[Ski Resort Information 2023-2024]Kanayasan Ski Resort (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)/vol.8

2023.12.29

Slope guideSlope guide 2023SkiSki resortスキー発祥の地スノボソリLerch Festival Joetsu CityKanayayama

The birthplace of skiing in Japan! Historic ski resort is recommended for your skiing debut!

◆Operating period: Mid-January 2024 to mid-March 2024 (planned)

1.Features of slopes and courses
2.Events
3.Data

1.Features of slopes and courses

Five minutes by car from the Joetsu Takada IC on the Joshinetsu Expressway. The “Kanayasan Ski Resort” is located just outside the city center of Takada, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.

It is also known as the “birthplace of skiing,” where skiing techniques were first introduced to Japan in earnest in 1911 by Major Theodor von Lerch, a soldier of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Symbol of Kanayasan Bronze statue of Major Lerch

It is a very compact municipal-run slope, but it has three courses with gentle and steep slopes for different levels. There are gentle courses for beginners and blanks, and hard courses for advanced skiers with a maximum slope of 27 degrees!（初級25%／中級50%／上級25%）。

There is also a free sledding area by the slopes. Families with children can use this area with peace of mind. On weekends, you can hear the lively voices of children. If the weather is fine, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Takata Plain from the top of the mountain. Please be sure to enjoy the snow-covered cityscape as well.

Every Saturday, elementary and junior high school students residing in Joetsu City can take the lifts for free when they present their “Joetsu City Children’s Day Passport”. This is a great opportunity for your children to practice skiing or make their skiing debut. In addition, the “Lerch Festival,” held on February 3 and 4, is a major winter event held to pass on Major Lerch’s great achievements to future generations, and attracts many people from within and outside of the prefecture. Various events and food stalls offering local delicacies are scheduled for both days. Please enjoy the event with your family and friends.

2.Events

Lerch Festival – 113th Anniversary of the Birth of Skiing in Japan – Poster

Lerch Festival -113rd anniversary of the birth of skiing in Japan
■Date and time: February 3 (Sat.), 2024 12:00-19:30; February 4 (Sun.), 2024 9:00-15:00
■3rd (Sat.) Main Event Contents:
Austrian beer booth
Stage events
Snow Active Park
Snowmobile experience
Torchlight parade
Music Starmine launching, etc.
■4rd (Sun.) Main Event Contents:
Single stick skiing workshops
Australian beer and food booths
Snowmobile experience, etc.
Local food stalls will be open on both days.

3.Data

■Address: 595-2 Onuki, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture
■Operating period: Mid-January 2024 to mid-March 2024
■Operating hours: 9:00-16:30
■Fees: Single lift ticket: Adults (high school students and older)/210 yen, children (junior high school students and younger)/160 yen. 11-lift tickets: Adults (high school students and older)/2,100 yen, children (junior high school students and younger)/1,600 yen
Every Saturday, elementary and junior high school students residing in Joetsu City can take the lifts for free by presenting a “Joetsu City Children’s Day Passport”.
No rental service is available.
■Skiing Children’s Day Privileges
Date：January 12 (Friday)
Content：Free lift ticket
Target: All visitors
*Not available when the ski slopes are not open due to snow conditions.
■Ski Children’s Day Privilege
Date of implementation：3rd Sunday from January to March
Description：Free lift ticket
・Object：Elementary school students and under