Arai Mountain Resort
36°59′ N 138°11′ E951 m vertical14 runs15.8 kmNight riding
Arai suits strong riders who want lift-served freeride terrain and a hotel at the gondola, and its trade-off is a network of only five lifts.
Photo amorican · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Beginner7.2 km
- Intermediate5.5 km
- Advanced0.6 km
- Expert2.5 km
OpenStreetMap maps 11 named runs and 5 lifts at Arai, and the guide measures each one against the elevation model.
Open the 3D map ↓Fly the mountain in 3D立体地図
Ride every run at Araiコース
| Avg | Faces | Map | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 林道大毛無線 | 4,020 m | 511 m | 19.6° | 7.2° | NE | ||
| Sunriseサンライズ | 843 m | 184 m | 20.1° | 12.3° | E | ||
| 六本木ロード | 459 m | 60 m | 10.2° | 7.5° | E | ||
| pony | 360 m | 26 m | 10.8° | 4.2° | NE | ||
| Umanose | 1,459 m | 341 m | 22.5° | 13.2° | E | ||
| アンコール | 1,371 m | 341 m | 24.5° | 13.9° | E | ||
| ビーフリー | 1,147 m | 338 m | 25.4° | 16.4° | E | ||
| ベアバレー | 1,138 m | 265 m | 26.4° | 13.1° | E | ||
| タテガミ | 425 m | 99 m | 20.3° | 13.2° | NE | ||
| ディスカバリー | 551 m | 231 m | 30.6° | 22.7° | NE | ||
| レジェンダリー | 1,325 m | 454 m | 34.2° | 18.9° | E |
Lengths, vertical, pitch and aspect are measured from OpenStreetMap run lines and the elevation model. Steepest is the hardest 60 m pitch. Read them as a guide and follow the signs on the hill.
5 lifts on the map
Know the liftsリフト
Season 2026/27
Buy the right ticket
The resort had not posted its 2026/27 window prices on any page we could read by 11 October 2026. Early-bird Economy Class 1-day passes sell through WAmazing from 12 August to 30 November 2026, valid 19 December 2026 to 9 May 2027. In 2025/26 a high-season Economy day pass cost ¥7,500 for ages 19 to 49, ¥7,000 for 50 and over and ¥5,000 for ages 7 to 18, and the Sanroku Pass for the lower lifts cost ¥4,500. Children aged 0 to 6 ride free.
These passes cover days here
- Ikon PassIkon Pass: 7 days at each of the ten Japanese mountains, no blackouts. Ikon Base Pass: 5 days at each. Ikon Session Pass: Niseko United only (2, 3 or 4 day options).
Get thereアクセス
From Tokyo Station
- Train
- Hokuriku Shinkansen to Joetsu-Myoko.
Check the resort's site for the winter shuttle between Joetsu-Myoko and the hotel.
The nearest station is Joetsu-Myoko. Hokuriku Shinkansen; the resort sits inland of Arai town.
Arai sits on Mt. Okenashi in the north of Myoko city, looking out toward the Sea of Japan. It ran as Lotte Arai Resort until 2023/24 and now goes by Arai Mountain Resort, and many riders still use the old name. A gondola and four chairs serve the mountain, and the 257-room hotel stands at the foot of the slopes.
Ikon says Arai gets one of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan. Myoko Tourism counts the official courses alongside eight free-ride zones, and Ikon describes most of the terrain as ungroomed. The groomed runs fill in the rest for anyone who wants a long cruise.
The hotel has spas and pools on site, and the resort's zip tour is 1,501 metres long. Night riding returned in 2025/26 after a three-season gap. Ikon Pass holders ride here on their pass without buying a ticket.
Worth knowing
- Children aged six and under ride free.
- Book the early-bird Economy pass before 30 November 2026 if you know your dates.
- WAmazing vouchers are swapped for passes at the ticket centre in Village Station.
Quick answers about Arai Mountain Resortよくある質問
How big is Arai?
Arai has 14 runs and 5 lifts over 951 m of vertical, from 329 m at the base to 1,280 m at the top. OpenStreetMap maps 15.8 km of piste there.
How steep is Arai?
The steepest mapped pitch at Arai is about 34.2° over 60 m. We measure it from OpenStreetMap's run lines and the elevation model. Its advanced and expert runs add up to 3.1 km of the mapped total.
Does Arai have night riding?
Yes. Arai runs night lifts 16:30–20:00 in 2025/26. Night riding came back in 2025/26 after three seasons off, with groomed runs, ungroomed snow and a kids' course under the lights. The 2026/27 night schedule is not yet published.
When is the season at Arai?
Arai usually opens 19 December 2026 (first valid day of the 2026/27 early-bird pass) and closes 9 May 2027 (last valid day of the 2026/27 early-bird pass).
Within 25 km
Places to stay nearby宿
Within 30 km
Hot springs nearby温泉
Within 35 km
Towns and neighbourhoods nearby町
Within 80 km
Ski resorts nearby山
In the journal and guides
Read more about Arai Mountain Resort特集
Snow feature · 11 min read
Where should you base a week of deep snow in Myoko?
Akakura Onsen makes the best base for most riders, with two ski areas above its main street and the Mt. MYOKO shuttle to Ikenotaira and Suginohara. Save Seki Onsen for the morning after a storm and Arai for a day of lift-served freeride.
Practical guide · 10 min read
How do backcountry gates and rescue costs work at Japan's ski resorts?
Japanese resorts let riders out only through designated gates once a climbing plan is filed, and every resort here that publishes a rescue rule bills the rider. Zao bans riding off its courses altogether.
Practical guide · 7 min read
Is the Ikon Pass or the Epic Pass better for skiing in Japan?
Ikon gives seven days at each of ten Japanese mountains for 2026/27, eight of them on Honshu. Epic gives five back-to-back days across Hakuba's ten resorts, plus Rusutsu in Hokkaido.
Practical guide · 9 min read
When is the best time to ski in Japan?
Mid-January to the end of February brings the most snow on Honshu and in Tohoku. Book around New Year and the 2027 holiday weekends, or wait for March and April, when the days run long and spring prices kick in.