japan. The region usually enjoys very heavy and consistent snowfall each winter and with Yuzawa town also being the inspiration and setting of the famous Nobel prize-winning novel Yukiguni (Snow Country), it can certainly lay claim to being the original 'Snow Country'.
Niigata Prefecture is located in the central region of Honshu to the north of Tokyo and has a 250km long coastline facing the Sea of Japan. Convenient transportation links make Niigata very easy to get to from Tokyo and other surrounding regions. Most of the larger ski and snowboard resorts in Niigata Prefecture are concentrated in the southern regions around Yuzawa town, Minamiuonuma city and Myoko city.
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at GALA Yuzawa - lessons in English and other languages are available directly with the resort. There are also a number of independent ski and snowboard schools that cover the Yuzawa area, please check the Lessons in English section for current listings on SnowJapan.
Equipment Rental
Ski Rental:
Available
Snowboard Rental:
Available
Ski and snowboard equipment rental is available. Ski and snowboard wear rental is also available.
Children's facilities
The 'Snow Enjoyment Park' (playing in the snow) area with a moving walkway is near the base of the ski runs in the Central Area of GALA Yuzawa. Renewed and expanded last season.
A 'Kids Room' child-care facility is also available on the 2nd Floor of the Resthouse 'Cheers' and is for children ages 2-6 years old. The charge for one hour is 1,200 yen. Open 10:00am until 12:00pm and 1:00pm until 4:00pm daily, from 14th December 2019 until 5th April 2020.
Park information
GALA Yuzawa Season & Opening Times
Typical season is from Mid December until Early May
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
Daytime
Weekends and holidays
Normally open from 8:00am until 5:30pm
Weekdays
Normally open from 8:00am until 5:30pm
'Nighta' (night skiing)
Weekends and holidays
No
Weekdays
No
Opening information
GALA Yuzawa is generally open (first to last gondola of the day) from 8:00am until 5:30pm. The base Ski Center opens from 7:00am daily.
On the following dates, the Ski Center is open until 8:00pm: - Saturdays between 4th January and 31st March 2020; 28th-29th December 2019; 12th January; 23rd February 2020
There is no nighta at GALA Yuzawa.
GALA Yuzawa Lift Ticket Charges
Adults
Child
Elementary School age
Senior
55 years & over
1 Day
5,000 yen
2,500 yen
4,200 yen
2 Days
7,800 yen
3,900 yen
6,600 yen
Morning (8am-1pm)
4,000 yen
2,000 yen
3,400 yen
Afternoon (12pm-close)
4,000 yen
2,000 yen
3,400 yen
PM3 (3pm-close)
2,000 yen
1,000 yen
1,800 yen
Gondola (1 day)
1,800 yen
900 yen
1,800 yen
Season Ticket
41,000 yen
20,500 yen
2019-2020 Season Lift Tickets
Pre-schoolers ride the lifts for free at GALA Yuzawa.
A return ride on the Barouche quad lift costs 1,000 yen (adults and seniors), 500 yen (child).
The above ticket charges are valid from 14th December 2019 until 31st March 2020. Spring season tickets to be announced later.
Children's Day (Kodomo-no-hi) is the third Sunday of the month between December and April. On those days the lift ticket for children is available for no charge.
A ticket that is valid for every day from 1st February 2020 costs 32,000 yen (16,000 yen child). A ticket that is valid on every day from 1st March 2020 costs 21,600 yen (10,800 yen child). A ticket that is valid on every day from 1st April 2020 costs 11,600 yen (5,800 yen child).
Yuzawa Snow Link 2019-2020
The 'Yuzawa Snow Link' ticket is valid at GALA Yuzawa and the connecting Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama resorts. This ticket is available from Saturday 21st December 2019 until Sunday 29th March 2020 and allows unlimited access across all three ski resorts.
- 1 day >> 5,700 yen adults; 4,200 yen children; 5,000 yen seniors - 1 day >> 6,200 yen adults; 4,700 yen children; 5,500 yen seniors (* 4th Jan - 15th March) - 2 days >> 10,000 yen adults; 7,600 yen children; 8,900 yen seniors
The Landau Ropeway connecting GALA Yuzawa with Yuzawa Kogen will be operating between 4th January and 15th March 2020. The Buggy ski lift connecting GALA Yuzawa with Ishiuchi Maruyama will be operating between 4th January and 15th March 2020. A shuttle bus between the base areas operates every day during the open period.
Getting to GALA Yuzawa
By public transport
Train
0km from Gala Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen line
1.9km from Echigo Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Line
1.9km from Echigo Yuzawa Station on the Hokuhoku Line
Information
GALA Yuzawa is unique in that it has it's own Shinkansen bullet train station. As an extension to the main Joetsu Shinkansen line and just 2km further on from the main Echigo Yuzawa Station, the GALA Yuzawa building houses both the train platform and the ski resort gondola. Not all Joetsu Shinkansen train services stop at Gala Yuzawa Station and so be sure before choosing which train. If you do get on a train that stops only at Echigo Yuzawa Station, there are free shuttle buses from there to GALA Yuzawa and they only take around five minutes.
Connections to the Hokuhoku line are also available at Echigo Yuzawa Station.
Excellent value day trip return tickets that include the Joetsu Shinkansen train and ski lift tickets are available.
A free shuttle bus is available from the West Exit of Echigo Yuzawa Station. Another free shuttle bus connects GALA Yuzawa with the nearby Yuzawa Kogen and NASPA Ski Garden resorts and there are bus connections to nearby Ishiuchi Maruyama.
A taxi journey from Echigo Yuzawa Station to GALA Yuzawa takes less than 5 minutes and costs around 900 yen.
By Car
4.1km from the Yuzawa IC on the Kanetsu Expressway
6.3km from the Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC on the Kanetsu Expressway
Nearest national route: Route 17 (0.8km away)
Nearest prefecture road: Prefecture Road 462
Direction
From the Yuzawa IC exit, turn right onto Route 17 and continue north towards Minamiuonuma for 3.4km after which there is a large sign for GALA Yuzawa on the left hand side. Turn left at the sign and follow the road for about 700m to the car parks at GALA Yuzawa. There is a small car park right in front of the GALA Yuzawa building, and once that is full staff will direct you to the other nearby car parks.
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Ropeways
Gondolas
Quad lifts
Triple lifts
Pair lifts
Single lifts
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