Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain. The long-awaited linked lift "Nyaruts Chair" has been unveiled!

In the 2023-2024 season, the former Alts Bandai and the former Nekoma Ski Resort will be combined into one ski resort, Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain. Along with this big news, the company also announced the existence of a connecting lift that will connect the two ski resorts

On December 22nd, the long-awaited lift opening ceremony was held

We'll bring you a glimpse of the experience and what it's like to ride the lift. We also asked Hoshino Yoshiharu, the representative of Hoshino Resorts and a huge ski enthusiast who skis more than 60 days a year, for his comments

It connects the north and south areas. It's called the "Nyarutzu Chair."

The connecting lift began operating at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 22, 2023. Until now, the only way to access the former Alts Bandai (now the South Area) and the former Nekoma Ski Resort (now the North Area) from within the slopes was to carry skis or snowboards and walk on the snow through a beech forest

The idea of ​​a linked lift had been on the table since 2003 when Hoshino Resorts took over the operation of these two ski resorts, but they faced a number of problems when it came to building the lift.Though the plan didn't progress smoothly, they finally got around to starting construction and made the linked lift a reality

As it was a new lift, the ski resort launched a public name contest. They widely solicited suggestions for a name for the lift, hoping to create one that would be loved by customers. The name was unveiled at a local ceremony when the lift first went into operation

The "Nyaruts Chair" was selected from among 1,300 applicants

The name is a lovely fusion of the place name "Nekoma" and the beloved "Aruts" ski resort name that was dropped. Six people had sent in the same name for "Nyaruts."

How to access "Nyaruts Chair"

The Nyaruts Chair is a 750-meter pair lift. It can be boarded from either the North Area to the South Area or from the South Area to the North Area. The ride takes about 7 minutes. The shortest route from the base in the North Area is to take the Friendly Cat Chair and then transfer to the Excite Cat Chair. Once you get off, you will find the boarding area for the Nyaruts Chair, a connecting lift

On the other hand, in the southern area, you can transfer from the base to the "Alts Express" or "Black Valley Express", ski down to "Peak 4", and the boarding and disembarking point is just before "Peak 2"

In the north area, you can reach Nyaruts Chair from the base with almost no skiing, and in the south area, you can access the beginner's courses by choosing White Valley 3 or Peak 4. Even if you're not confident in your skiing, you can freely travel across the vast Nekoma Mountain, which has a total of 13 lifts and 33 courses

An exciting first run. Who was the first to ride?

After the announcement of the name "Nyaruts Chair," the lift connecting the two ski resorts began operating for the first time. The first to board from the north area was Yoshiharu Hoshino, president of Hoshino Resorts, which operates Nekoma Mountain, and a dedicated skier himself. Following him were local snowboarders with season pass holders, and the first guests from the south area were skiers

The ride takes you through a quiet forest. From the "Nyaruts Chair" in the north area, you descend a fairly steep slope as you enter the south area, which feels like a roller coaster, but it also offers a spectacular view of Lake Inawashiro and Aizuwakamatsu. Guests riding for the first time cheered at the beauty of the scenery

On the other hand, if you board from the south area, you can see Lake Hibara spreading out in the north area. Both lifts offer spectacular views when the weather is good. You'll want to ride them from both the north and south to experience this

"I finally got it together and finally got to the starting point."

Hoshino Yoshiharu, president of Hoshino Resorts, was one of the first to recognize the unique charm of this area, and has been managing the former Alts Bandai & Nekoma Ski Resorts since 2003. The linking lift, which he had been planning since then, will not simply connect the two ski resorts, but will also play an important role in revitalizing the north and south, and Urabandai and Aizuwakamatsu, regions of each region

Hoshino's comment, "I finally got it connected, and I've finally reached the starting point," means that you can't start running unless the lift is connected, and now that it's connected, you feel like you can truly move forward

"We've been involved in the revitalization of this region since 2003, but the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear accident put us in the red and we had to start again from scratch. We no longer received support from international investors, but that gave us the courage to try doing things our own way and with our own resources in order to run a sustainable resort. I believe that if we continue to promote the appeal of this area, which is on par with Hokkaido and Hakuba, we will one day reach our goal."

Under the motto "For all snow buffs," the festival will continue to hold a variety of events this season, and many other initiatives will be held. Its uniqueness has led to many repeat visitors who come every year without fail

It is precisely because of this beloved ski resort that they decided to hold a public competition for the name of the linked lift. Hoshino says, "I also came up with some ideas for names for the lifts, but the staff rejected them because they were 'too ordinary' (laughs)."

When Hoshino first heard the name of the lift "Nyarutzu," he thought it was probably a joke, but he felt the staff's dedication and attitude of "valuing our current customers."

Four ways to enjoy using the "Nyaruts Chair" directly taught by Hoshino

Hoshino personally taught us how to enjoy the connected Nekoma Mountain and the Nyaruts Chair

1. We decided to use the snow walking route that was left in place even after the linked lift was in operation

The snow walking route that was previously used to travel between the north and south areas will remain in place even after the Nyaruts Chair is in operation, making it possible to access both areas on foot

Reason 2: The overwhelming number of beds! The appeal of staying at Urabandai

Although it can be accessed from the Tokyo metropolitan area as a day trip, one day is too little to fully enjoy the vast, big slopes. Urabandai in the northern area has more accommodation options than the southern area, and you can choose from a variety of accommodations to suit your tastes, from luxury resort hotels to reasonable guesthouses

Thanks to the connecting lift, it's now easier to travel between the north and south areas, so you can enjoy the whole area, not just one. You can stay overnight in Urabandai and ski to your heart's content in both the north and south areas, or you can visit the castle town of Aizuwakamatsu and savor some authentic Kitakata ramen. The fun will be multiplied many times over

Reason 3: You can enjoy the whole day on the mountain without having to go down to the base

This season, the slope restaurant "The Rider's" opened near "Nyaruts Chair" on the south side of the mountain. With an extensive menu, you can enjoy lunch or a break without having to go down to the base. This is also great for hardcore skiers who want to spend the whole day playing on the slopes near the summit

No. 4: Nekoma Mountain lift tickets are actually great value for money

Recently, for various reasons, the price of lift tickets at ski resorts all over the country has been rising unstoppably. Seeing this situation, Hoshino decided to "stop raising the price of lift tickets." Nekoma Mountain has a large number of guests from overseas, including Thailand and Australia. Many of the inbound tourists who come to ski are those who want to stay for a long time and ski for a long time

So if the lift ticket prices were to be raised, even if they were cheaper than resorts overseas, people would hesitate to pay the higher lift ticket prices. Above all, we must not forget the domestic skiers and snowboarders. Hoshino and the local staff, including those who say, "We want to cherish the fans who come now," share the same sentiment

This season's Nekoma Mountain one-day lift ticket costs 5,500 yen (adult price). Considering the size of the ski resort, this is a very reasonable price. Groomed runs, powder areas, a park with a wide variety of items, well-equipped facilities, and spectacular views. One of its attractions is its excellent cost performance

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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, 969-2701 (North Area)

Official website: https://www.nekoma.co.jp/
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