Yakushi is a ski area located close to the central town area of Koide in Uonuma City in Niigata Prefecture.
It is a small local ski area with, until 2023, one 463m single ski lift.
In 2023, the single lift was replaced with the pair lift from the (now-closed) nearby Oyu Onsen ski area. More information on Oyu Onsen can be found on SnowJapanHistory.
Yakushi is not open every day, usually closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
A few season tickets that are also valid at other ski areas in Uonuma City are available.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
220
Vertical (m)
120
Bottom/base (m)
100
Beginner runs (%)
50
Intermediate runs (%)
30
Advanced runs (%)
20
Longest course (m)
800
Steepest slope (°)
30
Number of courses
4
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
Yakushi usually plans to be open from late December until mid-March. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Yakushi is normally open from 9:00am until 5:00pm daily. In the main season it is usually closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Night skiing
There is no night skiing at Yakushi.
School & rental
There is no ski or snowboard school or gear rental at Yakushi.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day (weekdays)
Adult: 2,800 yen
Child: 1,800 yen
1 day (weekends & holidays)
Adult: 3,500 yen
Child: 2,500 yen
1 lift coupon
Adult: 250 yen
Child: 250 yen
11 lift coupons
Adult: 2,500 yen
Child: 1,700 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 20,000 yen
Child: 15,000 yen
A season ticket that is valid at Yakushi and Okutadami Maruyama is available for 51,000 yen.
A season ticket that is valid at Yakushi and also at nearby Koide and Suhara is 66,000 yen.
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 - 15th March (72 days)
2024-2025 season: 25th December - 23rd March (89 days)
2023-2024 season: 24th December - 17th March (85 days)
2022-2023 season: 24th December - 17th March (84 days)
2021-2022 season: 27th December - 21st March (85 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 260cm on 25th January and 31st January - 5th February
2024-2025 season: 290cm on 24th-26th February
2023-2024 season: 120cm on 27th January
2022-2023 season: 235cm on 29th February
2021-2022 season: 280cm on 23rd-24th February
2020-2021 season: 270cm on 19th February
2019-2020 season: 50cm on 11th-12th February
2018-2019 season: 150cm on 2nd February
2017-2018 season: 230cm on 13th-16th February
2016-2017 season: 160cm on 12th-16th February
2015-2016 season: 80cm on 11th February
2014-2015 season: 290cm on 11th-12th and 15th February
Resources
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listings in the region
Ryugon (about 24.6km)
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.
Uonuma City is north of Minamiuonuma City, and, like its neighbour, it usually enjoys heavy snowfall every winter.
Yakushi is one of 4 ski areas currently operating in Uonuma 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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