80 minutes from Tokyo! Great for snowy mountain beginners! Recommended ski resorts in Yuzawa, Niigata that you can visit on a day trip
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Are you planning to experience snow in Japan this year? We will introduce three recommended ski resorts in Echigo Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, which are some of Japan's leading snow resorts and can be reached on a day trip from Tokyo: Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort, GALA Yuzawa, and Yuzawa Kogen.
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Located in Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort opened in 1949, and many skiers have been heading to this slope and excited by the charm of the mountain since long before the ski boom. The special experiences that can only be found here, such as abundant natural snow, spectacular views of the Uonuma Plain and the Echigo mountains, and the food culture unique to snowy regions, have remained loved by many people who enjoy snowy mountains, unchanged from the past to the present. While preserving tradition, in recent years, we have introduced facilities such as the state-of-the-art combination lift "Sunrise Express" so that even customers who are new to snowy mountains can stay with peace of mind, proposing a new charm of snowy mountains that combines tradition and modern comfort to meet the needs of the times. In addition, from the summer of 2022, it will evolve into a year-round outdoor resort as The Veranda Ishiuchi Maruyama. In a luxurious location surrounded by beautiful scenery and rich nature, you can discover a new Ishiuchi Maruyama every time you visit, regardless of the season.
Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort: The snowy scenery seen from the top of the ski resort is spectacular!
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Table of Contents
- What is Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture?
- A spectacular slope with state-of-the-art facilities! Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort
- Directly connected to the hot spring post town by ropeway! Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort
- Snowy mountains await you when you get off the Shinkansen! GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort
- Enjoy three ski resorts with one "YUZAWA SNOW LINK" ticket!
What is Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture?
Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture is close to the Sea of Japan and receives heavy snowfall every winter. Blessed with abundant snow and powder snow, the town is known as a "ski paradise" with many famous ski resorts.
It is also famous for its diverse food culture, and the rice made from meltwater called "Koshihikari" is famous for being of the highest quality in Japan. You can also enjoy "sake" made from rice, and fresh seafood thanks to the close proximity to the sea.
The biggest attraction is that it's only 80 minutes from Tokyo, so you can easily experience natural snow!
There are many inns where you can enjoy hot springs once you get off the station, and Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture is a highly recommended area for those who want to travel a little further from Tokyo and enjoy natural snow.
A spectacular slope with state-of-the-art facilities! Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort
Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort is a recommended ski resort that can be reached in 10 minutes by free shuttle bus from Echigo Yuzawa Station.
It has a history of 75 years since it first opened in 1949. The ski resort is one of the largest in the area, with 23 courses divided by level, providing plenty of options for beginners and advanced skiers alike. There are also night skiing and snow parks where you can enjoy the night view, so you can enjoy a variety of challenges.
In recent years, the resort has undergone major renovations, and has become a hot topic with the introduction of the latest facilities, such as the Sunrise Express, a combination lift that simultaneously operates a state-of-the-art 10-seater gondola and a 6-seater chairlift, and the Resort Center, which offers rental services for everything you need for a trip to the snowy mountains, as well as shops and multilingual services, so you can come empty-handed.
In addition, "THE VERANDA Ishiuchi Maruyama" will open in 2022 at a spectacular scenic spot halfway up the mountain after getting off the gondola.
The symbolic observation terrace offers a magnificent view of Minamiuonuma farmland, Mt. Makiyama, and the Echigo Sanzan mountains. The cafe adjacent to the terrace serves a variety of desserts and light meals, so even if you're not skiing, you can enjoy the snowy scenery and food.
The cafe's popular menu item, "Snow Mountain Pancakes," is modeled after German pancakes and is not only delicious but also looks very cute, so many fans have made it a tradition to try these pancakes when they come to Ishiuchi Maruyama.
We have also introduced semicircular, transparent dome tents equipped with heaters and camping-style furniture, so even during the snowy winter, you can stay warm and safe and enjoy a relaxing time with your friends.
If you purchase tickets in advance online (kkday), you can enjoy them at a cheaper price than if you buy them on site.
In addition to ski tickets, if you are just planning to visit the resort, you can also book round-trip gondola tickets and dome tents online.
Directly connected to the hot spring post town by ropeway! Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort
Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort is a ski resort within walking distance from Echigo Yuzawa Station.
You can take a ropeway directly from the bustling Echigo Yuzawa hot spring town, and the upper plateau area is over 1,000m above sea level, so you can enjoy skiing on fine, soft powder snow.
The ski resort is divided into two areas: the upper plateau area and the snow play area at the foot of the mountain.
The snow play area at the foot of the mountain is a very popular spot that can be enjoyed by both adults and children!
Located in the heart of Echigo Yuzawa Onsen town, you can walk directly from the hot springs to the venue.
The area's largest "snow transparent escalator" has been installed, allowing visitors to easily climb the 100-meter-long slope.
If you come here, try snow tubing. You can ride a tube by yourself and slide down the slope in one go as if you were playing in a river, enjoying the exhilaration and thrill.
There are also sleds that children love, so everyone from adults to children can enjoy playing in the snow.
Another attraction of Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort is that it has the world's largest ski resort cable car, which can accommodate 166 people at a time.
It takes about 7 minutes to travel from the base of the mountain to the plateau area at the summit. When you arrive at the summit station, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the mountains overlooking Yuzawa Town. Even if you don't ski, you can climb to the summit for sightseeing and enjoy the sense of freedom from being at a high altitude.
This winter, an open deck made of snow has been installed, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery and the sense of openness even more.
For meals, the Italian gourmet restaurant "Alpina" adjacent to the open deck is popular. The popular wood-fired pizza and pasta are authentic in taste, and seasonal flavors are also available. Combined with the beautiful view of the Yuzawa Plateau spreading out below, it's a truly luxurious way to enjoy yourself!
Snowy mountains await you when you get off the Shinkansen! GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort
The last place we would like to introduce is GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort, which is very famous in Japan!
This ski resort is attached to a Shinkansen station, so you can enjoy skiing "empty-handed" as soon as you arrive.
It takes just 71 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo to reach GALA Yuzawa Station. As soon as you exit the ticket gate, you will find the Ski Service Center, where you can rent ski equipment, purchase ski tickets, and change into your ski gear. The gondola station for the ski resort is on the same floor, so you can start skiing as soon as you arrive.
Transportation, rentals, and riding can all be done in one stop, making the experience extremely smooth even for first-time skiers.
GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort has a high summit elevation of 1,181 meters, and is not only highly functional but also boasts excellent snow quality.
The ski resort is divided into the Central Area, the North Area, the Downhill Ski Course, and the South Area. The Central Area is GALA's main ski resort, and has a wide range of gentle ski courses for beginners, beginners, and intermediate skiers. The North Area is a ski resort that can be enjoyed by beginners to advanced skiers. There are not many people, so it is surprisingly ideal for beginners to practice. You can ski at your own preferred speed.
The downhill slope is located just after passing through the north area and is a challenging 2.5km course that leads all the way to the Cowabunga Visitor Center at the foot of the mountain.
In the southern area, you can experience beautiful, untouched powder snow. This course is recommended for advanced skiers as it allows you to experience the finest quality snow.
Of course you can enjoy skiing, but even those who aren't good at skiing can have fun in the "Snow Play Area" in the central area.
The upper half of the slope near Cheers Rest House is a course exclusively for sledding and snow tubing, while the lower half is for playing in the snow freely, making it a spot that both adults and children can enjoy. For those who want to learn to ski, there are multilingual instructors on hand, so you can enjoy the fun of skiing without worrying about language barriers.
The ski resort also has a "SPA GALA" equipped with hot springs and a heated pool, so you can relax in the hot springs after skiing and then hop on the Shinkansen back home.
Enjoy three ski resorts with one "YUZAWA SNOW LINK" ticket!
The three Niigata ski resorts introduced above are actually connected by lifts and ropeways.
These three ski resorts have jointly issued a "3 Mountains Common Ticket" known as "Yuzawa Snow Link." Using this ticket, you can travel freely between the three ski resorts, enjoying a total of 48 diverse ski courses, each with its own restaurant and experience facilities, making this one of the largest ski resorts in Japan.
If you have already purchased tickets to any of the ski resorts, you can upgrade to a 3-mountain pass for an additional 3,000 yen.
Niigata Prefecture is not only famous for its rice and sake, but also for its ski resorts, which boast world-class snow quality and facilities. Get ready to experience the snow in Niigata this winter!
Located in Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort opened in 1949, and many skiers have been heading to this slope and excited by the charm of the mountain since long before the ski boom. The special experiences that can only be found here, such as abundant natural snow, spectacular views of the Uonuma Plain and the Echigo mountains, and the food culture unique to snowy regions, have remained loved by many people who enjoy snowy mountains, unchanged from the past to the present. While preserving tradition, in recent years, we have introduced facilities such as the state-of-the-art combination lift "Sunrise Express" so that even customers who are new to snowy mountains can stay with peace of mind, proposing a new charm of snowy mountains that combines tradition and modern comfort to meet the needs of the times. In addition, from the summer of 2022, it will evolve into a year-round outdoor resort as The Veranda Ishiuchi Maruyama. In a luxurious location surrounded by beautiful scenery and rich nature, you can discover a new Ishiuchi Maruyama every time you visit, regardless of the season.
The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.
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