ARAI SNOW RESORT is a ski area locared in Myoko City in the southwestern region of Niigata Prefecture.
The slopes of this ski area are on the eastern slopes of Mt Okenashi in the western region of Niigata Prefecture. The ski area is within Myoko City's boundaries but closer to Joetsu City than some of the other ski areas in Myoko. Considering its location just 20km from the Sea of Japan coastline, the upper areas of the mountain receive large amounts of snowfall, and the ski area enjoys a long season.
From opening in 1993 until closing in 2006, this ski area was known as ARAI Mountain & Spa. The facilities were taken over by Lotte in 2015. After 11 years of being inactive, significant restoration and brand-new facilities added, Lotte Arai Resort opened in mid-December 2017. It was essentially the same ski area with upgrades and an extra shine, boldly placing itself into the 'premium' market.
Since the 2023-2024 season, the ski area has been officially known as ARAI SNOW RESORT. (The official name of the ski area is all capitals).
Mountain facilities include a gondola, two quads and two pair lifts. There are 10 off-piste 'free riding zones' across the mountain and 14 official ski runs. A number of deluxe accommodations and resort facilities are gathered around the base area.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
1280
Vertical (m)
951
Bottom/base (m)
329
Beginner runs (%)
36
Intermediate runs (%)
36
Advanced runs (%)
28
Longest course (m)
7000
Steepest slope (°)
38
Number of courses
14
Ski lifts
5
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
1
Quad lift (4-person)
2
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
2
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
Arai Snow Resort usually plans to be open from mid-December until early or mid-May. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Arai Snow Resort is normally open from 8:30am until 4:00pm during the daytime. Expensive 'First Class' tickets allow earlier rides on the gondola from 8:00am (along with other benefits).
Night skiing
Night skiing is scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays between 26th December 2025 and 21st March 2026.
Free Riding Zones
There are extensive official off-piste Free Riding Zones across the mountain at ARAI SNOW RESORT, in addition to the regular groomed ski runs.
Families & children
The Snow Adventure (HIZUME) area is open daily in the main season. Charges apply.
A variety of snow-related activities and experiences suitable for children and adults are available at the resort.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons in English are available at ARAI SNOW RESORT.
Rental
There are extensive resort facilities available in the base area, along with resort hotels and restaurants.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
PM (from 11am)
Adult: 6,300 yen
Child: 4,500 yen
Senior: 5,800 yen
1 day
Adult: 7,500 yen
Child: 5,000 yen
Senior: 7,000 yen
2 days
Adult: 14,500 yen
Child: 9,500 yen
Senior: 13,500 yen
3 days
Adult: 21,500 yen
Child: 14,000 yen
Senior: 20,000 yen
4 days
Adult: 28,500 yen
Child: 18,500 yen
Senior: 26,500 yen
5 days
Adult: 35,500 yen
Child: 23,000 yen
Senior: 33,000 yen
6 days
Adult: 42,500 yen
Child: 39,500 yen
Senior: 37,500 yen
7 days
Adult: 49,500 yen
Child: 32,000 yen
Senior: 46,000 yen
20 hours
Adult: 30,000 yen
Child: 20,000 yen
Senior: 28,000 yen
40 hours
Adult: 56,000 yen
Child: 37,000 yen
Senior: 52,000 yen
All ticket prices shown above are valid during the main season (13th December 2025 until 22nd March 2026) and known as Economy Class with access to ski lifts from 8:30am.
More expensive First Class lift tickets are also available that include various benefits including access to ski lifts from 8:00am.
Cheaper lift tickets are available for the spring season from Monday 23rd March 2026.
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: 13th December - 11th May (150 days)
2024-2025 season: 14th December - 11th May (149 days)
2023-2024 season: 17th December - 6th May (142 days)
2022-2023 season: 16th December - 7th May (143 days)
2021-2022 season: 18th December - 15th May (149 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 497cm on 31st January
2024-2025 season: 679cm on 24th February
Resources
Daily weather & snow reporting on SnowJapan
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: ski school listings 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 and Minamiuonuma City in the Chuetsu region and Myoko City in the Joetsu region.
Myoko is the name of a city in Niigata Prefecture, near the border with Nagano Prefecture. Many people associate the name with the ski areas on and around Mt Myoko, in the city's southwest region. Myoko is famous for often receiving some of the heaviest snowfall in Japan.
Other popular ski areas in Nagano Prefecture are nearby, including Madarao, Nozawa Onsen, and Shiga Kogen. The region is popular year-round for its onsen hot springs, nature, and outdoor activities.
Arai Snow Resort is one of 7 ski areas currently operating in Myoko 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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