REPORT

[HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR]
As scheduled, Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field kicked off its winter operations on 12/15 (Fri.)! However, due to a lack of snow, it is not yet open for skiing or snowboarding and is currently limited to sightseeing. After more than a week of unseasonably warm weather that lasted through yesterday, cold northerly winds were blowing, and dry snow was falling this morning.
[HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR]

The was around 10 to 13cm of snow cover on the South and East slopes, where the underbrush was still visible, and the trees near the summit were caked with a beautiful layer of rime ice. I spoke with a woman from Thailand (pictured) who told me, “I have been in Japan for about a year for work, but this is my first visit to Hakuba.”
[South]

The facilities currently open for business are HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR, SKYARK (pictured), Yoo-Hoo! SWING, the shops inside the Noah Gondola base station, and Spicy Rental. At SKYARK, preparations were underway for the opening of Soup Stock Tokyo Hakuba, which will open on 12/23 (Sat.).
[SKYARK]

THE CITY BAKERY attached to HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR is now offering a limited-time latte menu until 1/31/2024 (Wed.). I tried the hot Orange Mocha Latte (pictured left, JPY770), which is made with homemade orange syrup and a moderately sweet chocolate sauce hit the spot on this cold, snowy day. The other options include a Rich Chestnut Espresso Latte (JPY840) and a Strawberry Caramel Cream Tea Latte (JPY770).
[HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR]

[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 12/17 (Sun.)]
*Available Courses … None *Only open for sightseeing
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00〜)
*Fees … Resort admission ticket (including round-trip gondola ride): Adults JPY2,400, elementary school students JPY1,300, pets JPY700 *One preschool child is free per accompanying adult.
　
*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,000 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi