As autumn arrives, it is the time of year when various ski area news starts appearing. The following are some notable changes and updates regarding the 2026-2027 ski season that we are aware of.
GALA Yuzawa (Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture)
GALA Yuzawa has announced that the Southern Area will not operate during the 2026-2027 season.
The Southern Area includes four courses and is served by a pair lift. The Landau ropeway connecting GALA Yuzawa with Yuzawa Kogen will also not operate. GALA says the decision follows consideration of natural conditions, the terrain and ground conditions in the area, and the maintenance and ageing of facilities. The company notes that it has continued to investigate the terrain and ground conditions since the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake.
The Central and Northern areas are scheduled to operate as normal, with access between GALA Yuzawa and Yuzawa Kogen provided by shuttle bus instead of the Landau ropeway.
Manza Onsen (Tsumagoi Village, Gunma Prefecture)
Manza Onsen is preparing for a full opening for the 2026-2027 season, following three seasons of reduced operation. The ski area's official information currently gives 19th December 2026 as its planned opening date.
Minowa (Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture)
One ski area that is returning is Minowa (Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture). After being closed for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, Minowa is preparing to at least partly reopen for the 2026-2027 season. Its official information currently gives 3rd December 2026 as the planned opening date. It also seems to be changing name to Inawashiro Minowa. More details to follow.
The relevant individual ski area listings on SnowJapan will be updated to reflect these changes in the coming weeks.
News on ski lift changes for the season can be found here.