The birthplace of skiing in Japan; Japan’s first lift

Akakura Onsen is located in the Joetsu region, the southernmost of the three regions of Niigata Prefecture, but Joetsu is in fact the area known as the birthplace of skiing in Japan. In 1911, Major Theodor von Lerch of the Austro-Hungarian army gave the first formal ski lesson in the country at Mt. Kanaya, still a ski area in today’s Joetsu City. The style at the time was using two wide skis and one long bamboo pole, with lots of leaning uphill on the pole—but skiing soon became a major leisure activity in the region.

Akakura Onsen was first developed as a summer resort, providing onsen and lodging to the many people traveling the Hokkoku Kaido, a major travel route that ran roughly where today’s highway 18 is located. As skiing became popular in the early 20th century, more people began to visit Akakura Onsen in winter as well. Princes Takamatsu and Chichibu, brothers of the Showa Emperor, visited the area, with a course known as the Princes’ Slope being created and the entire area quickly becoming a popular destination. An increasing number of college student visitors also resulted in the creation of the University Slope.

The first ski lift officially certified by the Japanese government was built in 1950. It was a single lift with wooden pylons, but it has since been rebuilt several times in the same place. The number of lifts grew to 11 in 1960, and an amazing 66 in 1978. Today, there are more multi-passenger lifts and a gondola, so the area is served by 21 lifts.

Today Akakura Onsen is an increasingly international destination, with many guests now arriving from Oceania, Asia, North and South America and Europe. Today the area is especially renowned for some of the deepest snows in the world—and the charm that has always been part of Akakura Onsen’s attraction.

Early scenes of skiing at Akakura Onsen