Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 111cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Morning from Zao. Last night there was a bit of rain but thankfully it turned into snow. There is a fog coming down the mountain this morning and visibility looks limited at the time of writing. The wind is kicking up a bit as well and I cannot see Jupeer. The forecasts say sun tomorrow and hopefully some more fresh snow over the weekend. Ski area operations: Most lifts are now operating, though there are some course restrictions. Snow levels are low and more is required for the whole mountain to get open. Official snow depth (reported by ski area): Yokokura area: 25cm Uwanodai area: 25cm Utopia area: 65cm Chuo area: 60cm Paradise area: 60cm Summit area: 35cm Zao Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base 111cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 32cm observed on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 66cm observed on 14 days January 2024 snowfall 13cm observed on 3 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Zao Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 186cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Good news for a change! Some pretty steady rain overnight did indeed get magically transformed into snow by that good north wind. There's only about 3cm on the ground now, but it's falling at a rate of maybe two or three centimeters per hour. We need it, too. One of the cat tracks in Akakura was ground down to asphalt yesterday, sending a few people flying (although I didn't hear of anyone getting injured). Rocks, grass and dirt, too, so this is really welcome snow. More is predicted around the 8th, so I hope we get a good solid cover today. The domestic crowd largely returned to the big cities yesterday, so the pressure on the snowpack has been reduced a bit. At least until next weekend. Again, not many new reports here, so the temperatures will be lower than today, which has started mild but might go down again as the cold winds come in. The resorts making an early report will get a NEW mark.... Thank them for providing timely info. Akakura Kanko: 70cm, -2° All lifts running Akakura Onsen: 30cm, -2° Six main lifts running Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick: 50cm, 2° (no new report, and good luck finding lift info on their site!) Four main lifts running Myoko Suginohara: 45cm, -4° Gondala, Mitahara Nos. 2 and 3 Seki Onsen: 110cm, -3° NEW Open Kyukamura RunRun: 70cm, -1° NEW Open Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort: 40cm, -1° Four of five lifts running Madarao Mountain Resort: 60cm, -1° NEW All main lifts running Lotte Arai Resort: 159cm, 5.4° NEW All lifts running Kurohime Kogen Snow Park: 35cm, -4° All main lifts running Myoko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 186cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 65cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 42cm reported on 1 day December 2023 snowfall 135cm reported on 9 days January 2024 snowfall 9cm reported on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 165cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . It has been snowing this morning. I am in Hasuike now and it is snowing but there is actually a bit of (temporary) sun. Other areas are much more mid-winter-y snow scenes, so it's one of those mornings where there is a selection of different weather conditions across the Shiga Kogen area. I wonder how the day will turn out. Anyway it is good to have fresh snow, even if it isn't a huge amount. As of 7am Kumanoyu was reporting 3cm. Just a short while ago, Okushiga Kogen has reported 5-10cm of fresh snowfall. Sun forecast for the day tomorrow. Snow over the weekend, most due late Sunday. Shiga Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base 165cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 32cm reported on 8 days December 2023 snowfall 95cm reported on 13 days January 2024 snowfall 38cm reported on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 391cm Posted on Wednesday 3rd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It has, of course, been a very sobering start to the year for Japan. While the events of the last few days have not directly affected our lives up here, it's hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed by what has been happening with the earthquake and then that awful plane accident at Haneda. Moving away from all that, as I write this, the sun is shining through my window and it looks like a fine morning. There is some cloud around. Today and tomorrow should bring us more sun than snow, with the next snowfall due from Friday. Ski areas are reporting up to 20cm of snowfall on the mountain this morning, though there has been less than that lower down. The gondola at Annupuri is going to be delayed this morning, though I can't find any details beyond that. The Swinging Monkey lift at Hirafu also looks delayed. If you are one of the naughty people who did not check my report yesterday, including a bit of a summary of the season so far, you can find it here. ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -6C, light snowfall in 12h, calm and good visibility. Oiwa800m: -9.3C, NNW5m/s, 10cm snowfall, good visibility. Mikaeri 764m: -11C, light breeze, 10cm snowfall, good visibility. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -9.4C, N4.2m/s, 20cm snowfall. Hanazono#3: -6.5C, NNE2.5m/s, 20cm snowfall, good visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW5m/s, Kamui cape WSW5m/s, 1016hPa, 1.0m waves. Calm morning on the sea and the mountains. There has been no notable development of snowdrifts and cornices. Looking at the weather transition, various data and reports, the slabs formed by the recent storm are stable and the avalanche risk is low. Peak gates cannot open yet due to lack of snow. The abundance of inbounds accidents are keeping the ski patrollers too busy for them to get the gates ready. Please allow some more time. Tourers beware when hiking to surrounding mountains. Overconfidence and greed causes accidents. Tour leaders are responsible for the safety of the whole group. The soft snow layer is shallow; ski carefully. Do not duck ropes. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Wednesday 3rd January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 210cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 80cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 12cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 160cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 115cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 132cm - Base: 95cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Wednesday 3rd January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 391cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 38 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 24cm reported on 3 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 385cm Posted on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. A part of the 2cm I am reporting this morning has come down early morning as there wasn't much overnight when I got up and it is snowing rather nicely as I write this and it doesn't seem windy. May it continue. My thoughts are with the people who were affected by the earthquake in Ishikawa yesterday afternoon. We didn't feel it up here in Hokkaido. Here's some words I prepared yesterday. ------------------ A look back at the season so far: until end of December 2023 It turns out that, naughty me, I didn’t do one of my analysis thingies at the beginning of December, so I’m going to talk about that a bit here. For those unfamiliar with all this, the numbers I am introducing below are all the snowfall measurements I observed near the base of Hirafu. The numbers are all comparable because they have come from the same spot every day over the last 12 seasons. OK, so November was actually pretty good! This is how much snowfall I have measured during November since 2012. November 2023: 120cm November 2022: 17cm November 2021: 85cm November 2020: 62cm November 2019: 85cm November 2018: 84cm November 2017: 188cm November 2016: 110cm November 2015: 61cm November 2014: 30cm November 2013: 123cm November 2012: 118cm The first snowfall in my reports was on 5th November. November 2023 clearly handily beat the previous 5 seasons in terms of snowfall at base, though couldn’t challenge the impressive 188cm we got in 2017. Still, it was a very good showing and an encouraging start to the season. Excite! Here’s the numbers for December 2023: December 2023: 247cm December 2022: 336cm December 2021: 307cm December 2020: 348cm December 2019: 207cm December 2018: 333cm December 2017: 406cm December 2016: 181cm December 2015: 244cm December 2014: 519cm December 2013: 275cm December 2012: 418cm So, once we got into December, things slowed down. Beyond the first day of the month, we didn’t get much until around the 17th-18th of December. Beyond that, the snowfall was, thankfully, fairly consistent until the end of the year. The most snowfall in one day was 31cm on 18th December, and by the end of the year, I had been able to post at least some snowfall on a total of 34 days. Next up are the totals for the season so far. The following is how much snowfall I have observed up until the end of December: 2023/2024 season up to end of December 2023: 367cm 2022/2023 season up to end of December 2022: 353cm 2021/2022 season up to end of December 2021: 392cm 2020/2021 season up to end of December 2020: 410cm 2019/2020 season up to end of December 2019: 292cm 2018/2019 season up to end of December 2018: 417cm 2017/2018 season up to end of December 2017: 594cm 2016/2017 season up to end of December 2016: 291cm 2015/2016 season up to end of December 2015: 305cm 2014/2015 season up to end of December 2014: 549cm 2013/2014 season up to end of December 2013: 398cm 2012/2013 season up to end of December 2012: 536cm As a total so far, very close to the last few seasons and a bit under the average (408cm). Here is how much of the total snowfall for the whole season we have already had fallen on us by the end of December in previous seasons, just to perhaps give us an idea of what to expect: By the end of December 2022, as a % of the season total: about 35% By the end of December 2021, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2020, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2019, as a % of the season total: about 40% By the end of December 2018, as a % of the season total: about 44% By the end of December 2017, as a % of the season total: about 47% By the end of December 2016, as a % of the season total: about 43% By the end of December 2015, as a % of the season total: about 31% By the end of December 2014, as a % of the season total: about 48% By the end of December 2013, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2012, as a % of the season total: about 36% That looks very consistent with the last few years. And looking forward to what we might expect in January, here’s how much snowfall I have recorded during previous seasons in that month. (The numbers in brackets show the total observed snowfall in each season until the end of January.) January 2023: 332cm (685cm) January 2022: 325cm (717cm) January 2021: 387cm (797cm) January 2020: 224cm (516cm) January 2019: 285cm (702cm) January 2018: 305cm (899cm) January 2017: 152cm (443cm) January 2016: 303cm (608cm) January 2015: 257cm (806cm) January 2014: 461cm (859cm) January 2013: 443cm (979cm) All of this data (and much, much more!!! buy now!!!) is available on the Snowfall Analysis and Seasonal archive pages of this report. See the tabs at the top of the report. Some thoughts Last year was the first winter season since the Japanese government eased restrictions on inbound tourism after covid. That announcement was too late for some people to arrange a visit, but many did! I am sure the local economy was/is very thankful to see a return of all those visitors. With no restrictions on international travel and some very excite exchange rates for many visitors, there seems to have been a mad rush to get to Japan this year. (And not just for skiing and snowboarding). I can understand why as someone who loves Japan and knows how wonderful it is. However, that means popular places are busy. (But you know that, right?) For some, a popular and busy place is worth it for the lure of Niseko powder. So, let’s hope Nature delivers on that score throughout the season. Many of you might remember how various businesses had staffing problems last season. While I don’t know exactly how that is panning out this season (as I am not involved in any ‘business’, thank the toast gods!), staffing and labour shortage issues remain Japan-wide. I have heard of some relatively high wages being paid here in Niseko, so hopefully, it is less of an issue than last year. I’ll probably hear more about that as the peak season approaches and everywhere gets extremely busy. I said this last year, but with the very handsome prices being asked, it is not unreasonable for visitors to expect a premium service all around. I don't know if staffing issues are the reason, but I have been disappointed with what I feel are inconsistent daily updates to the official Niseko United website so far this year. On some days, I genuinely don't know how to present numbers that I sense haven't been updated (even if the timestamp has). So much so that I question whether to include such information in my reports. Presumably, the ski areas themselves are making such updates, so I would hope they might give this kind of thing more importance. Anyway, here’s to a snowy and powdery January! ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -6℃, no snowfall, calm and good visibility. Moiwa 800m: -7.7℃, SW2.7m/s, no snowdrifts, good visibility. Mikaeri 764m: -12℃, calm, good visibility and light dusting of new snow. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -6.8℃, SSW9.6m/s (max 20m/s at 4am). Hanazono#3: -5.7℃, SSE3.2m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape WSW7m/s, Kamui cape W25m/s, 1014hPa, 1.3m waves. Snowdrifts generated by wind-blown snow are accumulating rapidly in south facing slopes due to strong SW winds. These new slabs of snow are extremely unstable and the avalanche risk is very high. Do not consider riding high elevation slopes such as the Backbowl today. An avalanche accident occurred in Mt Yotei yesterday. This was caused by the previous strong NE storm, but many accidents have also occurred in Mt Yotei after SW storms. Consider any slopes to be dangerous when strong winds create snow-smoke. There is a firm wind-affected layer of snow under the fluffy new snow in the tree-runs. Please be careful. Moiwa gate#8 is not open yet due to lack of snow. A guide had his lift-pass confiscated in gully#3 of Higashi-One. Please respect the Niseko Rules. You might lose your job. This Rule was born out of necessity and is not here just to restrict the freedom to ski. Have a nice day. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Tuesday 2nd January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 200cm (-10cm since yesterday) - Base: 75cm (-10cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 150cm (-5cm since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (-5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 132cm - Base: 95cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 385cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 37 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 18cm reported on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 109cm Posted on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning. Yesterday, the snow stopped around 3pm. Today there is a little overcast over the far side of the mountain. I can clearly see the top of this side of the mountain and there is quite a bit of blue sky. It's going to be a fine day. Zao Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Total snowfall at base 109cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 32cm observed on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 66cm observed on 14 days January 2024 snowfall 11cm observed on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Zao Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 9cm Snowfall at base this season 107cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Zao. Happy new year! 2023 ended with rain, and a lot of it. :( But, as 2024 started, it turned into snow and there'd about 10cm around base this morning. It is overcast now but still snowing, though we shouldn't expect much more for today (and perhaps even some clearer skies). Zao Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base 107cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 32cm observed on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 66cm observed on 14 days January 2024 snowfall 9cm observed on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Zao Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 16cm Snowfall at base this season 383cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Happy New Year to everyone! I have already enjoyed some 'hatsu-toast' (first toast of the year; a long-held Japanese tradition going back centuries, maybe) and am now ready for 2024 to get going. The New Year starts with another very nice layer of fresh snow - I measured 16cm - and some fine weather as the lifts open for the day. There has been a bit of sun and it is quite bright at the moment, though some very light snow is falling in places too. Very pretty. Hanazono is reporting 12-13cm of fresh snow, Hirafu is reporting 10cm and Village is, er, 'reporting' 0cm. Just ignore that. Exciting news that the top lifts at Niseko Village and Hirafu are going to be open from this morning. Hurray! We're getting there. (I can't fine any news about the top Annupuri lift yet). A fine reader commented on the regular pleas (in the Niseko Avalanche Report) for people to refrain from ducking ropes and disregarding the rules. As the report yesterday pointed out, many people are ignoring them. Ducking ropes is not a new phenomenon, of course, but perhaps it is happening more and increasingly causing kerfuffles. My viewpoint is that when you are a visitor to a place, you should abide by the laws and rules of the land (and, in this case, your hosts, the ski areas and patrol). You might disagree with them and think they are silly-billy, cruelly holding back your innate gnarliness for no good reason. But it is the decent thing to do. Additionally, apart from potentially causing problems (and wasting other people's time) at that moment, selfishness may make things worse for everyone in the long run. That's what I think, anyway. To the reader who commented: I am not directly involved in that kind of thing, but I will mention your idea to a friend who is. (And thanks). ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -6C, 20cm snowfall in 12h, snowdrifts growing up to 60cm. Moiwa 800m: -12.4C, N3.9m/s (max 25m/s at midnight), snowdrifts and cornices growing. Mikaeri 764m:-11C, strong northerly winds and snow, large snowdrifts developments. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -12.3C, NNE7.7m/s (max 25m/s at 1am). Hanazono#3: -10.2C, NNE4.6m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape ENE8m/s, Kamui cape E3m/s, 1021hPa, 1.7m waves. Happy New Year. The wind calmed down during the night with 20cm of new snowfall that reset the slopes. Good snow, however the northerly storm last night made snowdrifts and cornices grow heavily in slopes above 800m. Looking at observation data and weather transition, the avalanche risk is extreme in slopes above 1000m elevation, especially the Backbowl. Better not approach from Goshiki area. The snow in the trees is good, but beware of heavy snowdrifts. Gate#7 “Ee Sawa” is opening today. Refrain from ducking ropes to access the area, or you will lose your lift ticket. Getting the gates #2, 3 and 4 ready to go, but please hold off for now. The Niseko Rules are implemented in all Niseko resorts, please follow and respect them. ------------------ A message from SnowJapan Happy New Year! 2024 is SnowJapan's 25th year. A quarter of a century! I still remember first putting together a simple webpage version of the printed guidebook I had made introducing the ski areas in Yuzawa and Myoko here in Niigata Prefecture in the mid-to-late 1990s. So much has happened since then, of course, including about six major site redesigns. So much has changed, including the site's dramatic increase in size, scope, and usage. Also, the 'inbound market' has become a thing. Believe it or not, it really wasn't back then! (Side note: it still isn't noticeable at many local remote ski areas, so there is still much of that kind of adventure left if you want to find it). Many of you might also remember the Forums. They were a lot of fun and proved valuable for many, but unfortunately, they became something of a burden behind the scenes. From our position, while the decision to turn them off in November 2014 was tough at the time, it proved to be the correct one and significant for the well-being of the site (and to the benefit of its wider audience) as a whole. Then, there was the more recent period when COVID abruptly halted international travel. It was, of course, a problematic, worrying and uneasy time for everyone. SnowJapan continued to operate and be updated as usual throughout that period. Site usage stats show that many of you were still reading our reports from overseas, even if you unfortunately couldn't visit Japan. I took that quiet period to start SnowJapanHistory in 2020. Since I first came to Japan, I've always been interested in the ski areas in my region and beyond. And I had often wondered what to do with information about ski areas that closed (and indeed ones from much further in the past). Simply deleting that information from SnowJapan and wiping it from memory seemed wrong. Still, there wasn't really anywhere appropriate within SnowJapan to keep that information. Starting the history project and discovering the many fascinating stories really took my interest in the history of skiing in Japan to a new level and has given me a new appreciation for the whole subject. (There have been many fun trips to take photographs of locations, too). That project also helped inspire some aspects of the latest SnowJapan redesign launched in 2022. But for all the things that have changed, some things have stayed the same. The most important is this website's basic concept, focus, and values that keep it on track. SnowJapan enjoys being 100% independent. We don't have any obligations to anyone in how we run things. No one has any influence over our content. Also unchanged is that we are not here to persuade you to visit Japan (though many people have told us how they came to Japan after using the resources on SnowJapan). The ongoing aim is to offer trustworthy and honest information and almost to be a countermeasure against all the hype and marketing messages (not to mention a fair amount of incorrect and misleading information) that are out there. If anything, that outlook actually becomes more stubborn as time passes. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the trusted reporters who tirelessly provide our daily updates throughout the winter. Doing it every day for 5+ months is a big ask, and with so many people reading them, it's a real responsibility, too. Also, a thank you to everyone who has been friendly towards and supported SnowJapan over the last two and a half decades. SnowJapan is a year-round (and essentially never-ending) project. There is always something to update and something to try and improve. We love doing what we do and as long as it's fun... here's to the next however many years! Back to this season, and while it got off to a promising early start in some regions, it has since (generally) slowed down as we wait for the Japan-like heavy snowfall we all love. It's still relatively early, so hopefully, the snowfall will come soon and be consistent through the season. Thank you for reading, and all the best for 2024, wherever you might be reading this from. If you visit Japan this winter, we hope you return home with fine memories of the country. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Monday 1st January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 210cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 85cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 13cm - Base: 12cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 155cm (+7cm since yesterday) - Base: 115cm (+10cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 150cm - Base: 100cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Night skiing Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 383cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 36 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 16cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 382cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello and Happy New Year! It's the year of... the heavy snow, hopefully! ;) Not heavy snow to report overnight, sadly, just a dusting really. It's a mild New Year too, which is... somewhat annoying. And light snow is better than the rain we got at the end of 2023. But we got to take what we got. Have a good day. Geto Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 382cm Number of days snowfall observed 22 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 73cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 138cm observed on 5 days December 2023 snowfall 243cm observed on 16 days January 2024 snowfall 1cm observed on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Geto Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 183cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . I was hoping for some serious snowfall overnight, following on some serious rain all afternoon and into the evening, but we got a glorified dusting. No snowplows to wake me up in the middle of the night (but then you wake up anyway, because even if it's not snowing at midnight, it might start falling later on and if you don't get up and get plowing you won't get things done). Not a great start to the new year (Happy New Year!), but snow is still falling, it's not rain, it's colder. The wind has picked up a bit; I was worried about gondola closings and that kind of wind influence, but it seems to be quieting a bit, at least at the moment. There are even some holes in the clouds where some blue skies are appearing. Which is OK, but I'd rather have a lot more snow! Myoko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 183cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 65cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 42cm reported on 1 day December 2023 snowfall 135cm reported on 9 days January 2024 snowfall 6cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 32cm Snowfall at base this season 159cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Here's some happy new year news... Yakebitaiyama is reporting a very respectable 40cm of snowfall and Kumanoyu is reporting 30cm overnight. I am hearing from a few friends around the region that there has been 30-50cm. I have measured just over 30cm. They are the kind of numbers that we like to hear. :) We did well. It's one of the pluses of having a base that is at a high elevation! (Actually before the snow it was raining... considerably less interesting!) I'm leaving the snow depth list off the report this morning as it is pretty much completely out of date due to the snowfall. I would expect more lifts to be opening this morning too. Tomorrow clearer skies are forecast with the next snow beyond today due around Wednesday into Thursday. Shiga Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base 159cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 32cm reported on 8 days December 2023 snowfall 95cm reported on 13 days January 2024 snowfall 32cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 116cm Posted on Monday 1st January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning and happy new year from Nozawa. The good news is that the ski area is reporting 30cm of snow on the upper areas. Nice. Webcams show frosted/snowy trees up top (and what looks like foggy conditions). Lower down here in the village, we got rained on but there is a slight layer of snow. Things might be clearer by later this afternoon. So while the snow on the top is great to see, it's wasn't the mountain-wider dumpage that we hoped for. Rather than further opine on all that, I'll just be a bit reflective this morning and hope my slight headache goes away. Fresh snowfall since yesterday morning (reported by the ski area): Yamabiko: 30cm Uenotaira: 30cm Lower areas: not reporting Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): Yamabiko: 90cm Uenotaira: 80cm Hikage: 35cm Nagasaka: 25cm Karasawa: 25cm Lifts operating: Nagasaka Gondola (from 8:00am) Hikage Gondola (from 8:00am) Yamabiko Four lift Yamabiko Number 2 Four quad lift Skyline connecting pair lift Uenotaira quad lift Paradise quad lift Hikage triple lift Nagasaka triple lift Nagasaka gondola link lift Yu Road (from 7:30am) Courses available: Yamabiko A-E Kokenashi A/B Uenotaira (some restrictions) Paradise Kumataka Kitsune Top areas of the ski area are open. You need to get a gondola back down to base from the top area. A few base runs are also now open. Nozawa Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 1st January 2024 Total snowfall at base 116cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 64cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2023 snowfall 93cm reported on 10 days January 2024 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com