Yuzawa Kogen is located close to the centre of the popular snow and onsen resort of Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture. Yuzawa Kogen has two main areas - the main Kogen Area and the lower town-level Nunoba Area. They are connected by the 166-person capacity Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway. Spectacular views of Yuzawa town and the surrounding mountains can be enjoyed from the top of Yuzawa Kogen. Yuzawa Kogen is connected with the south area of the GALA Yuzawa resort via a second Ropeway that can be found in the top Kogen area of the resort. GALA Yuzawa is also lift-connected with the Ishiuchi Maruyama resort. A joint lift ticket that is valid at all three resorts is available from 19th December until 28th March.
The pair lift that was on the lower Nunoba area was taken out in the summer of 2019 and that Nunoba area is now called 'Yuzawa Onsen Snow World', featuring a 100m long covered snow escalator and another 36m snow escalator. You can still ski or board back from the upper Kogen area down to the base Nunoba area. For the 2020-2021 season a new IC gate system has been introduced.
Yuzawa Kogen dates back to 1915 when the Nunoba area originally opened.
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 lessons and snowboard lessons are available at Yuzawa Kogen. There are a number of independent ski and snowboard schools that cover the Yuzawa area and offer lessons in English - 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
There are two 'Snow Land' areas at the resort - one at the top Kogen area and one at the town-level Nunoba area. Special parent-child tickets are available.
The Kogen Snowland area offers snowtubing activities, a two tunnel slider and tree castle as well as other fun activities for the kids.
The larger base area is called 'Yuzawa Onsen Snow World' for the 2020-2021 season. It features a 100m long covered snow escalator as well as a 36m long snow escalator.
Various tickets are available for these areas, including on that is good for all the ski lifts and entry to the Snow Land areas.
Park information
Yuzawa Kogen Season & Opening Times
Typical season is from Mid December until Late March
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
Daytime
Weekends and holidays
Normally open from 8:30am until 5:00pm
Weekdays
Normally open from 8:30am until 5:00pm
'Nighta' (night skiing)
Weekends and holidays
No
Weekdays
No
Opening information
Yuzawa Kogen is open from 8:40am until 5:00pm every day and the Ropeway normally operates every 20 minutes.
There is no night skiing at Yuzawa Kogen.
Yuzawa Kogen Lift Ticket Charges
Adults
Child
Elementary School age & under
Senior
55 years & over
1 Day
4,700 yen
3,300 yen
4,200 yen
2 Days
7,800 yen
5,800 yen
6,800 yen
Morning (8:30am-1pm)
3,700 yen
2,800 yen
3,300 yen
Afternoon (12pm-5pm)
3,700 yen
2,800 yen
3,300 yen
Snow Experience
3,000 yen
2,000 yen
Snow World 1 Day
3,600 yen
2,600 yen
3,100 yen
Snow World Half Day
3,100 yen
2,300 yen
2,600 yen
Nunoba Snowland
1,200 yen
1,200 yen
Kogen Snowland
800 yen
800 yen
Season Ticket
36,000 yen
22,000 yen
26,000 yen
2020-2021 Season lift tickets
Cheaper lift tickets are available online in advance.
A return ride on the Yuzawa Ropeway costs 2,200 yen for adults and 1,100 yen for children. A one way ride on the Yuzawa Ropeway costs 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for children.
A 1 day 'Snow World' ticket for everything the base area has to offer is 3,600 yen for adults and 2,600 yen for children. A 1 day 'Snow Activity' ticket for the top or base area Snow Land areas is also available - 800 yen for the Kogen Snow Land; 1,200 yen for Base Snow Land.
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Yuzawa Snow Link 2020-2021
The 'Yuzawa Snow Link' ticket is valid at Yuzawa Kogen and the connecting GALA Yuzawa and Ishiuchi Maruyama ski areas. This ticket is available from Saturday 19th December 2020 until Sunday 28th March 2021 and allows unlimited access across all three ski areas.
19th December until 1st January 2021: 5,700 yen adults; 4,200 yen children; 5,000 yen seniors
2nd January until 14th March 2021: 6,200 yen adults; 4,700 yen children; 5,500 yen seniors
15th March until 28th March 2021: 5,700 yen adults; 4,200 yen children; 5,000 yen seniors
2 day ticket: 10,000 yen adults; 7,600 yen children; 8,900 yen seniors
The Landau Ropeway connecting Yuzawa Kogen with GALA Yuzawa will be operating between 2nd January and 14th March 2021. The Buggy ski lift connecting GALA Yuzawa with Ishiuchi Maruyama will also be operating between 2nd January and 14th March 2021. A shuttle bus between the base areas operates every day from 19th December 2020 until 28th March 2021.
Getting to Yuzawa Kogen
By public transport
Train
0.6km from Echigo Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen line
0.6km from Echigo Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Line
0.6km from Echigo Yuzawa Station on the Hokuhoku Line
Information
The Yuzawa Kogen base - Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway and Nunoba Area - is less than 700m from the West Exit of Echigo Yuzawa Station. The Joetsu Shinkansen line as well as local Joetsu and Hokuhoku train lines both stop at Echigo Yuzawa Station.
A free shuttle bus is available from the East Exit side of Echigo Yuzawa station from 18th December 2020 until 28th March 2021. The bus operates between the NASPA Ski Garden, Yuzawa Kogen, GALA Yuzawa and Ishiuchi Maruyama ski areas.
A taxi journey from Echigo Yuzawa Station costs around 700 yen.
By Car
2.4km from the Yuzawa IC on the Kanetsu Expressway
7.4km from the Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC on the Kanetsu Expressway
Nearest national route: Route 17 (0.8km away)
Nearest prefecture road: Prefecture Road 462
Direction
Yuzawa Kogen is just under 2.5km from the Yuzawa IC exit of the Kanetsu Expressway.
From the Yuzawa IC exit, turn right onto Route 17 and go straight ahead for about 650m to the second set of traffic lights. Turn left at these traffic lights and go straight on this road for about 800m, passing Yuzawa Town Office on the left hand side. Go under the Shinkansen train line and at the T-junction turn right to head into Yuzawa. Yuzawa Kogen (the Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway Station) is about 1km on the left hand side, about 650m past the West Exit of Echigo Yuzawa Station.
The nearest parking - the town operated Takizawa Parking area - can be found about 150m from the base of Yuzawa Kogen under the Shinkansen train tracks.
This parking costs 500 yen per day. (During the summer months outside of the ski season, free parking is available just behind the Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway base station).
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Ropeways
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Triple lifts
Pair lifts
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