Last year there was great excitement when it was announced that Alts Bandai and neighbouring Nekoma Snow Park & Resort would finally be connected by an 810m lift from the 2023-24 season onwards.

A significant amount of investment by the resorts’ new owners saw the creation of the rebranded ‘Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain’ and, as a result, one of the biggest resorts in Japan. Nekoma now boasts 189 hectares of skiable terrain, 13 chairs and 33 trails extending north and south across three mountains, Mt. Bandai, Mt. Nekomagadake, and Mt. Umaya.

After hearing this news, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to check out a resort that’s been on the radar for a while. We duly booked a week at the Hoshino Bandaisan Onsen Hotel, the 4-star hotel situated within the resort complex.

So, what did we think?

First and foremost, it’s worth calling out that this season will not go down in the history books as one of the greatest. Winter 2023/24 saw some of the more southerly resorts struggle through unseasonably warm spells. This meant more rainfall than usual and affected the base quite significantly.

Sadly, this meant that not all chairs or trails were operational during our stay. Despite this, we had a couple of brilliant snow days and the resort lived up to its reputation for its famous high-quality "micro-fine" powder snow.

The resort – we LOVED the trails, especially the bowl on the south ‘Alts Bandai’ side, the black runs were great fun, especially on the couple of powder days we were lucky enough to enjoy. As expected, there is more than enough terrain to keep you busy for a week and we can only imagine how good this resort could be if the snow was pumping and all the chairs running.

There is a good mix of terrain for all levels and there is a magic carpet outside the hotel for beginners (not open during our visit which saw beginners start on relatively advanced terrain).

The introduction of the connecting chair to the north ‘Nekoma’ side has created a couple of very walkable ungroomed runs which, if you are prepared to ‘earn-your-turns’, are incredible on a powder day. There are a couple of excellent parks too for the younger or young-at-heart set.

The hotel – we really liked the hotel too. It’s relatively modern and well-appointed. We booked a Western-style twin which was very comfortable and a good size. The hotel itself is stylish and features modern Japanese décor, with good common areas and a large lounge/bar area for drinks or hot chocolate – the hotel even offers all guests a complimentary glass of sake or beer each night. There is a lovely large onsen and an indoor swimming pool too. The free wax bar upstairs is an unexpected but awesome bonus.

The food – a definite highlight of our stay. Buffets or ‘Vikings’ as they are referred to in Japan can vary in terms of the range of dishes. The buffet at Bandaisan Onsen Hotel was excellent, especially in the evenings. There is a wide range of dishes, local and international, and all are of excellent quality. The only negative for us was the coffee with options best described as being typically Japanese. The hotel also offers a free evening shuttle bus to Aizu-Wakamatsu if you feel you need to get your Izakaya on after too much buffet food.

Outside of the resort – there is a pension village offering other accommodation options near the resort. However, there isn’t too much around the resort (or even in the resort for that matter). There is a small shop in the complex where you can pick up snacks and drinks, but it’s very limited and there is no kombini nearby. The hotel has a gift shop but again is more focused on gifts. There is a free shuttle bus service to Bandaimachi (25 minutes away) so if you need to stock up on anything you can avail of this service.

Hire and lessons – A real plus of the north mountain was Burton Test Ride Centre, which has the latest Burton premium snowboards and equipment for hire – Step Ons anyone? We also took the opportunity to take ski lessons while at Nekoma. The lessons were very reasonable and had the bonus of including free equipment rental, very compelling if you are interested in learning a new skill.

Overall – The resort really stacks up, with great snow, a big mountain with varied and interesting terrain, and excellent accommodation on the mountain offering great food and facilities. The hotel is super popular with international visitors, particularly from Southeast Asia, so it's not quite as Japanese in the atmosphere as some other similar hotels – particularly during the week. Weekends are popular with Japanese visitors and it can get very busy.

Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain offers a modern, well-appointed hotel with great food and facilities set in a relatively unexplored region of Japan. Something to consider if you’re after excellent snow and terrain at a relatively affordable price point.

FAQs

Q: How accessible is Nekoma Ski Resort from Tokyo?

A: The easiest option is to get the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Koriyama station and take the shuttle bus (adult one-way 1,000 yen) from there to the resort. The bus runs over the snow season and your seats need to be reserved ahead of time.

Q: Are English ski lessons available for beginners at Nekoma Ski Resort?

A: Yes! The ski school offers both group and private lessons in English at very reasonable rates. All lessons include ski hire as part of the cost of the lesson.

Q: What amenities does the Bandaisan Onsen Hotel offer?

A: As you would expect from a 4-star hotel, the Bandaisan Onsen Hotel offers a large range of amenities to guests. There is a wide range of rooms to suit all budgets from 104m two-room suites that sleep up to 5 people, to Western-style twin rooms. There is a large Onsen and swimming pool, ski storage, a heated boot room, and laundry facilities. A large lounge area features workspace for those on a blesiure trip. There’s also a free wax station, where you can prepare your skis/snowboards for the next day. Drink vending machines and ice machines are located on each floor.

Q: Can I rent ski equipment at Nekoma Ski Resort?

A: Yes, the resort offers convenient ski equipment rental services. This includes the Burton Test Ride Centre, where snowboarders can hire the latest premium Burton snowboards and bindings (including our favourite Step Ons!)

Q: What other activities are available besides skiing at Nekoma Ski Resort?

A: Nekoma Ski Resort is mostly about skiing but there are activities for non-skiers too. Why not try snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, or take a stretch class to start the day. The hotel also offers sake education classes (with complimentary sake) and traditional dance performances each evening.