Yuzawa Nakazato is a family ski resort where freeriding is the best thing about it

Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort's ski slopes are divided into 40% beginner runs, 30% intermediate runs, and 30% advanced runs, making the resort generally beginner-friendly. However, in recent years, the resort has attracted attention for its exceptional potential, with abundant snowfall and all of the advanced runs being ungroomed, making it popular with powder freaks and freeride skiers. What's more, a huge wooden rail and wooden jump were newly installed last season. We toured Yuzawa Nakazato, which is currently the talk of the town among skiers, with a local rider

Ski resorts in "Snow Country" where heavy snow falls

"Once we emerged from the long border tunnel, we found ourselves in a snowy country." This is the opening line of Yasunari Kawabata's novel "Snow Country," set in the town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture, a town literally covered in deep snow. Directly connected to JR Echigo-Nakazato Station, Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort is a ski resort that Kawabata himself would have passed through in the past. Accessible by car, it's just a two-hour drive on the Kan'etsu Expressway from Nerima, or just 10 minutes from Yuzawa Interchange, or just two and a half hours from Tokyo, it boasts exceptional accessibility, and as a result, the resort is bustling with families skiing in the winter

There's a reason why the Yuzawa area is a heavy snow region. The reason is the Tanigawa mountain range, which towers over the border between Niigata and Gunma prefectures. This chain of mountains, each around 2,000 meters high, blocks the moist snow clouds blowing in from the Sea of ​​Japan, causing large amounts of snow to fall on the town of Yuzawa

Located at the base of the Tanigawa mountain range, Yuzawa Nakazato boasts the most abundant snowfall in the area. The slopes are wide and the difference in elevation is not great, so there are many runs with relatively gentle slopes. This, combined with the fact that it has a strong image as a ski resort that is friendly to beginners, also offers enjoyment for advanced freeriders, but its potential is surprisingly little known. Locally-born professional skier Masahiro Murayama and professional snowboarder Hiroki Hoshi skied at Yuzawa Nakazato together with Shinji Saiki, an instructor at a local ski school

First, please enjoy the video edit of the two days of the two skaters

Yuzawa Nakazato consists of two mountains with different characteristics

Yuzawa Nakazato is roughly made up of two mountains. While there are many gentle slopes overall, the mountain on the right has ungroomed areas with slopes of over 30 degrees, including the Giant Course and Dynamic Course, which on snowy days offer the ultimate feeling of floating. The terrain is varied in places, allowing for aggressive runs that you wouldn't expect from a family ski resort, with sprays along the walls and jumps over gaps

A tree run area stretches out next to the course, allowing you to ski on untouched terrain. You'll eventually emerge onto the course, so there's no need to worry about getting lost. The FWQ1 Star competition, a freeride festival, has been held at the FWT ZONE since the 23rd and 24th season, and is scheduled to continue this year as well. The wood rails and wood kickers were particularly eye-catching at the competition. These are huge structures made from stacked wood, allowing you to take huge jumps. What's more, this course is right in front of the base area, attracting a lot of attention from the audience. Landing is safer with some snow on the ground, so this is a highlight that you'll want to try on a snowy day

Hoshi Hiroki, who skis at snow resorts both in Japan and abroad, including Canada, and competes in freeride competitions, saw Nakazato as the perfect place to practice

Hoshi: "Nakazato is characterized by its many ungroomed areas. Among these, what makes Nakazato unique is that it has a wide range of sections that can be enjoyed by beginners to advanced snowboarders. There are courses where you can enjoy free running, and places where you can jump. The area on the left side of the slope has gentle courses that are easy even for beginner snowboarders. They say Nakazato is divided into two mountains, and that is exactly what it is

The wood rails and wooden jumps that appeared in the FWT ZONE in the 2023-2024 season are, in my opinion, recommended for intermediate and above level skiers. For intermediate skiers, they're perfect for stepping up, and even advanced skiers will enjoy playing with them. In the backcountry, it's hard to find a place to jump on your own, and even if you do find one, there are risks. I think it's definitely worth practicing with Nakazato's equipment and getting your body used to jumping in the backcountry

When I go to Nakazato, I head out first thing in the morning for the long powder runs on the Giant Course and Dynamic Course. Here, the steep slopes, with a maximum gradient of around 32 degrees, continue for about 600m, making for a very challenging ski run. What's nice is that the powder doesn't get torn to shreds in an instant, unlike at major ski resorts. Once I've skied to my heart's content, I'll cool down by skiing on the parallel course, carving on the piste. Although I say carving, the parallel course also has a lot of side powder, so I just cruise along gently, collecting powder little by little

After that, we head to the tree run where there's still powder left. The tree run area is large, so if you look around, you'll find plenty of snow left. Even after skiing down most of the snow, the uneven slopes are great for practicing freeriding. That's why the steep slopes of the FWT ZONE, with a maximum gradient of 32 degrees, are perfect for practice. Skiing here until you're satisfied is my favorite daily routine."

It used to have a family image, but now it's more than that

Masahiro Murayama, who has known Nakazato since their student days, expressed his joy at Nakazato's recent transformation

"Nakazato used to be known as a family ski resort, but now it's a place that families can enjoy, and also offers more active skiing like freeriding, so I think the range of customers who can enjoy it has expanded. Nakazato has always had a lot of snow. Taking advantage of this, there are ungroomed areas, and the abundance of terrain changes that allow for jumps is what makes Nakazato so interesting

The wood rails and wooden jumps that were added to the FWT Zone in the 2023-2024 season are especially great. If there's plenty of snow for the landings, you can do tricks and practice. There aren't many ski resorts these days that offer this kind of challenging content, so it's a great thing for us. I think it's helpful that there are sections that are easy to understand even for first-time visitors to Nakazato

Another great thing is that you can check the slope conditions in the ungroomed areas while riding the first or second lift. You can check before you go where you're going to ski, where you can jump, and how the landing will go, so it's great to be able to ski the right line. This is important for any skier. Being able to use the lift to go around these ungroomed areas and jumps is the best."

With the introduction of a tree run area, the invitation of freeride competitions, and the newly established wood rail section, Nakazato continues to evolve every year. Its potential is gradually becoming known. When it snows, head to Nakazato. Enjoy the powder that's endless

■Information

Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort
5044-1 Tsuchitaru, Yuzawa-machi, Minamiuonuma-gun, Niigata Prefecture 949-6103
Official website: https://www.yuzawa-nakazato.com/winter/
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