Yabuhara Kogen

“My annual visit to Yabuhara Kogen Ski Resort on March 22nd was marred by a safety incident I witnessed. Two women were attempting to board the lift near the guesthouse and, despite the presence of a staff member, one of them was hit by the moving lift. The second woman had to pull her companion onto the lift to prevent injury, while the staff member did nothing to assist or slow down the lift. This lack of intervention was unsettling, as a child in the same position could have been seriously injured. It appears that the resort does not adequately train its staff on safety procedures. Moreover, upon their return to the lift after skiing, the women were reprimanded by an elder staff member, which seemed inappropriate given the earlier incident. It is my belief that staff should be there to aid guests, including helping ensure safe lift boarding. Those planning to visit with children should exercise extreme caution.”

“Having visited Yabuhara Kogen, I found the beginner's course to be a relaxing ski experience, ideal for someone in their 50s like me. However, one should be aware that the speed of younger, more intermediate and advanced skiers can be quite fast, and caution is advised when skiing. The long course offers an extended ski experience, although it may not fully satisfy those on an intermediate or advanced level. For the meal, I opted for the "grilled chicken curry" which was substantial and had a traditional flavor that was quite satisfying.”

“Despite its high rating, Yabuhara Kogen Ski Resort left me disappointed due to several inconveniences typically found in older public ski resorts. From the start, the experience was tainted by the lack of customer consideration. I was transported from the parking lot to the resort, a practice I've found typical of less desirable ski resorts. Upon arrival, despite the existence of a relatively new center house, I was met with a three-floor staircase. This was particularly inconvenient as I was wearing boots and carrying skis. It's an ill-thought-out structure that shows little regard for the customer experience, reminiscent of older public ski resorts. The disappointment continued on the ski slope. After taking the lift to the top, I found myself on a poorly maintained course. It wasn't an un-compacted snow issue, but rather it seemed that maintenance had been completely neglected. Unfortunately, this wasn't indicated on the ski slope map. Despite having visited more than 20 ski resorts in recent years, this was my first encounter with such a situation. My visit during the New Year period wasn't a valid excuse for poor maintenance as the resort was not crowded. Overall, my experience at Yabuhara Kogen was far from satisfactory, ranking it among my top three worst ski resort experiences. I have no intention to return. I would suggest that Kiso Village consider closing the area sooner rather than later. Fortunately, there are better alternatives nearby such as the Kiso Fukushima Ski Resort and Nogi Pass Ski Resort.”

“I found Yabuhara Kogen to be an impressive place. However, I did observe that it might not be the most suitable space for younger children. It was also appreciated that there was no entry fee required, given that we opted not to utilize the cable car.”