REPORT

At the base of Kusatsu Onsen—Japan’s largest natural hot spring area by volume—Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort offers a rare combination of skiing, hot springs, sightseeing, and on-mountain attractions. This morning, the Tenguyama Slope (pictured) featured firmly packed groomed snow with a powder-like feel despite its slight moisture content. Those conditions enabled me to lay down wide, arcing turns across the broad, evenly-groomed surface.
[Tenguyama Slope]

After riding the “Pulse Gondola Tenguyama,” completed in 2023, I transferred to the Shakunage High-Speed Quad (pictured) and headed over to the Aobayama Slope (pictured, right). A faint sulfur scent hung in the air, and the dramatic view of Mt. Shirane (pictured, background left) standing out against the blue sky drew an audible reaction from myself and others. The Aobayama Slope offered packed powder with 0 to 3 cm of dry new snow scattered lightly across the surface.
[Shakunage High-Speed Quad Lift]

Two skiers I met from Ibaraki and Chiba Prefectures (one pictured) told me, “The snow is easy to ski and feels incredible! We’re planning to lap Aobayama No. 1 and No. 2 again and again.” The 3.2 km-long Shakunage Course, which connects this area with the Family Slope, had well-packed powder through the upper and middle sections, transitioning to firmly packed moist snow toward the bottom.
[Aobayama No. 1 Slope]

By around 10:00 a.m., the Tenguyama Slope and the Family Slope were bustling with beginners and families. The Kids Park (pictured), which is equipped with a snow escalator, was also busy. Laughter echoed from the high-speed zipline-style “Banzip Tengu” attraction and from Japan’s tallest swing, the 10-meter-high “Sky Swing.”
[Kids Park]

＊ On 2/14 (Sat.), the Valentine’s Day Raffle will offer lift tickets and hot spring admission vouchers as prizes.
＊On 2/15 (Sun.), the “Find the Snow Queen!” event will take place.
＊On 2/28 (Sat.), the popular “Cola Chugging Contest” will be held.
　
[Kusatsu Onsen Details on 2/12 (Thu.)]
*Fully OPEN!
*Operating Lifts … Pulse Gondola Tengu (8:30～) and totally 7 lifts
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY6,000, 4 to 12 y/o JPY2,000, 13 to 18 y/o & Over 60 y/o JPY5,200
　
＊Request for the original data of our photographs
　
reported by Snownavi