As explained in our Guides section, it is almost impossible to determine exactly how many ski areas are operating in Japan at any one time. Some ski areas provide little or no public information, while others remain in a grey area between temporary closure and 'permanent closure' (a status that has occasionally been reversed).
One ski area that may be returning is Minowa (Inawashiro Town, Fukushima Prefecture). After being closed for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, Minowa appears to be preparing to reopen for the 2026-2027 season, with a new placeholder webpage online. We will update this item as more details become available.
The future of Sonei Kunohe (Kunohe Village, Iwate Prefecture) also remains undecided. The ski area was closed during the 2025-2026 season, and a committee established by Kunohe Village to consider its future has recently recommended that it continue operating for another two or three years. The village is expected to decide by the end of September whether it will open for the 2026-2027 season.
The following ski areas will not be operating during the 2026-2027 season.
Asahi (Shibetsu City, Hokkaido)
Announcement made of permanent closure on 30th June 2026.
Fujisato Choei (Fujisato Town, Akita Prefecture)
Announcement made of permanent closure in December 2025.
Gokase Highland (Gokase Town, Miyazaki Prefecture)
Announcement made of permanent closure in summer 2026. Notable because it was the most southerly ski area in Japan and one of only two ski areas operating on Kyushu.
Ikawa Skijo Kanaiyama (Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture)
Announcement made that the ski area would close permanently at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Its final day of operation was 1st March 2026.
Omagari Family (Daisen City, Akita Prefecture)
Announcement made of permanent closure on 23rd February 2026. Its final day of operation was also 23rd February 2026.
The above five ski areas will remain on the main SnowJapan listings for the moment and, if nothing changes, will eventually be moved to the Inactive ski areas section. Their current closed status has meanwhile been noted on their respective listings.
As we make our annual database updates over the coming weeks and months, we will continue to monitor the status of every ski area across Japan and update this news item as further announcements are made. It's complicated!