Only 2 hours from Tokyo! The best snow resort in a heavy snowfall area.

Okemosan, where Lotte Alai Resort is located, is famous for its heavy snowfall. The light, unconsolidated powder snow has attracted skiers of the past. It is easily accessible from Tokyo by bullet train (2 hours) and Niigata Airport (2 hours by car), and with rental facilities fully equipped with gear and clothing, you can go empty-handed. You can visit the gorgeous resort with a light heart.

Here is a full view of Lotte Alai Resort. There are 4 hotels with 257 guest rooms, and a whopping 11 slopes with 4 lifts and 1 gondola. In addition, there are 10 off-piste areas, hot springs, swimming pools, and banquet halls, with a total area of 3.3 million square meters!

A shuttle bus runs from Joetsu Myoko Station on the Shinkansen bullet train. This time, we were brought to the resort by this bus. Experiencing the tour are Hiroshi Yamamoto (left photo), deputy editor of Huinamu, and Atsushi Takayanagi (right photo), writer.

The lounge that extends beyond the entrance is equipped with a fireplace and comfortable sofas for relaxation. The lounge has a fireplace and a sofa to relax on.

Unfortunately, it rained on the first day. However, there are many other facilities to enjoy besides the slopes!

So, let's hit the slopes right away! I was so excited, but unfortunately, it rained on the first day, so I could not enjoy the slopes. ...... But we were not disappointed. Because Lotte Alai Resort has a full range of leisure facilities that you can enjoy in addition to the snow slopes.

First came the "Playground," which combines bouldering, a square trampoline, and a fun wall in one space.

On the right side of the photo is the bouldering space with a 4.5 meter high wall. With 75 routes and 710 holds, it is one of the largest in Japan. The attraction is that it can be enjoyed by beginners and advanced climbers alike.

On the left side of the photo is the Wonder Wall, a space that combines projection mapping and climbing. This is the first permanent installation in Japan! Visitors can enjoy climbing games using projection mapping.

The word "first in Japan" got a reaction from the two of us, so we immediately tried the Wonder Wall! Special shoes and chalk are provided.

There are a total of three types of games that can be played using projection mapping: a point-and-shoot game to protect your position from enemies, a shooting game to shoot down fireworks coming up from below, and a battle of war between two players.

It can be enjoyed alone or with friends and family. The two were enthusiastic about the new sensation of climbing. Events are held every day from 11:00 and 15:00.

This is a square trampoline. If you can balance well, you can jump quite high, which is a very pleasant experience.

Basketball goals and balls are also available, so you can have fun in many different ways. However, there is an age limit, and the minimum age for use is 4 years old. Please be careful if you are with children.

The next stop is the Library Cafe. This is a space where you can come into contact with a vast number of good books, about 1,300 volumes, selected by Daikanyama Tsutaya Shoten. The volume is half Western books and half Japanese books. There is an abundance of design books dealing with genres such as fashion, culture, architecture, and tradition. The concept behind the book selection is "books that can be read without thinking.

You can also order coffee brewed from carefully selected beans and a selection of craft beers. It is the perfect way to spend your time when you are tired of outdoor activities.

In addition, you can use the swimming pool and fitness center. After swimming to your heart's content, you can take a rest in the reclining chairs provided by the poolside. You can even go to the cafeteria in your swimsuit.

The Presidential Suite, a favorite of Sony's founding family.

We were also able to tour the Presidential Suite, which we are rarely allowed to enter. This is a VIP-only suite with a spacious bedroom, dining area, kitchen, and private Jacuzzi. Only two rooms are available in such a large hotel.

The previous owner was the Morita family, the founding family of Sony, and even the staff working there had difficulty entering the space, let alone the general public. Thinking of this history makes one feel even more like a VIP.

This is paradise! We were also very satisfied with the evening's entertainment, hot springs and dinner.

The most enjoyable night at the resort is the hot springs and dinner. At Lotte Alai Resort, you can fully enjoy these two without fail.

The hot spring water gushing from 1,750 meters below the ground will heal your body after a long day of activities. The mildly alkaline hot spring water contains high levels of metasilicic acid, which is said to be effective in moisturizing the skin, and is ideal for beauty and health. At night, there is an open-air bath where you can enjoy the star-filled sky.

Dinner is a sumptuous buffet. You can enjoy all-you-can-eat Japanese, Western, Chinese, and various other genres of cuisine. There are more than 100 items! There are also plenty of desserts to satisfy women and children.

Now let's enjoy the long-awaited snow activities to the fullest!

The next day was a beautiful sunny day! We enjoyed the snow activities that we had longed for.

The slopes of Lotte Alai Resort were famous as a place where skiers of yesteryear could enjoy powder snow, a dream of any skier, even before the Lotte Hotel underwent a major renovation. Hearing such a story, one's heart is filled with anticipation, whether one likes it or not.

This is the view from the top. You can see the hotel resort below the mountain. If the timing is good, you can also see the ocean.

The vast 1.57 million square meter slope is 5.2 kilometers long, with a height difference of 951 meters, and offers 11 courses that can be enjoyed by beginners and advanced skiers alike.

Not only ski and snowboard gear, but also accessories and even complete sets of clothing can be rented at the "Salomon Station. This ease of use is one of the attractions of Lotte Alai Resort. You can rent not only the right size for you, but also the right color and design.

Salomon Station's management policy is to believe that the safety of materials is more important than experience and technique when it comes to skiing and snowboarding, so we are happy to offer materials that meet the assembly and adjustment standards of the international standard ISO11088 by "S-B-B certified maintenance technicians" recommended by the Japan Ski Industry Development Association. We are also happy to offer materials that meet the international standard ISO11088 assembly and adjustment standards. In addition to standard models, high-end models are also available.

Now it's time to hit the slopes! First, take the gondola to "Zendana Station" located at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level. This station is equipped with an observation deck, restaurant, and VIP lounge, and serves as a base for transportation to and from the slopes. From here, transfer to the lifts to reach the summit.

This is the top of the 1280-meter-high slope at 1429-meter-high Mt. From here, it branches off into three intermediate courses. Spread across these three courses is the Avalanche Management Course, where you can enjoy uncompacted natural powder snow.

As the name suggests, the slopes are prone to avalanches and may be closed depending on snow conditions and weather, but when conditions are good, you can enjoy the best powder snow. However, when conditions are good, the best powder snow can be enjoyed!

The feeling of skiing is one word that can be used to describe it! Even during the season when other snow resorts tend to have sticky snow, you can still enjoy snow activities at the height of the season here at Lotte Alai Resort.

They were not very good at it, but they were in a good mood because the course was well equipped for beginners to enjoy long runs.

For lunch, we tucked into ramen and curry rice at the food court located at the "Zendana Station. The special pork aged in a snow room was used, and the taste was a world apart from the usual lunch on the slopes.

In the afternoon, visitors can try the longest zip line in Asia!

Zip-lining is an adventure activity in which visitors ride harnessed pulleys on wire ropes stretched from tree to tree.

Lotte Alai Resort has one of the largest ziplines in Asia, with a total length of 1,501 meters and a height difference of 240 meters, and visitors can enjoy a 3-minute tour from an elevation of 950 meters to 710 meters.

The zipline uses a special wire measuring 19 mm in diameter and weighing approximately 2.4 tons, and is said to be a highly safe system that was used in the emergency escape system from the NASA space shuttle launch pad. The two were a bit nervous, but this was a relief to them. Now it was time to start the launch!

The best part, after all, is that you can fully experience the spectacular 360-degree view! The way you enjoy the view changes depending on the weather conditions, such as rain, heavy fog, or clear skies.

The first half of the tour offers a thrilling sense of speed, while the second half allows you to enjoy the mountains of Hoku-Shinetsu stretching out before you and the Takata Plain below!

After the tour, we enjoyed tubing, one of the largest tubing activities in Japan, with the longest run of 192 meters, the maximum slope of 17 degrees, and 6 people running at the same time. The sled was spinning and descending at a very high speed.

This slope is open until the end of May!

What did you think of this report? If you can enjoy such a luxurious resort so easily, many of you may be interested in going there.

What a surprise, you can enjoy these leisure activities here at Lotte Alai Resort until May 27! If you want to enjoy an unusual and extraordinary time, why not use it as a reward for yourself or a gift for your loved ones?