Sado-shi Daira is a ski area located in Sado City on Sadogashima, an island off the coast of Niigata Prefecture.
This ski area, often just known as Daira, is north of central Sado City and operated by the city.
In January 2018, Daira enjoyed a 'renewal opening' introducing a 289m long pair lift (called the 'Dream Pair lift'). It is the only pair ski lift on a remote island in Japan. The introduction of the new ski lift encouraged more people to visit Daira.
It also meant fewer people went to the other small ski area on Sado Island called Wonder Valley Sado. Unfortunately, that ski area is no longer operating. More information on Wonder Valley Sado can be found on SnowJapanHistory.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
510
Vertical (m)
110
Bottom/base (m)
400
Beginner runs (%)
70
Intermediate runs (%)
30
Advanced runs (%)
0
Longest course (m)
400
Steepest slope (°)
28
Number of courses
3
Ski lifts
1
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
0
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
1
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
Daira usually plans to be open from late December until early to mid-March. The ski area is normally only open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (including over New Year). It is normally closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Sado-shi Daira is normally open from 9:00am until 4:00pm.
Night skiing
There is no night skiing.
Ungroomed zone
There is an ungroomed zone near base.
Families & children
There is a Kids Corner near base.
Lessons
Lessons as available.
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: 2,000 yen
Child: 1,000 yen
9:00am until 1:00pm
Adult: 1,200 yen
Child: 600 yen
11:00am until 4:00pm
Adult: 1,500 yen
Child: 750 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 15,000 yen
Child: 7,500 yen
Sado-shi Daira is open from Thursdays to Sundays and national holidays until March.
Normally closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Residents of Sado City of ages 65 and over can use the lift for free on weekdays
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: 3rd January - 27th February (56 days)
2024-2025 season: 21st December - 16th March (86 days)
2023-2024 season: 23rd December - 12th February (52 days)
2022-2023 season: 2nd January - 10th March (68 days)
2021-2022 season: 2nd January - 16th March (74 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
Statistics are unavailable for this ski area.
Resources
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
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.
Outside Japan's four main islands, Sado Island (Sadogashima) is the second largest island after Okinawa. Ferry and jetfoil services connect Sado Island with Niigata City and Joetsu City on the mainland.
Sado-shi Daira is the only ski are currently operating in Sado 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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