Mid to late February 2024 was not a good part of the snow season for many parts of Honshu due to warm temperatures. The snow base at Iizuna had dropped from 110cm to 60cm and whilst it was snowing when we visited, there were still a few bare patches at the base. The #2 course looked a bit bony whilst other courses looked covered and OK (including the #1 and #3 trails), yet they had only one lift running. On questioning a staff member about why the other 2 lifts weren’t running, a grumpy reply seemed to indicate that they didn’t think there were adequate people about to warrant it. Well that’s one way to make sure no one comes! It seems to be a bit of a pattern at small ailing Japanese ski areas to run at a reduced capacity to manage costs.

The cafeteria also seemed to be running at half mast, and we couldn’t get a late lunch (ie 1:15pm).

If you’re an intermediate or advanced rider, before heading there it would be best to check on the website regarding lift operations and also make a phone call to double check.
See our video here