Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 42cm Snowfall at base this season 43cm Posted on Tuesday 15th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. What a difference just one day can make! It was snowing yesterday. More steadily than heavily for the most part, but it went into a higher gear overnight and there is a lot of snow around this morning. Yesterday morning Kagura were reporting 20-30cm of fresh snow by around lunchtime... and the forecast was for 50-80cm by the end of today. They haven't yet put out a number this morning, but I am guessing it might be around 50cm. Perhaps even more (but they might well hold back on the crazy numbers!) The local forecast was also saying that we were on for about 40cm of snowfall overnight last night, and I'd say they got that about right. Down in town areas there is around 40cm of snow on the ground; there is more than that in places. Same just to the north in Minamiuonuma. And more being added as the snow continues. There is a lot of shovelling going on this morning, but I doubt many people are complaining. All of this precious snow! GALA Yuzawa is going to be opening from tomorrow, Wednesday 16th December. No word from Kagura yet on expanded operations or the opening of Tashiro but that might be imminent. The snow is due to continue over at least the next few days. If that happens, you can expect the various ski areas to be able to open on their planned opening dates. Looks like we are going to be on for a very good start. Interesting point: Last season these Yuzawa Now reports observed a total of just 27cm in the whole of the month of December (and 39cm as a total for the season until the end of December). In just one day we have already blown through that number. It is still very early and much can happen in a season. But this definitely feels more like the 'normal' that we were yearning for last time round. Fingers crossed. ----- Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:30am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Family Course - Official snow depth: 80cm (top); 40cm (base) ----- Currently part open - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Tomorrow - GALA Yuzawa As soon as there is enough snow - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Tuesday 15th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 43cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 42cm (15th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 43cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1cm Posted on Monday 14th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. I had flashbacks of last season overnight when I was woken by heavy rain on the roof. But it has turned to snow and the forecast is still looking really good. (Phew!) So let's go back to yesterday. Wet down below but snow falling at higher elevations and it creeping down to nearly town level. It was good to see the GALA Yuzawa and Yuzawa Kogen webcams turn white. This morning Kagura is reporting 10cm of snowfall, and they are opening up some more courses - the Gondola Line and Family Course are now available. When I got up this morning it was still raining down here in town, but it has gradually been turning into snow. As you can see from the images below, there's a thin covering of snow on the slopes of NASPA Ski Garden which is close to town. I was just over there and it is snowing quite nicely now. There's no snow sticking yet along Route 17 as you can see from the webcam image below but I imagine within a short time it will be looking whiter. I am celebrating the first snow down here with a 1cm in this report to get us going. The forecasts are still looking great for snow throughout the week. By tomorrow we should be into proper decent snowfall and the numbers will begin piling up (as my friend said in another report this morning). With the snow arriving and a lot going on, there will be a lot to check each morning so apologies if the reports are a bit later in the coming days. From today, additional photos are being added to the report which will hopefully give you a good idea of how things are going. All, of course, with permission. See below. ----- Coronavirus in Japan Compared to many countries, Japan appears to have managed to keep its number of (official confirmed) cases relatively low and without any major ‘lockdowns’. Still, coronavirus has overwhelmingly been the major issue of the year and has had a profound impact on many people and businesses. Hospitality and tourism are two of the areas that have been hit particularly hard hit, with the Go To campaign providing a certain amount of relief for some. In recent weeks, the number of confirmed cases announced in the country every day has increased to around 2500-3000, in what is being labelled the third wave. Let us all hope that we might soon see a decrease in the numbers again and do what we can to help that happen. How ski areas in Japan are dealing and measures being taken Correct information on coronavirus is of course important and we encourage everyone to keep up to date with information from trusted sources. We also encourage people intending to visit a ski area in Japan to take on all relevant advice and requests being asked of visitors. While there is understandably a sense of unease along with a bunch of unknowns as we start the winter season, most ski areas in Japan plan to be opening and are implementing various measures to try and minimise the potential for infections. Actual measures and requests vary but generally include limiting the number of people riding gondola cabins, ropeways and multiple-person ski lifts; wearing masks and face coverings; using hand sanitisers; practising social distancing and avoiding queues. Some ski areas are resting various ski lifts for the season, though in many such cases that will not affect the amount of terrain that is available to skiers and snowboarders. There are a small number of ski areas that have decided to not open at all this winter – some citing coronavirus, some citing a lack of snowfall in recent years… some mentioning both. ----- Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (7:30am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (7:45am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (7:45am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 romance lift (9:00am until 3:00pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:00am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Gondola Line - Family Course - Official snow depth: 40cm ----- Planned opening dates for ski areas in the region Below are the planned opening dates of ski areas in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma. All are of course subject to change. Currently part open: - Kagura (via Mitsumata) As soon as there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa (earliest Tuesday) - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Monday 14th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 1cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 1cm (14th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 1cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Friday 11th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. There's no fresh snowfall to report this morning. Some rain last night and this morning there is a lot of cloud around but some blue sky and we are expecting a high of around 10C in town. Kagura were going to open their Tashiro Area from tomorrow, but that has been delayed until there is enough snow. GALA Yuzawa were also hoping to open tomorrow, but that has also been delayed. GALA are saying that they will not be opening tomorrow through Monday. So if enough snow arrives before then, Tuesday is the first possible day open for GALA Yuzawa. So for today and the weekend we will probably still just have that one (or two over the weekend if they do the same as last weekend) run available. Expect the Mitsumata Ropeway to open at 7:30am tomorrow morning. Things can change very quickly and it is still looking like next week will see a major change. I can't remember one time through the whole of last season when we had big snowmen (meaning 'snow/heavy snow') all lined up on the local forecast for 3+ days, along with cold conditions. But that is what we have right now, starting Monday, with further snow beyond that through the end of the week. If that happens, we should be set. It has to actually happen, of course, but... Status: excited! ----- A 1,500m run at Kagura resort remains part open: Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:30am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Official snow depth: 40cm ----- Currently part open: - Kagura (via Mitsumata) As soon as there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa (earliest Tuesday) - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 11th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 0cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Wednesday 2nd December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Hello and good morning from Yuzawa. Today is officially the first day of the ski season in the town. That's because Kagura is opening this morning. Hurray! Kagura is reporting about 5cm of snow up top, a temperature of -3C, a NE wind (3m/s) and cloudy skies. They're also quite excited about some kenchinjiru soup on offer by the Mitsumata Ropeway base at 2pm. As are we. Wikipedia elaborates - kenchinjiru is a Japanese vegetable soup prepared using root vegetables and tofu. Oh yes, you can ski or snowboard too! If you can wrench yourself away from the delights of the root vegetables and tofu soup, here's how the skiing bit works... From the top of the Mitsumata Ropeway you need to walk about 230m over to the quad lift, take that lift and then walk about 170m to the pair lift, and then go down to the Kagura Gondola. That gondola takes you over to the Kagura area. On the way back a similar amount of walking is required. Down in town it's cloudy with a temperature of around 4C and we might get to see some sunshine during the day. The 3 month forecast was being talked about on local television yesterday again; we are set for a 'normal' kind of winter. That is apparently based on the past 30 years. So we can take that as good and encouraging news. I hope they are right! ----- Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 romance lift (8:30am until 3:15pm) Edited: sorry, I posted the incorrect time for the Kagura lift in my original report. I was probably a bit over-excited about the soup... Courses open: - Kagura main course - 600m in length, 30m wide ----- Opening from today (Wednesday 2nd December): - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Saturday 5th December 2020 - Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 12th December 2020 - GALA Yuzawa - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku Details currently unconfirmed - Itsukamachi - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 2nd December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 0cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 34cm Snowfall at base this season 418cm Posted on Saturday 26th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Snow was falling for a lot of yesterday - heavily at times - but there was more snow overnight. This morning Ishiuchi Maruyama are reporting 30cm and Maiko Snow Resort are reporting 40cm. The observed snowfall number this morning (since last report) is 34cm. As expected, it looks like many ski areas are now either mostly or fully open. Please see the details below where we've tried to add as much as we can. It is still snowing this morning but some nearby regions are getting some clearer skies and sunshine so perhaps we will get some of that later. It does actually appear to be starting to clear and it is quite bright in places. Tomorrow through Tuesday the forecast is for a mix of cloud and sun but from Wednesday the snow should be back - and it might be heavy snow again. Snow is likely through into the New Year. ----- At the end of December 2019, this report had observed a total snowfall for the season of just 39cm. So far, this year has delivered 418cm. I wonder if we can 'beat' December 2014, when 559cm was recorded during that month? I spent a large part of the day trying to save a few trees. Even though they had been prepared for winter with various supports, the supports weren't enough under the weight of the snow from last week. Hopefully they will survive. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 240cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - Central area: 280cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad - Summit quad Official snow depth: - 250cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - Mostly open now Official snow depth: - 210cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Kagura is now mostly open - Tashiro-Kagura connection open Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 210cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Kandatsu is now mostly open - All lifts operating - All courses apart from Milky Way and Super Antares are available Official snow depth: - 230cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Maiko is now mostly open - 10 lifts operating and 24 courses open Official snow depth: - 280cm (top) - 180cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 9/14 courses open - 3/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 260cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 255cm Naeba Lift & course info: - 12 of 22 courses open - 6 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Yuzawa Nakazato Operating lifts: - Number 1 high speed lift - Number 2 romance lift - Number 3 romance lift - Number 5 romance lift Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 26th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 418cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 418cm reported on 11 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 419cm Posted on Sunday 27th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. In terms of weather yesterday ended up feeling a bit strange, to this reporter anyway. There was that good snowfall overnight mentioned in the report yesterday. It did continue to snow beyond the early morning but didn't amount to much at all in terms of new cm. And then later in the day/evening there was some spots of rain (and heavier rain in some places around the region), though it didn't feel particularly warm though. By night time, in the same place where 34cm had been measured in the morning - and untouched since then - that was down to less than 15cm. This morning there is no fresh snowfall to report from overnight. As of 8:30am there's a lot of cloud and some blue sky... it feels like it might well be clearing up leaving us with a fine day. Today will be a bit warmer, with a high temperature of around +5C expected in town and perhaps a bit warmer still tomorrow. It should be fine weather to be out and about, for sure, but warmer than we would like for the snow. Luckily, we still have lots of it! Come Wednesday though, it's all going to switch back to full-on winter once again with temperatures dropping considerably and some potentially heavy snowfall over a few days. Local news are even calling it a possible re-run of what we got about a week ago. It does look like we can expect a lot of snow over the period from Wednesday through Friday, and perhaps beyond that. If you plan to be here over the New Year, be prepared. ----- Mt Granview open this weekend! Once they have cleared the snow. Maybe lunchtime today, according to a phone call to check! ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 290cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas with 20 courses open Official snow depth: - Central area: 260cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad - Summit quad Official snow depth: - 220cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 240cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Kagura is now mostly open - Tashiro-Kagura connection now open Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 210cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts and courses open Official snow depth: - 210cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Maiko is now mostly open - 10 lifts operating and 26 courses open Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 170cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 11/14 courses open - 4/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 180cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 230cm Naeba Lift & course info: - 12 of 22 courses open - 6 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 27th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 419cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 419cm reported on 12 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 34cm Snowfall at base this season 453cm Posted on Thursday 31st December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. It took a while to happen, but that rain yesterday morning turned into snow in the afternoon, and this morning we have a good layer of fresh snow. 34cm can go onto our report. We were actually expecting more, but there's no complaining! Here's the headlines from around the ski areas this morning: Kagura are reporting 60cm of snowfall, though only the Mitsumata Area of Kagura is open. The Tashiro Area is closed. The Kagura Number 5 Romance lift was due to open from Friday (1st January) but they are delaying that until when the weather calms down. Only the lower areas of Naeba are open this morning due to strong winds and visibility on the mountain. The top quad at Iwappara is closed as they deal with 50cm of snowfall overnight. Maiko Snow Resort are reporting 30cm and Muikamachi Hakkaisan are reporting 40cm. It is still snowing now, though not heavily just at the moment. Snow clouds should be over the region and delivering through at least Saturday so we are going to be getting more. That's it for 2020... 453cm of snowfall observed in town so far this season. That is the most since the 2014-2015 season, ridiculously much more than last season and considerably over average. How will the rest of the season shape up? Let's hope we get good consistent snow through the season. Wishing you a safe New Years Eve. See you tomorrow as we start 2021. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 230cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas open Official snow depth: - Top: 200cm - Base: 110cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad Official snow depth: - 225cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 210cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Just Mitsumata Area open this morning due to weather conditions Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts operating and all courses open Official snow depth: - 190cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 250cm (top) - 150cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 11/14 courses open - 4/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 220cm (top) - 120cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 215cm Naeba Lift & course info: - Large part of Naeba terrain available - 12 of 22 courses open - 5 of 12 lifts operating - Dragondola between Naeba and Tashiro open Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Official snow depth: - 240cm (top) - 180cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 240cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 31st December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 453cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 68cm Snowfall at base this season 521cm Posted on Friday 1st January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa and Happy New Year. Forgot to mention yesterday: at the end of December 2020 the Yuzawa Now reports had observed more snowfall (453cm) than we had observed during the entire 2019-2020 season (425cm). Wow. Anyway on to today and the snow continues. This morning Kagura are reporting 40cm of snowfall; Maiko are reporting 30cm. Those numbers seem on the low side. At our main measuring point, last night at 6pm there has been an extra 26cm since the morning report. It was cleared off and this morning as of 9am there's another 42cm on there. That makes 68cm since yesterday morning. And it is still snowing. Kagura is open up to the Kagura Number 1 romance pair lift this morning, Tashiro area closed. The top area of Yuzawa Kogen is closed as well this morning. It feels like we are back into a kind of 'coping' mode as we once again deal with large amounts of snowfall in a short period of time. It looks like the peak of this snowfall may well have been overnight last night but snow will probably continue through tomorrow and possibly heavy at times. ! ----- New Year message from SnowJapan The 2020-2021 winter season seems to have got off to a good start in many mountainous regions of Japan, with some areas enjoying some very heavy snowfalls. That is of course very encouraging to see. Even if you are having to look on from afar, we’re sure you will be glad to see a return to a more ‘normal’ pattern to the snowfall this winter. So 2020 is now behind us and we surely all hope that 2021 will be an all-round better year for everyone. If you are unable to be here... We miss you and are sorry that you can’t be here, but hope that you will be able to visit Japan in the not too distant future; and that 2021-2022 season will be open for everyone to enjoy. If you are here... Let’s all keep doing everything we can as individuals to try and keep the current situation under control. Ski areas around the country are doing their best to encourage visitors to wear face coverings, keep distance and minimise contact with guests outside their own group. Helping out in that way is surely a very small price to pay to get to enjoy the snow. One thing we have noticed this season is people mentioning how they are appreciating everything that extra bit more this year. Being thankful for the good things can’t be a bad thing. We will continue to do what we can to remain positive and genki as we cover this season. Wherever you are right now, stay safe, stay strong and take care. SnowJapan wishes you all the best for 2021. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift - Tilbury triple lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 260cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas open Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad Official snow depth: - 240cm Joetsu Kokusai Official snow depth: - 220cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Just Mitsumata Area open this morning due to weather conditions Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts operating and all courses open Official snow depth: - 200cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: - 280cm (top) - 190cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: - 220cm (top) - 120cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - Large part of Naeba terrain available - 12 of 22 courses open - 5 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 230cm Naeba Lift & course info: - Unconfirmed Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen area closed this morning Official snow depth: - 240cm (top) - 180cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 1st January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 521cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 68cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 18cm Snowfall at base this season 539cm Posted on Saturday 2nd January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. There was more snow during the day yesterday and overnight, though not quite as full on as it was and not as much as the forecasts (including the often close to correct Niigata Prefecture snowfall forecast) told us to expect. An additional 10cm was cleared yesterday evening and with just 8cm this morning... so that makes 18cm for the report today. Curiously, Kagura seem to be reporting 'no snow since yesterday'. Maiko Snow Resort are reporting 10cm. It is still snowing lightly now and that is probably what we can expect for the day today, though it might ease off. This morning parts of Naeba are not open due to risk of avalanche, including the top area and Dragondola. Otherwise ski areas around town appear to have caught up with themselves again and generally opening as normal; though it looks like the top quad at Iwappara is still being rested this morning. Both the top and base areas of Yuzawa Kogen are open and all of the Central and Northern Areas of GALA Yuzawa are now open. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - All lifts in Central and Northern Areas Courses open: - All courses in Central and Northern Areas - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 290cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas open Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad Official snow depth: - 250cm Joetsu Kokusai Lifts & course info: 16 courses; Atema closed today Official snow depth: - 240cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Kagura is now mostly open - Tashiro-Kagura connection now open - 19/23 courses open - 12/21 lifts operating Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts operating and all courses open Official snow depth: - 220cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: - 290cm (top) - 210cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan - 12 of 14 courses open - 3 of 4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 220cm (top) - 120cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts and courses open Official snow depth: - 260cm Naeba Lift & course info: - 12 of 22 courses open - 7 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 120cm (top) - 100cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Both Kogen and base areas open Official snow depth: - 280cm (top) - 220cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 260cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 2nd January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 539cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 15 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 86cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 16cm Snowfall at base this season 555cm Posted on Sunday 3rd January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Light snow still falling here and while it has been snowing for large parts of the time since the report yesterday, there's not a huge amount of fresh to report. Here's what resorts are reporting this morning: Kagura: 15cm Maiko: 10cm Ishiuchi: 10cm All in units of 5cm of course ;) Yesterday evening 9cm of snow was moved off our measuring point and this morning there is another 7cm on there. So 16cm to report. Just light snow for the moment but it might ease off during the day today. Some conflicting forecasts for tomorrow - some say snow, some say the chance of some sunshine. I'll let you know! ----- We have been wondering what to do with the below information regarding each ski area. Basically all of the ski areas in the region are now open... and open as 'normal'. For some ski areas, that means that some lifts are being rested on weekdays - and that is and has always been the plan. For some ski areas, lifts are being rested for the whole season. Saying that, for example, 3 of 5 lifts are operating might make it appear that they are not 'fully open', when in fact they are open as they planned to be and all runs are accessible. And of course each ski area has it's own way of doing things. So if there is no individual 'notes' in the list below, presume that are basically open as normal. We'll do what we can to make note of any significant news available in a morning. We'll keep on thinking about how best to present information and will adjust again as we feel appropriate. ----- GALA Yuzawa Central and Northern Areas fully open Official snow depth: 290cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Official snow depth: Mid: 270cm Iwappara Summit quad lift back up and running Official snow depth: 250cm Joetsu Kokusai Official snow depth: 250cm Kagura Top Kagura Number 5 pair lift opening delayed No confirmed opening date for that lift currently available Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Official snow depth: 220cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: Top: 290cm Base: 210cm Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 180cm NASPA Ski Garden Official snow depth: 245cm Naeba Top area closed, but the Number 2 gondola and Takenokodaira pair lift are operating Official snow depth: Top: 120cm Base: 100cm Yuzawa Kogen Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 220cm Yuzawa Nakazato Official snow depth: 265cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 3rd January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 555cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 102cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 559cm Posted on Monday 4th January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. There was some snow during the day yesterday though it cleared up with some blue sky and sunshine in the afternoon. Just 4cm of snow measured since the report yesterday. Kagura are reporting 2-3cm and Maiko reporting just a dusting overnight. The 'Yuzawa Snow Link' lift and course connections are now open. That means that the Ropeway connecting Yuzawa Kogen with GALA Yuzawa and the pair lift connecting GALA Yuzawa with Ishiuchi Maruyama are now operating. That also means that part of the Southern Area of GALA Yuzawa is also now open, though not fully (Batman and Eliza are open in that area). It has been snowing lightly this morning but as of 8:45am it seems like it is easing off and it is getting brighter. There are blue skies appearing just to the north of Yuzawa. It feels like it might be clearing up and this report will be out of date soon after it appears! And we can probably expect at least some sunshine tomorrow. Would be perfect if the sun doesn't warm things up too much. Conditions should be excellent this morning. ----- GALA Yuzawa The Southern Area is now open and all lifts operating The link with Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama is also now open Official snow depth: 300cm Ishiuchi Maruyama The link with GALA Yuzawa is now open Official snow depth: Mid: 270cm Iwappara Summit quad lift back up and running Official snow depth: 240cm Joetsu Kokusai 15 lifts and 20 courses open Official snow depth: 240cm Kagura Top Kagura Number 5 pair lift opening delayed No confirmed opening date for that lift currently available Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Official snow depth: 210cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: Top: 275cm Base: 200cm Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 200cm NASPA Ski Garden Official snow depth: 255cm Naeba Top area closed, but the Number 2 gondola and Takenokodaira pair lift are operating Official snow depth: Top: 120cm Base: 100cm Yuzawa Kogen The link with GALA Yuzawa is now open Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 220cm Yuzawa Nakazato Official snow depth: 265cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Monday 4th January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 559cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 106cm reported on 4 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 561cm Posted on Wednesday 6th January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. It's a lovely morning. A dusting+ of snow overnight though no specific numbers being reported by ski areas. Back to the chance of heavy snow from tomorrow night. ----- The top Kagura Number 5 Romance lift will be open from today. It was due to open on New Years Day but good to see they have sorted that out quickly. Information is a little unclear, but it looks like the West Area (Forest Zone) of Joetsu Kokusai only has two pair lifts operating at the moment and therefore is not connected with the rest of the resort - and only accsssible via the car park over on the Tokamachi side. Will try to confirm what is going on over there in time for the report tomorrow. ----- GALA Yuzawa The Southern Area is now part open and all lifts are operating The link with Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama is also now open Official snow depth: 280cm Ishiuchi Maruyama The link with GALA Yuzawa is now open Official snow depth: Mid: 270cm Iwappara Official snow depth: 220cm Joetsu Kokusai 9 lifts and 16 courses open Official snow depth: 230cm Kagura Top Kagura Number 5 pair lift should be open from today Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Official snow depth: 200cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: Top: 260cm Base: 180cm Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: Top: 290cm Base: 200cm NASPA Ski Garden Official snow depth: 235cm Naeba Top area closed, but the Number 2 gondola and Takenokodaira pair lift are operating Official snow depth: Top: 120cm Base: 100cm Yuzawa Kogen The link with GALA Yuzawa is now open Official snow depth: Top: 280cm Base: 220cm Yuzawa Nakazato Official snow depth: 270cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 6th January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 561cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 108cm reported on 5 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 Yuzawa. 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