Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain is located across several mountains in the Bandai region of Fukushima Prefecture.
Until the summer of 2023, Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain was known as two popular ski areas; the south-facing slopes of Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai in Bandai Town and the northern-facing slopes of Hoshino Resorts Nekoma in Kitashiobara Village. They were physically close, operated by the same company and shared lift tickets were available. In recent years a 'walking course' was open between the top sections of the two ski areas, but there was no ski lift connection.
Since the 2023-2024 winter season, a new (pair) ski lift physically connects the two at the top. The combined ski areas, now known as Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain, have become one of the largest ski areas in the Tohoku region of northern Japan.
There are five official tree run zones named Frozen Tree A, Frozen Tree B, Frozen Tree C, Black Tree and White Tree. The Tree Run Zones are 'at your own risk' areas. Unlike regular ski runs, they may contain hazards such as tree wells and other obstacles. Please assess your own skiing ability, snow conditions and weather conditions before using these areas. Registration is not required. Helmets are.
The North Area (previously Nekoma) is sometimes able to remain open into May.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
1337
Vertical (m)
637
Bottom/base (m)
700
Beginner runs (%)
30
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
30
Longest course (m)
3000
Steepest slope (°)
29
Number of courses
33
Ski lifts
13
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
3
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
10
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
This ski area usually plans to be open from early December until early to mid-May. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
2026-2027 season
Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain plans to be open from 28th December 2026 until 9th May 2027.
North Area (formerly known as Nekoma):
Saturday 28th November 2026 until Sunday 9th May 2027
South Area (formerly known as Alts Bandai):
Saturday 12th December 2026 until Sunday 4th April 2027
The ski area is normally open from 8:30am until 4:00pm in the daytime in the main season.
Night skiing
Night skiing in scheduled in the South Area is from 4:30pm until 8:00pm on the following dates:
9th, 10th, 16th, 23rd, 30th January 2027
6th, 13th, 20th, 27th February 2027
6th March 2027
The Alts Express lift operates during night skiing.
Park
There are various snow park areas at Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain.
South Area
Opening Park SOUTH (beginner)
Global Park (professional)
Night Park (intermediate)
Flowing Park (beginners - anyone)
Hike-up Park
North Area
Step Up Park North (beginner to advanced)
Spring Banked Park (beginner)
A special area of the Bandai Area is used exclusively for CAT tours.
Families & children
There are official sledding areas at both base areas of Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain. There is a 55m snow escalator lift at the base of the North Area, suitable for beginners and families with young children. It is free to use.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment & wear rental is available.
Lift ticket prices
2026-2027 season (The main lift ticket information below may not include all available ticket options)
1 day
Adult: 6,500 yen
Child (elementary): 3,000 yen
Child (high school): 4,500 yen
Senior: 6,000 yen
Afternoon
Adult: 4,900 yen
Child (elementary): 2,200 yen
Child (high school): 3,700 yen
Night skiing:
2,700 yen
Beginner 1 day
Adult: 2,500 yen
Child (elementary): 1,500 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 90,000 yen
Child (elementary): 32,000 yen
Child (high school): 34,000 yen 19-23 year olds: 36,000 yen
24-29 year olds: 54,000 yen
Cheaper lift tickets are available online.
Historical snow depth data
The following ski season and official snow depth data have been independently compiled by SnowJapan for publication on this website. Where available, the data is updated annually after each ski season.
First and last dates of recent seasons
2025-2026 season: 6th December - 19th April (135 days)
2024-2025 season: 8th December - 15th May (159 days)
2023-2024 season: 2nd December - 23rd April (144 days)
2022-2023 season: 23rd December - 26th March (94 days) [Alts]
2021-2022 season: 29th December - 27th March (89 days) [Alts]
2022-2023 season: 10th December - 23rd April (135 days) [Nekoma]
2022-2023 season: 3rd December - 8th May (157 days) [Nekoma]
Deepest recorded snow depth
2022-2023 season: 220cm on 3rd-4th February
2021-2022 season: 360cm on 8th March
2020-2021 season: 265cm on 12th February
2019-2020 season: 100cm on 11th-14th February
2018-2019 season: 200cm on 30th January - 4th February
2017-2018 season: 260cm on 19th-20th February
2016-2017 season: 270cm on 14th February
2015-2016 season: 170cm on 31st January
2014-2015 season: 280cm on 18th March
Resources
More information on Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain
Official website [link opens in new window]
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
Introduction to the region
Fukushima Prefecture is the southernmost prefecture of the Tohoku region of northern Japan. Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture to the north, Niigata Prefecture to the west, Gunma Prefecture to the southwest, and Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture to the south.
The majority of the ski areas in Fukushima Prefecture are in the northern region around Mt. Bandai and north of Lake Inawashiro (the fourth-largest lake in Japan), as well as in the western region of the prefecture.
The South Area base of Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain is in Bandai Town. The base of the North Area is in Kitashiobara Village.
About the information on this page
SnowJapan independently researches, checks and updates the information on this page at least once each year, in the lead-up to every ski season. We also update it whenever we become aware of other changes. The information published on SnowJapan is based on independent research using official Japanese-language sources and is not supplied by ski areas. If you are planning to visit a ski area, we recommend checking the official ski area website for the latest operational information. We take great care to keep the information on SnowJapan accurate and up to date. However, SnowJapan accepts no responsibility for decisions made based on information published on this website.
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