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Want to know more about the hundreds of resorts in
Japan? One of the best ways to get an all round view is
to hear what other people think of resorts. Read reader
reviews on our site from the link below, or on each Resort
page. Please do send in your resort reviews also, so we
can all get the most out of the resorts here in Japan.

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Updated
1st November 2001
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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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