A luxury reopening of the legendary Arai Mountain — 75% un-groomed, gate-managed tree skiing, and the Lotte hotel at the base. Expert-leaning but beautifully run.
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 13°C, wind 5 km/h. We’ll resume the daily report once snowfall picks up.
Forecast data via Open-Meteo. Refreshes hourly. Always verify with the resort before driving up.
Why Lotte Arai Resort
A luxury reopening of the legendary Arai Mountain — 75% un-groomed, gate-managed tree skiing, and the Lotte hotel at the base. Expert-leaning but beautifully run.
Lotte Arai Resort is a premier ski resort in Niigata, with 13 marked runs and 951m of vertical. It averages around 15m+ of snowfall a season, over terrain that suits advanced skiers and experts. Expect deep powder and tree runs.
Terrain in detail
SeriousPlenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
72
Plenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Sea-of-Japan storm cycles — deep, heavier snow.
Heavier, frequent storm cycles — deep refills, denser snow.
15
m+
per season
Frequent deep days through midwinter
Expert runs
5 of 13
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
951m
Big-mountain vertical.
Steepest pitch
—
Pitch not published.
Backcountry gates
None
In-bounds skiing only.
Tree skiing
Yes
Tagged for proper tree runs.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain
Getting there
From airport
75 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Train / bus
Shuttle from JR Joetsumyoko Shinkansen Station 75 minutes by Shinkansen from Tok
Shuttle from JR Joetsumyoko Shinkansen Station 75 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Photo: Ski Mania / Public domain · Source
Curated guides covering Lotte Arai Resort and the rest of Niigata.
More resorts in Niigata
destination resort
Home of the Dragondola — at 5.5km the world's longest gondola, linking Naeba to Kagura. The Prince Hotel anchors a full Niigata ski town.
powder-focused
Niigata's high-altitude powder magnet — base elevation above 1,200m means season lasts into Golden Week, and gate-managed backcountry is easy to access from the top.
day trip
The only resort in Japan with a Shinkansen station at the lift base — you can literally ski in a suit on your lunch break. Beginner-heavy, famously accessible.
day trip
Yuzawa's most walkable resort — the NASPA hotel sits on the slope, the Shinkansen station is a short shuttle away, and the runs are firmly beginner–intermediate.
