Yuzawa Travel Guide

Yuzawa (湯沢) in Niigata Prefecture is one of the largest and the most easily accessed ski areas from Tokyo. You can be on the slopes from Tokyo Station in under two hours. Yuzawa is known for deep powder and a long season, with some resorts open from mid November to late May.

There are over a dozen ski resorts around Yuzawa, varying in size from one to over twenty lifts. While some are near the town center, others are more remote, but they can all be accessed by public transport.

A few resorts team up to offer combination lift tickets that give you access to all of the participating resorts. They are typically connected to each other so that you can ski or snowboard between them.

Yuzawa is also known for its onsen (hot springs), with baths located at the ski resorts, hotels, public bath houses and shinkansen stations. Echigo-Yuzawa Station offers, furthermore, an all-you-can-try sake shop at which you can compare almost 100 different varieties of sake from Niigata Prefecture for 500 yen.

Gala Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama, Yuzawa Kogen Group

A special combination ticket, known as "Yuzawa Snow Link", is available for all three resorts. It costs 8000 yen (7000 yen if purchased online in advance) and can be bought at any of the three resorts' ticket counters.

Just 90 minutes from Tokyo Station, Gala Yuzawa is the easiest resort in Yuzawa to access by train. The gondola to the mountain leaves directly from the shinkansen station, but be sure to check the wind conditions before you leave as the gondola does not operate when it is windy. Lift ticket prices are lowered during the shoulder seasons and if purchased online.

Season*

Mid December to early May
(December 16, 2023 to May 6, 2024)

Lifts

11 lifts

Tickets

Full day 6500 yen

Half day 5000 yen

Nighter N/A

Access

Bus/Train Joetsu Shinkansen to Gala Yuzawa Station.

Car Three kilometers from Yuzawa Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Ishiuchi Maruyama is one of the oldest establishments in the Yuzawa area and is known to have great powder. The resort is fairly large and offers some really long runs. Lift ticket prices are lowered during the shoulder seasons.

Season*

Mid December to early April
(December 15, 2023 to April 7, 2024)

Lifts

13 lifts

Tickets

Full day 6500 yen

Half day 5400 yen

Nighter 3200 yen

Access

Bus/Train Three mins walk from Ishiuchi Station or ten mins by free shuttle from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Car Four kilometers from Shiozawa Ishiuchi Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Yuzawa Kogen is located near the Yuzawa Interchange and Echigo-Yuzawa Station. The resort is made up mostly beginner in intermediate courses, and offers a family and kids' snowland with a variety of snow experiences to enjoy. Lift ticket prices are lowered if purchased online.

Season*

Mid December to early April
(December 16, 2023 to April 7, 2024)

Lifts

5 lifts

Tickets

Full day 5800 yen

Half day 4500 yen

Nighter N/A

Access

Bus/Train Two mins by free shuttle bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Car Two kilometers from Yuzawa Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Naeba, Kagura Group

A combination ticket for Naeba and Kagura can be purchased for 8000 yen at either resort.

Naeba is operated by Prince Hotels and is very popular even though it is the most remote of the major Yuzawa resorts. It has a large number of lifts, with multiple lifts serving each run. The slopes are generally steep, and can become quite crowded on weekends. Naeba is connected to neighboring Kagura via the Dragondola, an extremely long arial lift that spans the 5.5 kilometer distance between the resorts.

Season*

Mid December to late March
(December 16, 2023 to April 7, 2024)

Lifts

12 lifts

Tickets

Full day 6800 yen

Half day 5500 yen

Nighter 2500-3500 yen

Access

Bus/Train 50 mins by bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Car 21 kilometers from Yuzawa Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Known for having good powder and long runs, Kagura is reached by either the Kagura/Mitsumata or Tashiro gondolas. It is also connected to Naeba via the Dragondola. Kagura has the longest season of the Yuzawa resorts thanks to its location high up in the mountains. Night skiing is not offered.

Season*

Late November to late May
(November 23, 2023 to May 19, 2024)

Lifts

18 lifts

Tickets

Full day 6800 yen

Half day 4500 yen

Nighter N/A

Access

Bus/Train 25 mins by bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Car Eight kilometers from Yuzawa Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Iwappara, Joetsu Kokusai Group

The two ski resorts form a group; however, they are not physically connected to each other.

Iwappara is located near the center of Yuzawa Town. The main area of Iwappara is extremely wide, well groomed and an excellent place for beginners. In addition, the resort has good snow play facilities for children.

Season*

Late December to late March
(December 23, 2023 to March 31, 2024)

Lifts

9 lifts

Tickets

Full day 5500 yen

Half day n/a

Nighter 1500 yen

Access

Bus/Train 10 mins by bus from Echigo Yuzawa Station or a 15 min walk from Iwappara Skijo-mae Station.

Car Three kilometers from Yuzawa Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

Joetsu Kokusai is one of Japan's largest resorts, spanning a number of mountains and valleys. It offers long runs and lots of powder. Joetsu Kokusai is about ten kilometers north of central Yuzawa.

Season*

Early December to early April
(December 2, 2023 to April 7, 2024)

Lifts

19 lifts

Tickets

Full day 5500 yen

Half day n/a

Nighter 1500 yen

Access

Bus/Train 25 minutes by shuttle bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station or a few steps from Joetsu Kokusai Skijo-mae Station.

Car Six kilometers from Shiozawa Ishiuchi Interchange.

* Season dates may be adjusted due to lack of snow. Check before going.

By train

Echigo-Yuzawa Station can be reached from Tokyo Station in around 80-90 minutes by the Joetsu Shinkansen. During the winter, some trains from/to Tokyo serve Gala Yuzawa Station in the mornings and evenings, while a shuttle train runs between Echigo-Yuzawa and Gala Yuzawa during the day. The one way trip between Tokyo and Yuzawa costs around 6500 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Nagano Niigata Area Pass and JR Tokyo Wide Pass.

Furthermore, JR and travel agencies sell a range of discount travel plans that combine a round trip from Tokyo to Yuzawa with lift passes and/or accommodation.

By car

Yuzawa is located along the Kanetsu Expressway, which connects Tokyo with Niigata. The drive from Tokyo to Yuzawa IC takes about two hours and costs around 5000 yen in expressway tolls (one way for a regular car). Winter tires are required during the winter.

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