Conditions Report
Report from Wednesday, November 5, 2023
Last week, my feed started blowing up about ski resorts opening in Japan. While I couldn’t make it to Fujiyama Snow Sports Yeti (the four-hour drive is a little too far for me, no matter how ski-crazed I may be), when I heard that Karuizawa Nagano was open, I decided it was time to pack the kids in the car and make the pilgrimage.
Karuizawa is located in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan, and is operated by Karuizawa Prince Hotels. It’s also right next to one of the largest outlet malls in Japan. This meant that while I spent the day doing yo-yo laps on the man-made snow, my wife could enjoy herself at the mall — a win-win in my book.
Karuizawa is a popular destination for many Tokyo skiers. The bullet train next to the hill makes it ideal for anyone trying to escape the concrete jungle that covers much of Japan.
With my goal firmly fixed in my mind, it was time to get the boards out and start prepping them for their first slide on the white stuff for the season. Knowing that everything at the resort was going to be man-made, I knew I was going to have to sharpen my edges. Some elbow grease, diamond stones, and a touch of hot wax, and the boards were ready for their maiden voyage.
I climbed into the attic and pulled out boots, helmets, and gloves. I did a quick check to make sure that everything still fit the kids. Which, of course, it didn’t. They never stop growing for some reason. Luckily, with three boys, we have a small ski shop’s worth of gear, and it’s just a matter of switching out here and there to move up to the next size.
With the kids packed in the car, we were off. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that elementary kids ski for free!
The hill was busy, with only two runs open and ski teams doing speed runs, so space was limited. The snow was hard, the runs were short and crowded, but the smiles were genuine. The kids and I had a great time. I even managed to double-eject once.
I got my ski legs under me for the season and even skied some Japanese zipperline moguls. Yes, moguls are alive and well in Japan, and skiers here absolutely love them.
The whole family finished the day with smiles on their faces. The kids even participated in a rock paper scissors competition, winning free lift tickets.
While it’s still early conditions at Karuizawa, it is always a fun day, and a great way to scratch that early-season ski itch.
There are currently two runs with manmade snow open.
Weather Forecast
