Introduction

As we approach the 2027 winter season, ski resorts across Japan have announced successive lift ticket price increases. The Niseko United all-mountain pass will cost 13,500 yen during peak periods, the HAKUBA VALLEY common ticket will be 11,100 yen, and Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort has raised its price to 7,000 yen.

Benefiting from inbound tourism, Japan’s ski industry is showing signs of recovery from years of decline. However, it is also true that skiing is becoming increasingly financially out of reach for Japanese families and young people.

This article examines the background of ski lift ticket price increases, the relationship between inbound tourism and the ski industry, and how to balance regional economic development with preserving ski culture for the next generation.

Ski Lift Tickets Continue to Rise in 2027 Season

Niseko United All-Mountain Pass Reaches 13,500 Yen During Peak Period

For the 2027 winter season, Niseko, one of Japan’s premium-priced ski areas, has set the adult Niseko United all-mountain one-day pass at 12,600 yen for the regular season. This represents a 600 yen (5%) increase from last season’s 12,000 yen.

Furthermore, this season introduces a peak season price of 13,500 yen for the period from December 24 to February 28. Last season, the regular season price was 12,000 yen from December 13 to March 22. This season separates the midwinter period of December 24 to February 28 as peak season. For those using the resort during this period, this represents a 1,500 yen increase (12.5%) from last season’s 12,000 yen.

Sapporo Kokusai Raises Price by 1,000 Yen, Hakuba Enters the 10,000 Yen Range

In Hokkaido, Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort shows a significant price increase. The adult one-day ticket for regular periods is 7,000 yen—a 1,000 yen increase (approximately 17%) from last season’s 6,000 yen.

Sapporo Kokusai is operated by a third-sector company in which Sapporo City has invested. Past documents state that as a “core facility for citizens to enjoy skiing,” the resort would maintain considerate pricing, keeping rates lower than other major ski resorts in Hokkaido. However, considering the situation at other ski resorts, this season sees a sudden 1,000 yen increase to 7,000 yen.

In Nagano Prefecture’s Hakuba area, major ski resorts are also raising prices. The “HAKUBA VALLEY All-Mountain One-Day Pass,” usable at 10 ski areas within the region, costs 11,100 yen for adults—a 700 yen increase (approximately 7%) from last season’s 10,400 yen.

Tsugaike Mountain Resort has set its adult one-day ticket at a regular sales price of 9,800 yen for the 2026-27 season—a substantial 1,600 yen increase (approximately 20%) from last season’s 8,200 yen.

When Did Skiing Become Such a Luxury?

Forty Years Ago, Skiing Was Part of Youth Culture

About 40 years ago, when I was a university student, going skiing in winter was itself a major event.

The movie “Take Me Out to the Snowland” became a topic of conversation, and we headed to the snowy mountains listening to Yumi Matsutoya’s music. Going skiing itself was “trendy.” The word “trendy” has now become completely obsolete, but the ski boom of that era was truly a major social phenomenon.

In winter, multiple night buses bound for ski resorts lined up in front of Shinjuku Station, and the Kan-Etsu Expressway on weekends was jammed with cars heading to ski areas. Even that was part of winter’s seasonal tradition.

For university students and young people, skiing was not exclusively for the wealthy elite. We took night buses with friends, stayed in cheap accommodations, and skied all day. That was a scene from our winter youth.

The End of the Ski Boom and the Arrival of Inbound Tourism

However, Japan’s ski boom subsequently ended. Winter entertainment itself diversified, and young Japanese people increasingly moved away from skiing. Ski populations declined, and many ski resorts with fewer visitors faced difficult business conditions, with some forced to close.

However, what significantly changed the environment surrounding Japanese ski resorts was inbound tourism.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, inbound foreign travelers increased, and for travelers from Southeast Asia where opportunities to see snow are limited, Japanese snow became a major tourism resource. Furthermore, with events like the Beijing Winter Olympics, interest in snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding also grew in China.

Now, seeing foreign skiers at Japanese ski resorts has become commonplace. This is not limited to Niseko, which has long attracted foreign visitors. We see similar scenes at ski resorts throughout Hokkaido, including Furano, Sapporo Kokusai, and Sapporo Teine.

I believe this is welcome news for Japan’s ski industry, which has been struggling for years. Many people visit Japan from overseas, enjoying Japanese snow quality, mountains, and beautiful winter nature, staying in the region, dining, and spending money. Economic effects are generated not only for ski resorts but for the entire region, including hotels, restaurants, transportation businesses, and ski schools.

As someone involved in tourism, I find the revitalization of regional economies through inbound tourism very gratifying.

The Era of 70,000-80,000 Yen for a Family of Four to Go Skiing

No Longer a Casual Leisure Activity

On the other hand, there is something that concerns me. Skiing has become an excessively expensive leisure activity.

This year, lift ticket price increases have been reported at ski resorts nationwide. At Niseko, depending on conditions, a one-day ticket reaches 13,500 yen.

For wealthy travelers coming from overseas, this may not be a particularly large amount. But what about ordinary families living in Japan?

For example, consider a family of four going skiing. They purchase lift tickets for four family members and drive to the ski resort. Gasoline costs money. At lunchtime, they eat katsu curry or ramen at the ski resort, costing 2,000 yen per bowl, sometimes approaching 3,000 yen. If rentals are needed, costs increase further.

Considering this, it’s not surprising that a family of four enjoying a day of skiing could spend close to 70,000 or 80,000 yen. This is no longer an amount that allows people to casually say, “Let’s go skiing this weekend.”

Why Ski Resorts Raise Prices

Rising Operating Costs and Sustainability

Of course, we cannot blame ski resorts alone. Operating a vast ski resort safely requires enormous costs: maintenance of lifts and gondolas, safety measures, snow grooming, snow removal, electricity, fuel, and labor costs.

With ongoing inflation, rising oil prices, and increasing labor costs, some ski resorts cannot maintain operations without raising prices. To secure appropriate profits, pay employees proper wages, make capital investments, and pass on safe ski resorts to the next generation, necessary price increases must naturally occur.

If businesses cannot generate profits, ski resorts themselves will cease to exist. Therefore, I do not simply want to say, “Lift tickets are too expensive. Return to the old prices.”

What Concerns Me Is What Comes Next

Will It Become a Sport Japanese Youth Cannot Afford?

What concerns me is what comes next. Will skiing, which young people could enjoy with money saved from part-time jobs when we were university students, become a sport that Japanese youth cannot afford?

Not experiencing skiing in childhood. Not going to ski resorts as students. Not skiing as working adults. If this happens, naturally they will not take their own children skiing when they have them. Thus, Japan’s skiing population will further decline.

Meanwhile, many foreigners from around the world come seeking Japanese snow. Japanese snow is highly valued globally, and ski resorts in Hokkaido and Nagano develop as international tourist destinations. This itself is wonderful.

However, if Japanese children and young people who have this snow closest to them cannot enjoy it for economic reasons, it feels somewhat sad.

I Want the Snow That Fascinates the World to Remain Accessible to Japanese Children

Inbound Tourism and Local Residents Need Not Be Mutually Exclusive

Japan has mountains and snow to be proud of worldwide. Especially in Hokkaido, we have snow so wonderful that people from around the world fly for hours to reach it, right beside our daily lives. I want Japanese children to experience this more casually.

I hope skiing does not become leisure only for the wealthy elite, but continues to be a sport that children, students, young people, and entire families can enjoy.

Ski resorts and regional economies prospering through inbound tourism, and Japanese people enjoying skiing affordably—these need not be mutually exclusive.

For example, shouldn’t we consider mechanisms that allow local people and the next generation to continue experiencing snow, such as local resident rates, children’s rates, student rates, season passes, and Hokkaido resident discounts, not just at ski resorts but also involving municipalities and the tourism industry?

Perspectives on Foreign Employment, Status of Residence (Visa), and Regional Coexistence

Challenges for Ski Resorts and Accommodation Facilities Employing Foreign Workers

Along with growing inbound demand, employment of foreign workers at ski resorts and accommodation facilities is also increasing. Particularly in winter resort areas, many foreigners work as seasonal laborers.

However, when employing foreigners, there are many legal requirements to observe: confirming status of residence (zairyu shikaku 在留資格), concluding appropriate employment contracts, and complying with working conditions. Particularly when employing foreigners with statuses of residence such as “Specified Skilled Worker” (tokutei gino 特定技能) or “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” (gijutsu jinbun chishiki kokusai gyomu 技術・人文知識・国際業務), it is important to confirm consistency between job content and status of residence.

Additionally, as inbound visitors increase, the number of foreigners settling in the region also grows. Creating an environment where they can work and live with peace of mind is also important for regional sustainability.

As an administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi 行政書士), I provide proposals to companies considering foreign employment from both institutional and practical perspectives, emphasizing feasibility. I strive to provide support that goes beyond mere document preparation, accompanying companies’ business plans and human resource strategies.

For Sustainable Ski Culture

Aiming for Both Tourism Industry Development and Local Residents’ Quality of Life

Forty years ago, young people took night buses from Shinjuku to snowy mountains. Now, people fly from around the world to reach Hokkaido’s snow. Times have greatly changed.

The ski tourism industry developing, people working there earning appropriate income, and ski resorts continuing as sustainable businesses. And simultaneously, Japanese children and young people being able to casually say, “Let’s go skiing next holiday.”

I hope these two can coexist in Japanese ski culture. I hope this snow that fascinates people worldwide will always remain accessible to people living in Japan.

Summary

For the 2027 winter season, lift ticket prices continue to rise at ski resorts nationwide. While growing inbound demand and rising operating costs are the background, it is also true that skiing is becoming increasingly financially out of reach for Japanese families and young people.

Creating mechanisms to balance development as a tourism industry with an environment where local residents can casually enjoy skiing will be an important challenge for Japan’s future ski culture.

From perspectives of foreign employment, status of residence, and regional coexistence, we need to consider what sustainable ski resorts should be.

【Reference Article】
https://tabiris.com/archives/skilift2027/

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