Maiko Snow Resort is a ski area located in the southern region of Minamiuonuma City in the southern region of Niigata Prefecture.
Maiko Snow Resort has two main base areas, Maiko and Nagamine. The Maiko Area is close to the Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC exit of the Kanetsu Expressway. It is home to gentler slopes, snow parks and Maiko Kogen Hotel. The Nagamine Area features the main Day Centre and 2,800m gondola lift.
The Okusoechi Area is the top area of Maiko Snow Resort and usually offers the best snow conditions. This bowl-like area is accessed by the gondola or the Nagamine Number 2 quad lift. As well as the snow, there is also some beautiful mountain scenery to enjoy from Okusoechi.
There are a few official tree-run courses at Maiko Snow Resort, one on either side of the top Okusoechi course (registration required). There are also several ungroomed runs and CAT Tours will be available on some days in the top Okusoechi area before the ski lifts open early morning).
Maiko Area initially opened in 1959 and was known as Ishiuchi Korakuen. Over the decades and as it expanded, it has changed name various times. Previous names include Maiko Korakuen, Maiko Kogen Korakuen and Centleisure Maiko Snow Resort.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
920
Vertical (m)
660
Bottom/base (m)
260
Beginner runs (%)
40
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
20
Longest course (m)
6000
Steepest slope (°)
32
Number of courses
26
Ski lifts
10
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
1
Quad lift (4-person)
4
Triple lift (3-person)
1
Pair lift (2-person)
4
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
Maiko Snow Resort usually plans to be open from mid-December until late March or early April. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening hours
Maiko Snow Resort is normally open from 8:30am until 5:00pm on weekdays and from 8:00am until 5:00pm on weekends during the daytime.
Night skiing
'Maiko de Night' night skiing is scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays from 3rd January until 14th March 2026 and also over the New Year period (29th December 2025 until 2nd January 2026).
Saturdays, 2nd-3rd January, 11th January and 22nd February 2026: from 3:30pm until 8:00pm.
Sundays, 29th December 2025 through 1st January 2026: from 3:30pm until 7:00pm.
Park & off-piste
The Maiko Snow Park Garden is located in the Maiko Area.
There is also an ungroomed Off-Piste Zone in the Nagamine Area, which opens depending on snow conditions, as well as a few other runs that are usually left ungroomed.
In addition, there are also several official tree run areas coming off the Okusoechi quad lift.
New for 2025-2026 were official CAT Tours, allowing access to untouched powder early morning before lifts open.
Families & children
There are two Smile Kids Park areas at Maiko Snow Resort - one by the Day Ski Centre (800 yen) and the other in the Maiko Area (free).
Snow rafting and Snow Mobile Experience rides are also available in the Maiko Snow Land in the Maiko Area.
There is a Kids Room on the 2nd Floor of the gondola base building. Charges are 1,500 yen per hour, available for children ages 2-6.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at Maiko Snow Resort. There are a number of independent ski and snowboard schools that cover the Yuzawa area and offer lessons in English.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment & wear rental is available as well as other facilities in base areas.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 7,000 yen
Child: 3,500 yen
2 days
Adult: 12,000 yen
Child: 6,300 yen
3 days
Adult: 16,800 yen
Child: 8,900 yen
4 days
Adult: 21,400 yen
Child: 11,300 yen
5 days
Adult: 25,800 yen
Child: 13,500 yen
6 days
Adult: 30,000 yen
Child: 15,500 yen
7 days
Adult: 34,000 yen
Child: 17,300 yen
5 hours
Adult: 6,500 yen
Child: 3,300 yen
Night skiing
Adult: 2,200 yen
Child: 1,200 yen
3 points
Adult: 2,100 yen
Child: 1,650 yen
6 points
Adult: 4,200 yen
Child: 3,300 yen
The 5 Hour ticket is valid for 5 hours from the time of purchase.
The full day lift ticket passes include access to night skiing.
If using Points, lifts requite 1 point and the gondola requires 3 points.
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 - 29th March (93 days)
2024-2025 season: 20th December - 30th March (101 days)
2023-2024 season: 22nd December - 31st March (101 days)
2022-2023 season: 25th December - 2nd April (99 days)
2021-2022 season: 19th December - 3rd April (106 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 330cm on 31st January
2024-2025 season: 480cm on 20th-21st, 25th February
2023-2024 season: 215cm on 13th-14th, 22nd March
2022-2023 season: 290cm on 6th January
2021-2022 season: 460cm on 24th February
2020-2021 season: 350cm on 10th February
2019-2020 season: 200cm on 11th February
2018-2019 season: 350cm on 29th January, 2nd February
2017-2018 season: 300cm on 19th-20th February
2016-2017 season: 330cm on 13th-15th February
2015-2016 season: 220cm on 11th February
2014-2015 season: 410cm on 21st February
Resources
More information on Maiko Snow Resort
Official website [link opens in new window]
Daily weather & snow reporting on SnowJapan
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [links open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listings in the region
Maiko Kogen Hotel (about 0.1km)
Maruyama Onsen Kojyokan (about 3.5km)
Belle Vue Nishiura (about 3.6km)
Ishiuchi Vacation Rental (about 5.2km)
Bears House (about 5.8km)
Osawakan (about 6.5km)
Takahan (about 7.8km)
Hatago Isen (about 9.1km)
Ryugon (about 10.6km)
Hotel Yuzawa Yuzawa Denkiya (about 11.6km)
Garden Cress (about 13.3km)
Yuzkyu Resort Premium Lodge (about 17km)
The Kinta Naeba (about 30.6km)
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).
Maiko Snow Resort 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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