No snow yet. Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. Snow depth and the seven-day outlook appear once snow is on the ground or forecast.
A weather-model figure, worked out the same way for every ski area, and lower than what actually falls. Use it to compare ski areas, not against the resort’s own totals. How we measure →
On clear days the runs look out over the Sea of Japan. The tree-run area is left in its natural state; skiers apply in advance and enter through a designated gate, carrying a helmet, a mobile phone and a whistle. Drivers coming from the Kanto region are advised to set their satnav to Mushikawa-Osugi Station on the Hokuhoku Line first, so they are not routed onto a narrow mountain road. Sources: yukidaruma-kogen.com, niigata-kankou.or.jp, city.joetsu.niigata.jp (sources read 12 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
Modelled from weather data the same way at all 3,069 ski areas we cover. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
The tick marks the median across every Japanese ski area we measure. All four bars run the same way — longer is better.
The quality score leaves out how much snow falls (it uses temperature, frequency, rain and wind).
Within 50 km in a straight line. Ski areas in the same weather-model cell (about 30 km across) get the same figure.
| Ski area | Distance | Seasonal snowfall | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sakae Club Ski Area | 7.9 km | 553 cmsame grid cell | 61 |
| Nozawa Onsen | 14.0 km | 450 cm | 108 |
| Togari Onsen Ski Resort | 15.0 km | 450 cm | 108 |
| New Greenpia Tsunan | 20.0 km | 618 cm | 36 |
| Kijimadaira Ski Resort | 27.0 km | 349 cm | 285 |
Compare side by side with Sakae Club Ski Area and Nozawa Onsen →
Counted from the runs and lifts drawn on OpenStreetMap, within the boundary of the ski area. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
87% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. Those slopes get the least sun, so the snow lasts longer.
See past trail maps on Skimap.org ↗
Source: OpenSkiMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0). How finely ski areas are drawn varies by region, so treat the counts as indicative. Vertical is the difference between the highest and lowest points of the mapped runs and lifts.
The most snow falls in January. March brings 36% of January’s snowfall. That is a steeper fall than the median for ski areas in Japan (52%): the snow here is concentrated early in the season. For skiing, though, the amount matters more than the share: March brings 70 cm, more than the median of 46 cm.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 553 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 301 cm; the biggest was 2016/17 with 693 cm (2.3 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Within 20 km in a straight line, nearest first. Some lie over a pass that is closed in winter.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Matsunoyama Onsen松之山温泉 | Hot spring town | 10.2 km |
| Sakae Village History and Culture Museum栄村歴史文化館 | Museum | 11.3 km |
| Bijinbayashi美人林 | Nature | 12.8 km |
| Ryūgakubo竜ヶ窪 | Nature | 14.1 km |
| Nozawa Onsen野沢温泉 | Hot spring town | 14.2 km |
| Matsudai Nohbutaiまつだい「農舞台」 | Museum | 14.6 km |
Chosen from the places most read about on Wikipedia, favouring those with an English article. Based on the Japanese Wikipedia lists of sights in each prefecture, as compiled in travel-log-data (CC BY-SA 4.0). English names from Wikidata (CC0). The content of this section is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Getting there
Source: yukidaruma-kogen.com · checked 1 Nov 2026. Shuttle days and times change with the season; check the official site before you go.
Checked on the official site (26 Oct 2026) · Source. “Not checked” means we have not looked yet. Compare with other ski areas →
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese.
2 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within about 3 km of this ski area. The table shows the nearest 2 with a listed price.
| Property (links to Rakuten Travel) | Lowest listed (per person, tax incl.) | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| キューピットバレイ | ¥7,000 | — | 1.3 km | ほくほく線虫川大杉駅から車で約20分 |
Prices are the lowest Rakuten Travel lists; a property name, or “Pick dates and guests” above, shows prices and rooms for your dates.
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese. · Property data by Rakuten Travel (Supported by Rakuten Developers)
1 places within 12 km of the slopes, as mapped on OpenStreetMap, many of them small inns and pensions. Many are not on booking sites — open the name for the website or the map.
Nearest: 11.2 km
Accommodation data: OpenStreetMap
Other booking sites: Booking.com ↗ · Agoda ↗ · Rakuten Travelad ↗
“ad” marks links that pay us a commission if you book. Links without it are not affiliated.
Planning a trip · 1 Oct 2026
How Japan's Early-Bird Lift Tickets Work: At Hakuba Happo-One, Eight of the Nine Need a Japanese ID CardHakuba Happo-One opened early-bird sales at 10:00 on 1 October. A day costs ¥6,400 against ¥9,800 at the window, 35% off. But every ticket on the list except one needs a My Number Card and a Japanese phone app. A visitor from abroad can buy exactly one of them, at 15% off.
Planning a trip · 15 Sep 2026
Japan Lift Ticket Prices for 2026/27Where the snow falls · 11 Aug 2026
Which Ski Resort Gets the Most Snow in the World?2026-2027シーズン券の出張販売を実施いたします！ 「WEBでの申し込みが… 投稿 シーズン券出張販売 は 【公式】新潟県上越市のスキー場：キューピットバレイ に最初に表示されました。