In the land of the rising sun and the diminishing ski resorts where top chair lifts are being shut down to save money, it was fantastic to see that Norikura has shirked the Japanese norm. Not too many ski resorts have put in new lifts in the past decade. One exception is Niseko where there are fancy new lifts for beginners whilst the expert lifts become increasingly ancient, yet at Hakuba Norikura they’ve actually put in a new lift for experts. Hallelujah! (Those who previously liked touring up the ridge are probably not saying “hallelujah” but thankfully there are sooo many spots for backcountry skiing nearby).

It seems that the new lift is only open some days, pending conditions, so we were lucky to check it out. It was nice that we could register for the self-responsibility area and get an armband just at the base of the lift. Riding up the lift along the ridge, so many different route options came into view and plenty were hidden too. It was amazing how much terrain one lift provided access to, with drainages on either side that feed back into the resort. Fresh tracks disappeared somewhat quickly in the main ingress and egress areas, whilst fresh powder lasted until lift closing time at 2pm in lots of zones. The crowds were kept at bay, in part due to the need to have avalanche safety gear.

Other powder chasing parts of the ski area have become somewhat busier in recent years, and Norikura is no longer the secret ski area. There was a decent lift line for the opening of the #10 lift and a frenzy to ride the powder on the wide-open Sky View Slope. Elsewhere in treed zones or other spots that required a bit of skill or equipment, fresh powder lasted a while.

Meanwhile down on the beginner and intermediate piste, there was hardly anyone about, so this remains a good ski resort for those wanting to practise turns without the fear of lift lines or running into others.

Not having to purchase a specific dual-pass for Cortina and Norikura has made things less stressful in the Satomi area, worrying about whether you’ve crossed into the other area or not. The combined lift pass for Nortina has made this area the prime spot in Hakuba for powder chasing.
See our video here

Norikura was a complete surprise package. We always thought it was a dinky little Hakuba ski resort and not worth visiting considering that you can ski at the much better Cortina next door. However one of the major attractions is that everyone else thinks the same thing, so not many powder hounds venture over to Norikura. We visited just after New Years’ which along with CNY is absolute peak period, yet it felt like barely anyone was there. It hadn’t snowed for a day or so, yet we had fresh line after line (OK perhaps we inadvertently strayed into a few of the out-of-bounds zones??!).

We stayed at the Hakuba Alps Hotel (you can see our review of the Hakuba Alps Hotel) and it was quite refreshing after having stayed in other parts of Hakuba the week prior. The whole place felt like how Japan skiing was a decade or so ago. All the staff at the hotel, lifts and cafeteria were Japanese, and not that many people spoke English. It was great to see that the real Japan was still alive and well in Hakuba!

If you’ve become accustomed to the westernised Japanese ski resorts and fancy modern apartment accommodation, bars, international ski school, gondolas and fast lifts, Norikura might not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for a low-key, Japanese flavoured inexpensive holiday, then it’s worth checking out Norikura.

More on our thoughts on the pros and cons of Norikura are outlined on the Hakuba Norikura overview page.
See our video here