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, representative of Fukushima Prefecture, have been connected by a connecting lift and have been reborn this winter under the new name "Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain."
The total skiable area of ​​the slopes, which span north and south on Mount Nekoma, which is part of the Aizu Bandai mountain range, is 189 hectares. With 33 courses and 13 lifts, it is the birth of a big ski resort boasting some of the best specifications in Japan.

As you know, Alts Bandai and Nekoma are both popular ski resorts with a strong following.

Alts Bandai is attractive for its diverse course variations spread across a deep area, its beautiful scenery overlooking Mount Bandai and Lake Inawashiro, and its excellent food and beverage services. On the

other hand, Nekoma, located in the Ura-Bandai area on the north side of the Bandai mountain range, is a ski resort whose development site was decided after more than 10 years of surveying the weather and terrain. The entire area is on a north face at an altitude of over 1000m, guaranteeing excellent snow conditions, and its course layout, which looks compact at first glance but is actually deep, and the challenging individual courses are some of the reasons for its popularity.

These two ski resorts are actually located on the south (Alts Bandai) and north (Nekoma) sides of the same mountain, back to back, separated by the summit.
Until now, it was difficult to imagine because the access routes were so different, but it's immediately clear when you spread out a map. The tops of the two ski resorts are only about 700 meters apart in a straight line at their closest point.

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

As you know, Mr. Hoshino is known to be a big ski enthusiast, and despite his busy work schedule, he is a businessman who continues to ski 70 days a year.
For Mr. Hoshino, connecting the two ski resorts, which are located north and south with only a short distance between them, seemed inevitable. He believed that if realized, it would create immeasurable value for ski resort users, 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

Opened in 1992 during the peak of the ski boom, Alts Bandai Ski Resort went bankrupt after the collapse of the bubble economy and the end of the boom. Since 2003, it has been managed by Hoshino Resorts. That was 20 years ago.

Five years later, in 2008, Hoshino Resorts also took over the management of the then-existing Urabandai Nekoma Ski Resort. That's when the dream plan emerged: to connect the two ski resorts at the top and integrate them. However, a harsh reality awaited them. 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 ski resorts began in 2014, when skiers gradually started returning to the resorts. Efforts to connect the two ski resorts also started at this time.
Although the distance between the two ski resorts is short, connecting them required extremely difficult permit applications because they are located within a national park.
The Forestry Agency owns the national forest, the Ministry of the Environment has jurisdiction over the national park, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is responsible for lift construction. Each of the three government agencies has different standards, and it was necessary to carefully comply with each of their standards while ensuring that they understood the significance of the project. Several years passed in the blink of an eye as we cleared each of these hurdles one by one.

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 involved in the tourism industry in Urabandai was also delighted. In terms of accommodations in this area, the number of beds on the Urabandai side is overwhelmingly larger.
One of the biggest challenges in the tourism industry is leveling out demand throughout the year. Operating rooms in Urabandai during the off-season winter will have a significant impact on the local economy. We've been hit hard by the reputational damage after the nuclear accident, but this is one effective measure for recovery. It's just one connecting chairlift, but I think it's a really big 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, and halfway down, you turn left into the upper area known as the "Valley Area," which consists of two large, consecutive bowl-shaped terrains. You
ski all the way down to the bottom and board the four-person Black Valley Express. The point where you ski into the second bowl after getting off is the planned location for 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 expected of two ski enthusiasts, their conversation on the snow was positive and cheerful. Next, they skied down a gentle slope and boarded a pair lift called the "Frost Chair." Located in the innermost part of Alts Bandai, this area offers a magnificent view of Mount Bandai and Lake Inawashiro when you look back from the top of the lift.
However, the scenery that day was shrouded in a white curtain. Instead, our eyes were drawn to the beautiful frost, which had become even whiter in the soft 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-covered walking route connecting to Nekoma Ski Resort is located at the point where you descend from the frost-covered chair. From here, it's about a 15-minute walk through the beech forest, covering a distance of approximately 800 meters, to reach the top of Nekoma Ski Resort.
The walking route is guided by ropes on both sides, so there's no risk of getting lost. Although there are slight ups and downs, the course as a whole is mostly flat, so anyone should be able to walk it with ease.

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 Alts Bandai via the walking route. The Nekoma area has many well-groomed intermediate and steep slopes, giving a strong impression of being a rewarding skiing experience.
The groomed slopes, with their dry snow unique to the north face, offer excellent edge grip, allowing for exhilarating carving turns.

Uemura: "I knew Hoshino-san was a good skier when we skied together at Tomamu before, but today, after skiing behind her, I realized she's someone who skis in a vertical line. She

uses the edges to make the skis move, so her skis are fast. One of my favorite senior skiers skis like that, but I tend to turn my skis around, so I was a little worried that I might fall behind. Hoshino-san is 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 the snow was great. The Alts Bandai on the south side had a slightly hard, compacted snow slope, and I was wondering how the snow would be different on the other side, Nekoma. As I walked on the snow, about halfway through, I felt a change in the air, and then I could feel the change in the snow quality through the feel of the soles of my feet. I realized
that this is what it means to connect the front and back of a 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 Uemura enjoyed skiing together, and the connecting lift is now complete, with only the opening remaining.
Depending on the snow conditions, the "North Area" on the Nekoma side is scheduled to open first on December 1st, while the "South Area" on the Alts Bandai side is 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's only a short distance, it would involve opening up a new ski course within a national park, which would undoubtedly be a much more difficult and time-consuming process than simply installing a connecting lift.

But knowing Mr. Hoshino, he probably already has such a vision in mind. As ski enthusiasts ourselves, we have high hopes for this unparalleled ski-loving entrepreneur 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 Kiyomizuhira, Sarashina, Bandai-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima 969-3396 (South Area)
1163 Nekoma-yama, Hibara, Kitashiobara-mura, Yama-gun, Fukushima 969-2701 (North Area)
Official Website:https://www.nekoma.co.jp/
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