Heavy rain overnight and this morning here in town - it's a very wet and miserable looking morning here and as we approach 8am it is around 8C. I think hoping that it might turn into snow later on might be hoping for too much as looking at the forecast it is just not going to get cold enough.

Kagura are reporting sleet/snow up there so fingers crossed they can avoid the rain - and indeed they are reporting up to 2cm of snow at higher elevations.

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A recap on what is planned to be open today:

A 1,500m section of the main run at Kagura. The course is 30-50m in width and the natural snow has been helped on by snow making machines giving what the resort reports as 50cm snow depth.

Operating lifts are:

- Mitsumata Ropeway
- Mitsumata Number 1 quad
- Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair
- Kagura Gondola
- Kagura Number 1 quad lift

All but the Kagura quad lift are basically operating to get you over to the course area that is open. The lifts can be used to get back down as well, which means that there is no shuttle bus needed. The Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be operating from 8am until 5pm, with the last one going up at 4:30pm.

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Ski resorts currently open:
Kagura via Mitsumata Ropeway - a 1,500m long run is now open at the main Kagura area

Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date):

Saturday 3rd December:
Iwappara
Joetsu Kokusai

Saturday 10th December:
Kagura (Tashiro)
Maiko Snow Resort
Naeba

Friday 16th December:
Muica Snow Resort
Yuzawa Park

Saturday 17th December:
GALA Yuzawa
Ipponsugi
Kandatsu Kogen
Muimamachi Hakkaisan
Nakazato Snow Wood
Yuzawa Kogen
Yuzawa Nakazato

Wednesday 21st December:
Ishiuchi Maruyama

Thursday 22nd December:
NASPA Ski Garden

Friday 23rd December:
Chateaux Shiozawa

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Ski resorts in Yuzawa town
Ski resorts in Minamiuonuma City