Smile Resort operates five ski resorts, including Maiko Snow Resort, Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort, and Cupid Valley. The company continues to launch unique new initiatives, attracting customers from families to hardcore fans, and showing no signs of slowing down. Where do these ideas and attraction come from? One man immediately comes to mind
The slippery slope of executive officers: their true nature
At 7am, I'm the first to arrive on the deserted slopes, checking the condition of the packed snow, the course, the actions of the patrols, and above all, skiing for myself to get a feel for the conditions of the day
"I just want to be a skater. Someone once told me I'm not an executive officer, I'm a direct officer (laughs)."
Tatsuya Yagi smiles and says, "I'm sure you're an executive officer at Smile Resorts, which operates five snow resorts, including Maiko Snow Resort, Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort, and Cupid Valley. However, today he heads directly to work on the snow
"There are things you can only see when you're skiing. That's why I ski 100 days a season."
Those words permeate all of the initiatives that Mr. Yagi has put forward.
In the 2025-2026 season, a new lift was installed at Cupid Valley, and snowcat tours began operating at Maiko Snow Resort. Furthermore, a donut shop that has transformed a snowmobile into a food truck has appeared and is attracting attention. We spoke to Tatsuya Yagi, the "mastermind" behind these topics, among others.
If the top isn't good, there's the bottom
This season, the No. 2 Quad Lift, located midway up Cupid Valley, has been extended and replaced with a new, cutting-edge lift that is one of the fastest in Japan. It has been extended by 400m to 1,400m, and now connects the bottom of the ski resort to the summit, making it much more convenient in every way
"The initial plan for replacing the No. 2 Quad Lift was to leave the summit station at the base of the mountain in its current location, with a 1,000m specification. Of course, replacing an old lift with a new one is very important in terms of safety and security. However, if that was all there was to it, customers would think that the upgrade was just a new chair
I wondered if there was anything I could do... That's why, as a skier, I wanted to extend it even higher. And I wanted to be able to ski down the steep slopes from the summit. But that's just too unrealistic and impossible (laughs), so I wondered if there was something else I could do, and I came up with the idea that if I extended it downwards, I'd be able to ski down courses that I hadn't been able to reach before
Until then, Cupid Valley's second quad only allowed you to ski two runs (Marionette and Etre) if you turned around. Other runs, like Soleil and La Mer, required you to ski all the way to the bottom, and then you'd have to take two more lifts to get back to the top. But with this upgrade, you can now access the summit directly with a single lift on the second quad
When I started thinking about extending it downwards, I did some research and found out that there's a rule that the ideal lift layout is one lift with 4.25 lanes. If four people go up on a quad, they can split up into four lanes and ski comfortably without being crowded, but if there was only one lane, everyone would have to ski in the same place
So, by extending it downwards, we'll be able to create four courses, which is ideal according to the rules for lift placement, and if we add a tree run, the options will be even wider
However, as the designated manager, I couldn't just decide to extend the lift and replace the bridge on my own, so I naturally had to ask the local government for help. Everyone worked together, including the local government and ultimately the assembly
I'm really grateful to Joetsu City for making this happen, and in fact, recently the cars of visitors to the ski resort have license plates not only from Joetsu or Nagaoka, but also from Nagano and Fukushima. When I see that, I feel like, wow, this was a good thing. It gives me the feeling that we've been able to get new people to enjoy Cupid Valley."
moreover…
"It would take two years to build this lift, so we knew that the 2024-2025 season would be a lift-free season. Considering our sales, this was a tough situation, and we couldn't just leave the snowy mountain without a lift, so we decided to operate the Cat Tour for one season only
The fact that we were able to achieve this cat skiing at Cupid Valley was a stepping stone for this season."
" You will ski five untracked runsく 」
With the new lift at Cupid Valley, there is no longer any need to run the Cat there
"I've actually been thinking about bringing Cat to Maiko Snow Resort for a while. I always try to be the first one on the slopes in the morning. Our customers come to the ski resort to enjoy skiing the most, so I want to make sure the snow is packed down properly to meet their expectations
I go up to the mountain with the patrol at 7am on weekdays and 6:30am on weekends, about an hour and a half before the customers. When I do, the deserted slopes are quiet, solemn, and truly magnificent. In December and January, it's still dark, and the sun is just beginning to rise. It's rare to see such a spectacular view..."
That's why Maiko Snow Resort has started a rare first track cat tour, called the "Haglöfs First Track Cat Tour."
What's unusual about it?
"With a normal cat ski first track, you get up on the cat and then you finish with one beautiful run, but I wanted to have people ski five runs. They get up to the top of the mountain on the cat ski and then one run, then two runs by gondola, and two more by lift. Of course, the runs are not open to the public yet, so they can ski up to five runs without tracks
Even on a one-day chartered cat tour, I think five or six runs is the maximum, so ours is just as good, and when you consider cost-effectiveness, I think it's worth far more than that."
Mr. Yagi's story is full of passion. Guests can ride their cat skis in the dark as early as 6am, and enjoy five runs on one cat ski. This design was born from the perspective of the skiers themselves
"First of all, skiing is what everyone is looking forward to this winter, so I wanted to maximize that and provide it to them. I don't think most companies would think of getting people to ski five slopes (laughs)
However, when I first thought about starting Cat's Fast Track, I thought that customers wouldn't come on days when it didn't snow, and that it would only work on mornings when it snowed, but when I actually started, that wasn't the case
I'd always skied powder until then, but I got injured at the end of the 2024 season and couldn't ski powder for a while. That's when I started to love groomed snow. It was the first time I realized how good it felt to carve on a nicely groomed run
It's a truly luxurious experience to ski freely on the packed, firm snow first thing in the morning on an empty slope. I think this really resonated with our customers."
Yagi-san looks happy. It's not so much that the initiative was a success, but rather that he is happy to have been able to provide a new opportunity for guests to enjoy themselves. His hospitality is one that puts the guest first. Yagi-san's "inspirations," or rather, ideas that are born from a thorough hands-on approach, always go beyond preconceived notions
What now?
The world's first snow-roller food truck and donuts
Another hot topic this season, 2025-2026, is the new "snow groomer food truck" that has appeared at Maiko Snow Resort. Why a snow groomer?
"This is definitely a world first (laughs). No one would think of running a food truck using a snow groomer (laughs). But I wanted a place where I could take a break and look directly at the mountain and slope I was skiing down, at eye level with everyone. You can't get to the top of the mountain in a normal car, after all."
With a hot coffee in hand, I took a break, reminiscing about the lines I had skied and basking in the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. That's when I came up with the idea of donuts, which I thought could be eaten with one hand
Also, I think Maiko Snow Resort should be a place that plays a role similar to Aeon Mall. Everyone can come and enjoy something that suits them. Families, young people, seniors. That's why I want to provide food options that cater to all demographics. Maiko Snow Resort has hamburgers, curry, and ramen, but we don't have donuts. And who doesn't like donuts? (laughs)
The idea that "the environment develops people"
Yagi's creativity extends to the creation of Smile Resort's facilities, with the executive director personally involved in the design of everything from the hotel rooms to the ski center and restaurants
"I have visited over 50 resorts overseas for over 10 years. They are all wonderful, with a large scale and a resort feel. I think there is something in common in their sophisticated tastes, with buildings full of atmosphere using warm wood and stately stone, calming interiors with natural wood grain, and beautiful indirect lighting. They skillfully blend traditional goodness with newness
In comparison, Japanese resorts are still old-fashioned, dating back to the bubble era. That doesn't excite customers, does it? That's why we want to change things like that, and we want to pay attention to even the smallest things. This year, we changed the carpet at the day-trip ski center at Maiko Snow Resort, and that alone has made a big difference to the atmosphere
Also, if the environment is cool, the staff will stand up straight. Just as standing at the front desk of a luxury hotel naturally changes their behavior, the working environment itself raises the level of the staff. That's what I think. And that directly leads to improved service for customers
So wherever I go, I'm always looking around. Whenever I see something, I think, "I see, I wonder if this technology or customization could be used in our facility." I think about it so much that it makes me sick (laughs)."
Yagi is a born idea man and a true DIYer who even handcrafts the guest rooms himself. Muika Onsen Hotel has a room that Yagi designed that he is very proud of. We spoke to him in that room (pictured above)
"If we hire a professional, it will take a lot of time. It's quicker if we do as much as we can ourselves," he says with a laugh
Mr. Yagi, you were an executive officer, right?
360 Days of Resolve
Extending the lifts, running cat tours, bringing food trucks to the top of the mountain. "This is what I wanted," says Yagi, and at first glance it appears that he is implementing new ideas one after another as he pleases. And that is indeed the case. However, his work style is far from that of a dictator
"My method is to start with making friends who understand, and then gradually spread the idea to the others. Once they realize that it's something interesting, everyone takes it personally and starts sharing their ideas, and suddenly a team comes together and starts moving towards the goal. If you want to do something new, you can never do it alone; you always need cooperation and harmony with other departments and the people around you. It's fun to get people involved and conquer it."
Before coming to Smile Resort, Yagi was a top athlete, having held a world title in kayaking. He went from competing in international competitions to managing a ski resort. He says simply, "I was asked if I wanted to run a ski resort together," but what were the thoughts behind this dramatic career change to a completely different field?
"Until then, I had been paddling 360 days a year. I changed jobs because I wanted to channel that passion into my work. So I'm in a position where I can work 360 days a year."
This is Yagi-san's resolve. Is that why he's always so powerful and passionate? Doesn't it ever become a hassle to climb the mountain every day during the season?
"No, I don't. Even if I'm in Tokyo in the morning, I always return to Yuzawa in the afternoon and go up the mountain. I guess I feel like I want to keep a close eye on it every day because I'm in charge of it."
Tatsuya Yagi's work style
What Yagi values most is a sense of balance, something he says he has instilled in himself through his experience kayaking, where the boat must navigate in perfect harmony with the ever-changing, shapeless currents of water
"Whenever I do something, I always try to think about whether it's good or bad, and how it fits into a sense of balance. Sometimes it's my job to make sure it lands softly somewhere."
This sense of balance may be the key to understanding Yagi
Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort and Cupid Valley may seem like family ski resorts, but they've developed vast tree run areas and run cat tours. Maiko Snow Resort, known for its peaceful day-trip ski resorts, has brought an exciting FWT (Freeride World Tour) Qualifier competition to the resort. Smile Resort has a wealth of unexpected developments that will make you wonder how they did it
Family and core users, users seeking freedom and the responsibility to ensure safety, extending the lift downwards when going up was not possible, cat tours that make effective use of existing resources without unnecessary investment, food trucks that operate in the mountains instead of restaurants... All of Yagi's initiatives are born out of an exquisite balance, and represent the "ideal state."
"But I think the most fundamental reason is that I want to be a skater. Basically, I want to be a skater (laughs). But I think being a skater is very important. I think there are definitely things you can realize by being a skater."
That's why ski resorts run by skiers are so interesting
Executive Officer Tatsuya Yagi's work style
Yagi is once again setting the first track of the morning
What you can see in the morning sun are the "bright smiles" of the guests visiting Smile Resort and the staff working there
Edited by Chise Nakagawa
Information
Smile Resort
Official Website:https://www.smile-resort.com/