Nature
“Snow Monsters” and “Snow Monkeys” —Two great attractions of a snow resort—
“Snow Monsters” and
”Snow Monkeys”
(Yamanouchi Town, Nagano Prefecture)
—Two great attractions
of a snow resort—
 |
 |
| Yokoteyama-Shibutoge ski ground as seen from above by a drone |
*Drone video of the Yokoteyama-Shibutoge ski ground: https://youtu.be/-RpELDimTtg
Snow and fantasy go well together. A panoramic silvery scene entices people into the unreal. Maybe for that reason, for skiers and non-skiers alike, the term “powder snow” has an appealing ring to it. Although there are not so many powder-snow ski resorts in Japan, one of the most famous on the main island of Honshu is Shiga Highland in Yamanouchi Town, Nagano Prefecture, which is also well known for having been a venue for alpine events during the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Hearing that this ideal ski resort has tourist attractions enabling not only ski enthusiasts but everyone to enjoy a world of fantasy, I set off to report on it, armed not with a pair of skis but with a drone.
The highest full-fledged ski ground in Japan
 |
At Shiga Highland, which boasts wonderful powder snow, the Yokoteyama-Shibutoge ski ground is the highest in Japan with a permanent seated lift, its summit rising 2,307 meters above sea level. This ski ground is popular not only for its powder snow but also for the dreamlike view from the top taking in the Japanese Alps, Mount Fuji, and even, on a clear day, as far away as the Skytree tower in Tokyo.
 |
Since the lift can only be used for going upward in winter, a tour has been arranged to enable non-skiers to enjoy the breathtaking view as well. Participants take the lift up to the summit and then descend by snowmobile. As a result, anyone can go up to the 2,307-meter-high summit and enjoy the 360-degree panorama.
 |
*Drone video of Toshihiro Kaiwa, a former world cup skier: https://youtu.be/-RpELDimTtg
« Older Entries
