Aiko Uemura and Yoshiharu Hoshino talk about skiing at Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain, one of the biggest ski slopes in Japan

The biggest topic of the 2024 season. The connection between Alts Bandai and Nekoma

Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai and Hoshino Resorts Nekoma. These two major ski resorts representing Fukushima Prefecture are now connected by a connecting lift, and this winter they have been reborn under the new name "Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain."
The total skiable area of ​​the slopes stretching from north to south on Mount Nekoma, which extends from Mount Aizu Bandai, is 189 hectares. With 33 courses and 13 lifts, this is the birth of a major slope boasting some of the best specifications in Japan.

As you may know, Alts Bandai and Nekoma are both popular ski resorts with loyal fans.

Alts Bandai is attractive for its wide variety of courses spread across a deep area, its beautiful views of Mount Aizu Bandai and Lake Inawashiro, and its comprehensive food and beverage services.

Meanwhile, Nekoma, located in the Urabandai district on the northern side of the Bandai mountain range, is said to have been developed after more than 10 years of weather and topography research. The entire area is on the north side at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, ensuring excellent snow conditions, and the course layout, which may appear compact at first glance but is actually deep, with each course offering a challenging experience, all of which are popular reasons for its popularity.

These two ski resorts were actually developed on the south face (Alts Bandai) and north face (Nekoma) of the same mountain, and are adjacent to each other, separated by the summit.
Until now, it was difficult to imagine the difference because the access routes are very different, but if you open a map, it becomes clear at a glance. The tops of the two ski resorts are only about 700m apart in a straight line at their closest points.

This is the idea that caught the eye of Hoshino Yoshiharu, president of Hoshino Resorts

As you may know, Hoshino is known as a big ski enthusiast, and despite his busy work schedule, he is a manager who continues to ski 70 days a year.
For Hoshino, it seemed inevitable that the two ski resorts, which are separated by a small distance, would be connected. Hoshino believed that if this connection were realized, it would create immeasurable value for ski resort users, business operators, and the local community.

This was the perspective of a capable manager who had been entrusted with rebuilding resort facilities all over the country, but it also went without saying that it was the expectation of an avid skier who wanted to see the variety of varied courses more than double

The story of how the two ski resorts came to be connected is now revealed

Alts Bandai Ski Resort opened in 1992 at the height of the ski boom, but the subsequent collapse of the bubble economy and the end of the boom led to its bankruptcy, and in 2003 Hoshino Resorts took over its management. This was 20 years ago.

Five years later, in 2008, Hoshino Resorts also took over management of what was then Urabandai Nekoma Ski Resort. This led to the dream plan of connecting the two ski resorts at the summit and integrating them into a single facility. However, a harsh reality awaited. Hoshino says:

"When we took over management of Nekoma in 2008, we envisioned connecting ALTS Bandai and Nekoma in the future. In fact, we even used this plan as a means to attract the interest of investors from around the world in the region. But then, a year or two into the planning, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and we no longer had time to think about it."

After the earthquake, the hotel was closed for just under a year to accommodate disaster victims, but the biggest problem was the damage to its reputation caused by the nuclear accident

"At the time, it was said that parents would be opposed to even going to a ski resort in Fukushima Prefecture. Because of this, I predicted that demand would fall by more than half. This is an extremely difficult situation for someone involved in the tourism industry. However, the joy of working in the tourism industry is finding a way to overcome these negative rumours. Overcoming the negative rumours caused by the nuclear accident and making tourism in this region sustainable has become my life's work."

The "revitalization" project for Alts Bandai and Nekoma began in 2014, when visitors gradually began to return to the ski resorts. Efforts to connect the two ski resorts also began at this time.
Although the distance between the two ski resorts is short, because they are both located within a national park, connecting them required extremely difficult permit and approval applications.
The Forestry Agency owns the national forest, the Ministry of the Environment is in charge of the national park, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is in charge of lift construction. Each of these three government agencies has its own set of standards, and it was necessary to carefully comply with each standard while ensuring that they understood the significance of this project. As we cleared each of these requirements one by one, the years passed by in an instant.

Starting in 2019, a snow walking route was set up between the two ski resorts, allowing visitors to walk between them in 20 minutes one way, and by sharing the same lift ticket, the two ski resorts have effectively been connected

The main purpose of this was not to increase revenue from the connection, but to report the results of the connection to the respective supervisory authorities. By counting the number of people traveling along the walking route, we were able to visualize the needs of users and accumulate records of safe operation. We thought that such data would lead to a wider understanding of the significance of this connection to society and the tourism industry. This was the first step in connecting the two ski resorts

After going through all those hardships, the construction of the connecting lift finally became a reality, 15 years after the idea was first conceived

"It feels like we've finally made it this far. Everyone running the tourism industry in Urabandai was also pleased. There are far more beds available on the Urabandai side of the resort when it comes to accommodation in this area.
One of the major challenges for the tourism industry is to level out demand throughout the year. Operating rooms on Urabandai during the winter, which is the off-season, has a major impact on the local economy. Things were very tough after the negative publicity following the nuclear accident, but this is one effective way to revive the resort. It's only one connecting pair lift, but I think it's a huge step."

The beautiful frost and beech forests deep in the southern area are hard to come by

Late January 2023. Aiko Uemura was at Hoshino Resorts Alts Bandai during peak season. On this day, she had been invited by Hoshino, a skiing friend, to go skiing at Alts Bandai and Nekoma together

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't good from the morning, and the upper half of the mountain was shrouded in thick fog. Nevertheless, Hoshino was eager to get on the quad first

Hoshino and Uemura are both on the hooded high-speed lift "Altz Express," and are engaged in a lively conversation. A skilled businessman who is highly sought after by the media as a savior of the tourism industry, and a former world mogul skiing champion who has been bowed down to by the world's top skiers, they are both just ski lovers on the lift. It's no wonder they're having such lively conversations

From the top of the lift, you ski down a gentle ridge course, then turn left halfway through to the upper area known as the "Valley Area," a series of two large bowl-shaped terrains. You
ski down to the bottom and board the four-seater Black Valley Express. Once you've disembarked and skied into the second bowl, you'll arrive at the planned location of the connecting lift to Nekoma Ski Resort.

Hoshino: "This is the boarding point for the connecting lift. From here, it crosses the mountain ridge and connects to Nekoma Ski Resort. On the other hand, if you board from the Nekoma side, after crossing the ridge, you will descend to this position. I'm worried that some people might not like using the lift going down."

Uemura: "Once you get used to it, some people find it fun, like an attraction. When I go for ski training on a glacier in the summer, I often have to take the lift down a long distance on the way back, which I really enjoyed."

Hoshino: "I see! Maybe it's good to think of it as an attraction (laughs)."

As you'd expect from two ski lovers, their conversation on the snow was positive and upbeat. Next, we slid down a gentle slope and boarded a pair lift called the "Frost Rime Chair." Located at the very back of Alts Bandai, this area offers a spectacular view of Mount Aizu Bandai and Lake Inawashiro when you look back from the top of the lift.
However, on this day the view was obscured by a curtain of white. Instead, our eyes were drawn to the beautiful frost frost, which appeared whiter in the pale light.

Hoshino: "The course around the Frost Rime Chairs has the best views and steepness of any part of Alts Bandai, so it's my favorite. It's amazing when the view is open."

Uemura: "Unfortunately, you can't see the scenery, but it's still a truly fantastical sight. In Hakuba, where I usually ski, it's rare to see such beautiful frost and beech forests."

Hoshino: "Perhaps people can enjoy the beauty of the frost and beech forest better when Mount Bandai is not visible. Mount Bandai has such a huge presence that when it appears, all they can see is the mountain itself."

The northern area has many medium to steep slopes with well-packed snow, making it a great place to ski

The entrance gate to the snow walking route that connects to Nekoma Ski Resort is located where you descend from the Frost Chair. From here, it's about a 15-minute walk through the beech forest, a distance of about 800m, before you reach the top of Nekoma Ski Resort.
There are ropes on both sides of the walking route to guide you, so there's no risk of getting lost. Although there are some slight ups and downs, the entire course is mostly flat, so anyone should be able to walk safely.

The rule on the walking route is to walk in ski boots, not skis. For this reason, simple harnesses that allow you to easily carry your skis on your back are provided at the gates. With skis on your back, your hands are free and you can walk on the snowy road while supporting yourself with both poles, but without them you have to carry your skis on your shoulders, so there is a big difference between having one and not having one

Walking through a white forest in the middle of winter, stepping on soft snow - it's an experience you rarely get to have, and the unexpected comfort will make you forget about skiing for a moment

Starting this season, most visitors will be using the newly installed connecting lift, but this walking route will remain. This is a playful message typical of Hoshino Resorts, encouraging visitors to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the beautiful snow-covered beech forest at the top of the ski resort

After leaving the walking route, the group skied down all the courses at Nekoma Ski Resort before returning to the Alts Bandai side via the walking route. The Nekoma area has many medium to steep slopes that are well-packed, making for a very challenging skiing experience. The
dry snow on the north side is packed down, and the runs have good edge grip, allowing for enjoyable carving turns.

Uemura: "I knew Hoshino-san was a good skier when we were together at Tomamu before, but today, when I got to ski behind him, I realized he skis on a vertical line. He

skis fast because he rides on the edges and drives the boards. My favorite senior skier skis like that, but I tend to turn my skis too much, so I got a little worried that I might be late. Hoshino-san, you're so fast (laughs)."

Hoshino: "No, no, I was quite nervous. When I was skating in front, I was always conscious of not wanting to be seen as slow. I was sure that Uemura would think I was slow, so I wanted to avoid that at all costs (laughs)."

It's interesting that the ski resort doesn't spread out to the side, but behind

After taking off their skis, they took a breather and had a late lunch at the resort center. They had been skiing almost nonstop on both slopes all morning, but they still had a lot to talk about

Uemura: "The high altitude meant that the snow was great. Alts Bandai on the south side had a slightly harder, packed-down run, so I wondered how the snow would be at Nekoma on the back. After walking on the snow and getting halfway up, I felt a change in the air, and from there I could tell by the feel under my feet that the snow quality had changed. I
realized that this is what it means to connect the front and back of the mountain."

Hoshino: "That's true. The scenery changes, and the quality of the snow changes too."

Uemura: "The ski resorts in Hakuba are lined up side by side, and there are a few examples where two are connected, but I never imagined that this side of the mountain and the other side would be connected so close together, so I thought it was really interesting and left a strong impression on me."

Hoshino: "Rather than spreading out to the side, spreading out to the back increases the feeling of being on a journey."

Uemura: "If you ride the new connecting lift, the view will change completely. Just walking there was so impressive."

Hoshino: "Do you remember that little open area right after you started walking from Alts Bandai? The view there is the most amazing. Mount Bandai is right in front of you, and Lake Inawashiro spreads out at its base. If you take the connecting lift from the Nekoma side, once you cross the ridge, that view should spread out before your eyes."

Uemura: "Just imagining it makes me excited."

Hoshino: "The scenery is completely different from the Nekoma side. The most important thing is to expand the enjoyment of the day."

Uemura: "When you go to a ski resort, you probably ski as hard as you can in the morning, take a short break at lunchtime, and then finish off with a few more runs, but with the variety of terrain and snow types available, I felt like one day just wasn't enough."

Hoshino: "This is a very welcome comment for the hospitality industry."

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More than six months have passed since Hoshino and Kamimura enjoyed skiing together, and now the connecting lift has already been completed, with only the opening of the lifts remaining.
Depending on the snow conditions, the "North Area" on the Nekoma side is scheduled to open first on December 1st, with the "South Area" on the Alts Bandai side scheduled to open on December 22nd.

The "North Area" on the north side of the resort is expected to start the season early as usual and will be open for a long period leading up to Golden Week. However, by utilizing the connecting lifts, it is highly possible that the lifts in the upper area, where snow falls earlier (and remains later), will be able to operate even outside the base operating period of the "South Area." This is another benefit of connecting the two ski resorts

If I may add one last thing, from a skier's perspective, it would be more natural to be able to ski from the top of the lift to the ski resort behind, rather than using the connecting lift. In other words, it would be nice to be able to ski between both ski resorts. In fact, there are some lines in the terrain that make this possible

However, in that case, even if it were only a short distance, it would mean opening up a new ski course within the national park, which would undoubtedly be a much more difficult and time-consuming project requiring permits and licenses than building a single connecting lift. But

knowing Hoshino, it's likely he has such a vision of the future in mind. As ski lovers ourselves, we have high hopes for this unparalleled ski-loving manager who told us, "This is just the first step."

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Text/Chikara Terakura
Photo/Go Ito

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Information

Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain
6838-68 Kiyohira, Sarashina, Bandai-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-3396 (South Area)
1163 Nekomayama, Hinohara, Kitashiobara-mura, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-2701 (North Area)
Official website: https://www.nekoma.co.jp/
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