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Updated 1st November 2001

Tashiro Kagura Mitsumata, Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture
Sent in by : Rob Fenwick

There are two ways to get to this excellent resort using either the Mitsumata Ropeway or the Tashiro Ropeway. This is actually three areas joined together, and riding from one ropeway to the other would take well over an hour. The most popular way to approach the resort is using the Mitsumata Ropeway, which is the way we decided to get to the resort....it takes about a 10-15 minute drive from central Yuzawa to get there on Route 17. 

Take the ropeway up to the Mitsumata area, which has a few great beginner and intermediate courses.  These areas almost always seem to have great snow conditions which make it a pleasure to ride, even though there are only 2 real courses to use there.  We have been up there about 5 times now and each time the conditions were great.

From the Mitsumata area, you can take the 3132 meter gondola up to the main (central) Kagura area of the resort. At Kagura, as well as the great snow, you'll find a good selection of courses for intermediate level skiers and snowboarders, with a few more difficult courses towards the top of the mountain.  We went right up to the top in April last season to find people skiing out of bounds - and not being reprimanded for it - that slope to the right through the trees was amazing.  (They only seem to allow people over there right near the end of the season, but definitely worth checking out if you are up at the resort then).

From the Kagura area, you can make your way over to the Tashiro area, which has a number of long open slopes going down to the Tashiro lake. This area has a more open, desolate feel to it, and can get very windy and cold on some days (many days!).  Tashiro has a lot of pair lifts, but they were happily joined by a new power lift last season which seemed to speed things up a big from before.  The new Naeba Tashiro gondola will also made this part of the resort more popular when it opens for the first time this winter.

At the end of the day, take either of the Ropeways down the mountain (or the new Gondola).  The only way to ski down the hill is at the bottom of the Mitsumata area, where you can use the twisting narrow road.  Families and beginners are best to go to stay at either the Mitsumata area or Tashiro area, while the challenge seekers often head straight for the main Kagura slopes, which offers you a good choice of long smooth courses or some good mogul runs.

Highly recommended.

The information page for this resort can be found here.



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