Updated 11 December 2025
Just some notes from last year’s snowboarding!
Fujimi panoramadai
- insane views
- 3 courses
- Top to bottom is 3km course via gondola but is all intermediate with one advanced option
- Option to loop top portion of intermediate via chair lift
- Two beginner courses which are shorter. Very Friendly to beginner’s, lift operators super kind and helpful
- However long queues for both the chair lifts… Which isn’t fun cos it’s quite a short course to begin with
- Access via shuttle bus from Fujimi station
Oguna Hotaka
- only accessible via car so feels very local (also buses from Shinjuku available)
Maiko, Niigata
- a nice long winding course for beginners, so it feels like you get to ski for quite long before you need to get back on the lift (left side) Slightly narrow at times so if it’s crowded, makes it a little hard to dodge people on a snowboard
- Multiple options for beginners, other shorter trails on the rhs although lift wait lines tend to be longer. Also gets more icey near the bottom
- Conspicuous lack of vending machines , only one at the base’s restaurant. Usually rely on these to stay hydrated and or warm up or wake up
Joetsu kokusai
- Google reviews painted a picture of a very old ski resort that has seen better days. Maybe it was a coincidence of the weather but it wasn’t too crowded and the powder snow was amazing, maybe thanks to some heavy snowfall the area has seen recently. Went on the Monday of a public holiday weekend, but wasn’t too crowded
- No lines for the lifts, food court pretty empty
- Main carpark costs money but the oosawa carpark on the other side is free, can still buy tickets and rental from there as well. Need good tires to get to it though
- Easy long winding beginner course was really pleasant. Flat enough I could pick up some speed without getting worried of going too fast. But also unfortunately too flat that you have to take off one of your bindings and slide your board along in about 3 separate bits. (Maybe if you picked up enough speed)
- middle tier course was quite nice, really long flat bits so as upper beginner I felt confident I could pick up some speed and glide along it without going to too fast.
- But I would say that overall this is better for intermediate rather than true beginners
- The practice slope for beginners is quite steep, no gradual slope
Snow park oze tokura, Gunma
- We went because it was 3000 yen on Fridays which is a steal. Similarly priced men’s day on Wednesdays makes it cheaper
- It’s quite deep into a local road so you’ll be driving on local road for an hr ater you get off the highway
- Also includes 1100 yen worth of lunch
Leave a comment