Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort Opens Oct 31 (2 of 14 Runs)

Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort in Nagano Prefecture opened its 2026-27 season on Saturday, October 31. The operator had billed it as the earliest opening in Nagano Prefecture. Courses covered in machine-made snow were open for skiing and snowboarding from day one.

Open status on the official site

When we checked the official page on October 31, it showed the resort as open. The display read "Courses 2/14, Lifts 2/8", meaning 2 of the 14 courses and 2 of the 8 lifts were running. ^[1]

The two courses open on day one were B1 Kurinoki and D1 Prince Slope. Each is about 400 m long. Snowman Park, a snow-play area at the ski center, also opened the same day. The season is scheduled to run through Wednesday, March 31, 2027. The resort is aiming to open all 14 courses in early January. ^[2][3]

According to Nikkan Sports, about 340 people came out from early morning for first tracks. An opening ceremony for the Shinshu Snow Resort campaign, which marks the start of the ski season in Nagano Prefecture, was also held, with a demonstrator run and a countdown. The two open courses are reported to be about 18 m wide. ^[4]

Snowmaking before opening

According to the official announcement, snowmaking began on Saturday, October 3. Two snow guns ran until Tuesday, October 6, and all eight ran around the clock from Wednesday, October 7. The plan was to produce about 6,300 m³ of snow over the 28 days before opening. The resort plans to keep making snow and grooming natural snowfall after opening to widen the terrain. ^[3]

What's new this season

According to the operator, these things have changed this season:

The D1 Prince Slope, open from day one, is about 3 m wider than in a typical year.
Snowman Park, in the ski center area, has been expanded.
The Debut Park for beginners is now free for lift ticket holders. It runs from late December 2026 to late March 2027 in the ski center and East areas, and from early January to late March 2027 in the West area. It is for beginners of elementary school age and above. Sightseeing lift tickets are not eligible, and there is no Debut Park-only ticket. ^[2]

The Debut Park is not available on opening day. It is scheduled to start in line with the periods above.

Before you go

You can see current conditions on the Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort live cam. Open courses can change with weather and snow conditions, so check the operating information on the official site before you head out. Other resorts that have already opened this season are listed on our opening information page.

Sources

Prepared with AI assistance from public sources. Always check each resort's official website for the latest information.