If you’re looking for a cheap, chilled (see what we did there?) day out with the family, take them to Snow Town Yeti, where they can ski, snowboard and throw cold white stuff at you to their hearts’ content, all while enjoying up-close views of Mt Fuji.
What is Snow Town Yeti, exactly?
We admit that Snow Town Yeti sounds like a questionable monster or a questionable movie about said monster, but we assure you, it’s legit. Also known as Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti, it’s a ski resort on Mt Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, and, though small, it’s fully kitted out for families.
There are two very gentle slopes for beginners (and two far less gentle options for more intermediate snowsters), an area featuring bits of snow made to look like sweets (specially for the kids), a snowboarding park, and a snow stadium that offers tubing, sledding and whatnot. You can let your little ones go wild. Sort of. This is still Japan.
Opening in late October every year, the resort, situated at the second station of Fuji-san, is one of the earliest to kick off the ski season—naturally available snow or no. It can be a good place to practice your moves before you head to Hakuba or one of the other larger resorts later in winter.
Ticket prices for Snow Town Yeti
At Snow Town Yeti, you can zoom downhill all day for a relatively modest outlay of ¥4,000 on weekends and ¥3,500 Monday to Friday, while kids and seniors can do the same for between ¥500 and ¥1,000 less. There are also special discounts available for the resort’s spring campaign in late March and early April 2019.
Night skiing
Snow Town Yeti also offers all-night skiing, if heading downhill headlong in the dark is your thing. Tickets for that are sold from 3:30pm daily, and they’re a bit cheaper, coming in at ¥2,500. Note: This is usually only available on Saturdays and some holidays—so check before you go.
How to get to Snow Town Yeti
The ski resort is a two-hour train ride from Tokyo. But we recommend getting an all-inclusive package, which includes bus pick-up and drop-off in Shinjuku from ¥10,000 per person—it’s a very economical way of making the day trip happen. The only thing you need to bring is clothing, but surely that goes without saying.
Looking for other ideas for winter day trips and snowboarding escapes? Our guide to ski spots near Tokyo has you covered.
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. Post first published in December, 2015. Last updated December, 2018.
Location Map:
| Name: | Snow Town Yeti |
|---|---|
| Pricing info: | From 10 000 yen (all-inclusive package) |
| Address: | 2428 Aza Fujiwara, Suyama, Susono-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-1231 |
| Access: | Mishima Station |
| Web: | https://www.klook.com/activity/6188-snow-town-yeti... |
| Business hours: | Weekdays 09:00-22:00 | Weekends and Holidays 08:00-22:00 |
| Places Mentioned | |
Our video guide to the tuna auctions at the shiny new Toyosu Fish Market
Questions or comments about this article? Start a thread on our community forum