Chateau Shiozawa is a ski area located in the western region of Minamiuonuma City in the southern region of Niigata Prefecture.
There are two base areas at Chateau Shiozawa, Ipponsugi to the south and Yoshizato. The two connect in the top area. Both can easily be accessed from the central Shiozawa town area.
Chateau Shiozawa has four pair ski lifts (910m, 400m, 600m, 800m) and seven official ski runs. It is a popular ski area for school and college ski lesson trips.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
579
Vertical (m)
369
Bottom/base (m)
210
Beginner runs (%)
40
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
20
Longest course (m)
3000
Steepest slope (°)
37
Number of courses
7
Ski lifts
4
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
Chateau Shiozawa usually plans to be open from late December until late March. It is normally only open on weekends and some other days in March. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Chateau Shiozawa is normally open from 8:30am until 5:00pm.
Night skiing
There is no night skiing scheduled for the 2025-2026 season at Chateau Shiozawa.
Families & children
There is a free Chibbiko Gelende play area at the base of the Yoshizato area.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at Chateau Shiozawa.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment rental is available.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 4,500 yen
Child: 3,000 yen
Senior: 3,000 yen
Morning
Adult: 3,500 yen
Child: 2,000 yen
Senior: 3,000 yen
Afternoon
Adult: 3,000 yen
Child: 2,000 yen
Senior: 3,000 yen
2 days
Adult: 7,000 yen
Child: 4,000 yen
A ticket for one adult and one child is 5,000 yen for one day.
Discounts are available for residents of Niigata Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture or Minamiuonuma as follows:
Niigata Prefecture: 4,000 yen adults (2,000 yen children)
Gunma Prefecture: 4,000 yen adults (2,000 yen children)
Minamiuonuma City: 3,000 yen adults (1,500 yen children)
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: 28th December - 24th March (87 days)
2024-2025 season: 26th December - 24th March (89 days)
2023-2024 season: 26th December - 24th March (90 days)
2022-2023 season: 26th December - 27th March (92 days)
2021-2022 season: 25th December - 29th March (95 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 380cm on 30th-31st January and 3rd-4th February
2024-2025 season: 500cm on 20th-28th February
2023-2024 season: 190cm on 17th and 29th January
2022-2023 season: 270cm on 4th February
2021-2022 season: 480cm on 26th February
2020-2021 season: 360cm on 11th-12th January, 19th February
2019-2020 season: 150cm on 11th-13th, 19th-21st February
2018-2019 season: 310cm on 26th-27th January, 3rd-4th February
2017-2018 season: 310cm on 19th-23rd February
2016-2017 season: 320cm on 17th-18th January
2015-2016 season: 160cm on 2nd-3rd March
2014-2015 season: 410cm on 10th-11th, 14th-15th March
Resources
More information
Ski area spotlight (Minamiuonuma City)
Daily weather & snow reporting on SnowJapan
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listings in the region
Osawakan (about 6.2km)
Ryugon (about 8km)
Maruyama Onsen Kojyokan (about 10.5km)
Maiko Kogen Hotel (about 10.8km)
Belle Vue Nishiura (about 11.2km)
Ishiuchi Vacation Rental (about 12.5km)
Bears House (about 13.1km)
Takahan (about 15.1km)
Hatago Isen (about 16.3km)
Hotel Yuzawa Yuzawa Denkiya (about 18.9km)
Garden Cress (about 20.5km)
Yuzkyu Resort Premium Lodge (about 24km)
The Kinta Naeba (about 38km)
SnowJapan Directory: ski school listing in the region
Introduction to the region
Niigata Prefecture is located in the Chubu region of the main island of Honshu, and it is commonly associated with the Hokuriku subregion. The long Niigata coastline faces the Sea of Japan, and the prefecture borders Yamagata Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, and Toyama Prefecture.
Niigata played a significant role in the history of skiing in Japan. After Hokkaido and Nagano Prefecture, it is currently home to the third-most ski areas in Japan.
The ski areas of Niigata are scattered across the mountainous regions of the prefecture, and there is even one on Sado Island. The majority can be found in Yuzawa Town & Minamiuonuma City in the Chuetsu region and Myoko City in the Joetsu region.
Yuzawa Town and neighbouring Minamiuonuma City are currently home to 18 individual ski areas, including some of the most well-known in Japan. With easy and quick access by train and road and a wide choice in a relatively compact area, this region is one of Japan's most popular ski destinations. The region usually receives heavy, consistent snowfall each winter. Yuzawa is also known for its hot springs and as the inspiration for the Nobel Prize-winning novel Yukiguni (Snow Country).
Chateau Shiozawa is one of 7 ski areas currently operating in Minamiuonuma City.
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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