Gassan Ski Resort — Attraction in Nishikawa

Gassan Ski Resort is a different creature on its own when compared to other ski resorts. The season is unique, opening in April onwards.

Lift Pass (2025) : 5800 JPY for a full day 4500 for half day.

Parking Cost : 1000 JPY

Layout : The resort has a single chairlift from the base to the mid-mountain. There is also a T-bar (100 JPY per ride) that brings you up just slightly below the peak of the mountain the resort is at (Ubagatake). To get to Ubagatake, it could be a 30 minutes to 1 hour hike. While there is a "resort map", the conditions is like sidecountry with chairlifts, similar to Lotte Arai or Lake Louise where there is a general area and zone down to the base with some obstacles marked out. The resort is also generally above the treeline, visibility can be bad on snow or foggy days.

The shrine is not open until summer but it is possible to do a 3-4 hour hike from Ubagatake to the summit of Gassan to do some backcountry with appropriate equipment such as snow-shoes.

Conditions (1st May 2025, 6-18 degrees) There was two days of snow on 30-31st April. Spring time snow at the bottom : slushy and slightly sticky. The snow nearer to Ubagatake at the top is softer and drier with winter like feel despite the higher than average temperatures.

Visiting Gassan: One of the appeal of visiting Gassan is the novelty of skiing and snowboarding in Spring or Summer in Japan. The snow conditions won't be great and it can be rather warm, and there is quite a bit of hiking involved if you want to explore the terrain fully. However, if you get a clear weather day, and want a unique experience visiting a very local resort in Spring especially if you are exploring this part of Japan. It is a worthwhile visit. The view of Mt. Chokai from Ubagatake and the Asahi mountains opposite is beautiful. A half-day or point system ticket should suffice for some laps, and if you are prepared or travelling as a group with a guide, you can also do the hike up to Gassan summit. Conditions wise, April - mid May would be the best. I visited during Golden Week and it wasn't crowded.

For rentals and guide services: The nearby Pole Pole offers guide services and rentals. Some of the lodgings at Shizu Onsen can help with rental of skis and snowboards. There are also shops that delivers skis for rentals off-season. You could contact them. If you prefer to bring your own, you can also Yamato transport your gear to the lodging nearby to/from the airport.

To Take Note: The chairlift is prone to closures due to strong winds or heavy snow. Please check at the official website or your lodging in Shizu Onsen (if staying there) before heading over to the resort. While it is not a place for a multi-day ski/snowboarding trip, the possibility of a closure meant that it might be a good idea to keep the itinerary fluid and have some...

The chair lift is open during summers and is a 10 minute hike from Parking lot. Convenient if your with little kids or just want to do an easy summit trip. 1100 yen for 2 way ticket for adults. Also I think it’s ideal to take grandparents if they cannot hike to the top. From the top of the chair lift there is an additional 30-45 minute...

Beautiful mountain but it only has one lift and for you to thoroughly enjoy the mountain, you will have to do a fair bit of climbing. It was very tiring and definitely not worth the effort, especially if you are going in mid April as all the snow is quite...