One of the biggest projects in Japan this offseason will connect two of its most popular ski resorts.
Over this offseason, a new chairlift is being built to merge Alts Bandai Snow Park and Nekoma Ski Resorts. With this new chairlift, the mountain as a whole will be known as NEKOMA Mountain. Alts Bandai will now be known as the Bandai area, with scenic views of Mt. Bandai and Lake Inawashiro. The Nekoma ski resort is being rebranded to the Urabandai area, which is highly regarded for its light snow thanks to its high elevation. In total, the two ski resorts will have 33 trails and 13 chairlifts, making it one of the largest in Japan.
The connector chairlift will be a fixed-grip double chairlift. The two terminals for the lift will be situated on the Peak 4 trail (near the Black Valley Express’ top terminal) at Bandai and the top of the Excite Cat Chair at Nekoma. The length of the chairlift will be 785m/2575.5 feet. The new chairlift is expected to open this December.
Mountain Stats
Skiable Acreage: 189 hectares (467 acres)
Trails: 33
Total Trail Length: 39 km (around 24 miles)
Lifts: 14 (11 pair lifts, 2 quads, 1 snow escalator)
Operating Schedule: December 1, 2023 – May 6, 2024 (Bandai Gate: December 22, 2023 – April 7, 2024)
Lift Hours: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Location: 6838-68 Kiyohiro Sarashina, Bandai, Yama-gun, Fukushima (NEKOMA Mountain South Gate), Japan
Image Credits: Hoshino Resorts
