White Valley is a ski area located in the Tanigawa Onsen area of Minakami Town in the northern region of Gunma Prefecture.
This ski area has two pair lifts. The lower 400m lift is by the lower Kid's and Fantasy beginner runs. The upper lift is 1,000m in length and services all the steeper areas (White Heaven, Champion, Fighting and Forest).
On powder days, 90% of the upper area of White Valley is left untouched by groomers. The ski area calls them Premium Powder Days (or 'Pawderday', according to the pamphlet) and they are announced the previous day via official sources.
Fun fact when you're not riding the powder: the Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train tunnels go right under the base area of White Valley.
This ski area opened in 1962.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
1030
Vertical (m)
380
Bottom/base (m)
650
Beginner runs (%)
30
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
30
Longest course (m)
2000
Steepest slope (°)
35
Number of courses
5
Ski lifts
2
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
0
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
2
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
White Valley usually plans to be open from mid- to late December until early May. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
White Valley is normally open from 8:30am until 4:00pm on weekends and holidays and from 9:00am until 4:00pm on weekdays (and every day from March). The ski area is normally closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It will be open on 31st December 2025 and 1st January 2026.
Night skiing
There is no night skiing at White Valley.
Premium Powder Days
On special Premium Powder Days, 90% of the upper area is left ungroomed. The timing of these days depends on snowfall and they are announced by the ski area the day before.
Families & children
The Chibbiko Hiroba kids sledding area is located near the bottom of the Number 1 pair lift in the base area. The gentle course by base is called Kid's and suitable for beginners.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at White Valley.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment & wear rental is available at base.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 5,500 yen
Child: 2,900 yen
Senior: 4,800 yen
1 lift coupon
Adult: 600 yen
Child: 600 yen
Senior: 600 yen
Morning (until 12pm)
Adult: 4,400 yen
Afternoon (from 12pm)
Adult: 3,800 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 40,000 yen
Child: 20,000 yen
Senior: 35,000 yen
Season ticket (weekdays only)
Adult: 25,000 yen
Child: 20,000 yen
Senior: 20,000 yen
Children under 6 years old can ride the lifts for free.
Elementary school age children can ride the lifts for free on Saturday afternoons.
Season ticket holders can buy cheaper lift tickets at several nearby ski areas in Minakami and other areas of Gunma Prefecture.
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: 27th December - 15th March (79 days)
2024-2025 season: 21st December - 23rd March (93 days)
2023-2024 season: 24th December - 17th March (85 days)
2022-2023 season: 25th December - 19th March (85 days)
2021-2022 season: 25th December - 21st March (87 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 130cm on 26th January, 31st January - 1st February and 10th-12th February
2024-2025 season: 290cm on 22nd February
2023-2024 season: 100cm on 10th March
2022-2023 season: 140cm on 6th January, 21st-22nd February
2021-2022 season: 310cm on 23rd-24th February
2020-2021 season: 250cm on 22nd-23rd December
2019-2020 season: 100cm on 11th-13th February
2018-2019 season: 200cm on 29th January
2017-2018 season: 160cm on 18th-22nd February
2016-2017 season: 250cm on 12th-14th February
2015-2016 season: 100cm on 15th-16th February
2014-2015 season: 240cm on 16th-21st February
Resources
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listings in the region
Tenjin Lodge Minakami (about 11km)
Hoshi Onsen Chojukan (about 27.5km)
Introduction to the region
Gunma Prefecture is located in the northwestern part of the Kanto region on the main island of Honshu. It is one of eight landlocked prefectures in Japan. Gunma is surrounded by Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Nagano Prefecture to the west, Tochigi Prefecture to the east, and Saitama Prefecture to the south.
The ski areas of Gunma are largely found in the northern region (Minakami Town, Kawaba Village and Katashina Village) and the western region (Kusatsu Town and Tsumagoi Village).
Minakami Town is the most northerly town in Gunma, with Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture to the north, separated by the Tanigawa mountain range. Minakami is a popular year-round destination offering a wide range of outdoor sports, activities and onsen hot springs.
White Valley is one of 7 ski areas currently operating in Minakami Town.
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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