Naeba Ski Resort Guide

Naeba, in Japan (located in Niigata prefecture), is a large resort with 23 lifts (3 gondolas, 17 chair lifts, 3 surface lifts) that offers skiers an impressive 889 metres (2917 feet) of vertical descent. Naeba has 954 acres of terrain over 35 pistes. Naeba is best suited for intermediate skiers and snowboarders but there is also a lot of terrain for beginners and experts too. There is a family area, where children can ski on basic slopes, slide down on sleds, or take rides on banana boats and snowmobiles. For snowboarders, there is a terrain park with various features. Three ski schools operate on the mountain and offer lessons in English as well as children’s programmes in English on the weekends. The nearest major international airport is in Tokyo and the nearest train station to Naeba is Echigo Yuzawa, which connects to JR Tokyo Station in just 1 hour via the bullet train. There is large scale ski-in ski-out accommodation provided by Prince Hotels as well as smaller scale lodges just down the road from the mountain. Apart from the restaurants on the mountain and in the ski-in ski-out accommodation, there are a number of local establishments in the small town minutes away from the slopes. There are buses that go into Yuzawa Town, 45 minutes away, which is famous for its hot springs and local sake. Yuzawa Town also features various restaurants and bars.
New additions this year include an indoor ski area for children, where first time skiers can take lessons in English or Chinese and get accustomed to moving around in ski equipment before heading out into the cold and onto the real ski slopes. The children's ski area outdoors will also be expanded to included more fun features for kids. This year there will be 6 ski schools with English speaking instructors.