Ski: Gassan Japan

Gassan is located in Yamagata on the main island of Honshu. Gassan gets so much snow (up to 26 feet) during the winter, that it doesn’t even open until April because the resort is inaccessible until then! The lifts then continue to run until late July where skiers and snowboarders can enjoy almost 3280 feet of vertical terrain.

Gassen's  May-July season is somewhat strange, but it is also, at that time of the year, probably the "best show in town".  Gassan (literally "Moon Mountain" in Japanese) is a small glacier-based ski area in Tohoku Region's Yamagata Prefecture. It is about a two-hour drive Northwest of Yamagata`s capital city, Yamagata City.  Its season starts whenever the service roads leading to the ski area are accessible. Most years that is sometime in April, this year has had a very heavy snowfall, so it may even be closer to May this year.

Gassan stays open as long as there is skiable snow. This frequently will run in to July. In fact, there is a traditional ski race held at Gassan sometime in June. It would lose its novelty, but if Gassan were accessible during winter, it could probably offer nine or ten months of skiing every year.  It is just that novelty that makes Gassan a very charming resort, and also not exactly a cheap one either, as the lift tickets were well in excess of 4000 yen ($50.00) per day It was money well spent, and definitely one of the highlights of a Japanese skiing experiences.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel & Tours Inc
6008 W Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, AZ 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100