Mt. Gozaisho— A snow paradise with fun for young and old

Written by Pete Leong

There is a little bit of everything to entice adventure seekers of all ages from snow sledding, skiing, mountain and ice climbing to just sightseeing or photography, taking in the spectacular mountain views out over Yokkaichi and Nagoya cities and enjoying some curry, soba or ramen at one of the two restaurants at the summit.

I have recently made a few trips to the top of the mountain to host some winter nature photography workshops as well as try skiing for the very first time. The snowy landscape also attracts many cosplayers during the winter as it provides a unique and fantasy-like backdrop for their photos. On almost every winter trip I have made to the mountain, I came across at least a few cosplayers that were eager to brave the cold conditions for that perfect photo.

This in turn attracts many photographers keen for the chance to photograph the colorful models amongst the frozen landscapes. One of the other major attractions photographers and sightseers enjoy seeing are the windswept frozen tree branches known as Snow Monsters. If conditions are just right, the tree branches become caked in snow and the wind helps them to form interesting shapes and patterns. Sometimes taking on the appearance of some kind of monster.

When I visited the trees were not quite caked enough to form “monsters” but they were still very beautiful, with their bare branches all white and frozen looking.

Along the gondola ride up to the summit, there are also lots of interesting sights to see, long frozen icicles hang from the cliff edges, mountain climbers can be seen ascending the steep valleys and ridges and the views out over Yokkaichi City and Ise Bay are magnificent on a clear day.

Although I have been snowboarding for several years in the Tohoku region, this was my first time to give skiing a go. Because Gozaisho’s ski area is not as large as some of the other nearby ones to the north snowboarding is not permitted on these slopes. So I made my way to the ski rental house at the top of the mountain to get fitted out with my ski gear. They also rent snowshoes for hiking, sleds, and short skis (a shorter type ski where poles are not needed) available to try.

I headed over to the nearby beginner slope and hopped on the little chair lift that whisked me up to the start of the ski run. I promptly fell over a couple of times on my first run, but I found it didn’t take too long to get the hang of it. And what a blast!

By my third time down the hill, I had pretty much got the hang of it and was comfortable enough to try gaining more speed and carving with a good amount of confidence. Next time maybe I’ll work up the courage to try the much bigger and steeper slope at the other side of the mountain.

There are also sledding areas for kids located outside of the ski rental shop and they looked like a lot of fun also. On my visits, there were always a lot of youngsters and a few adults enjoying flying down the hills on their sleds. Just keep your eyes peeled while crossing these areas to access the rental shop and ski lift as we almost got taken out by some of them.

I highly recommend catching the smaller chair lift up to the other side of the mountain where you can hike a little further to visit a shrine with 360-degree stunning views of the surrounding area. You can even see out to Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake located in Shiga Prefecture.

After all our outdoor fun it was time to head inside for some hot food and a cold beer. There’s no better place to enjoy it than at the Gozaisho main restaurant with its panoramic views. This year here is offering a snow-themed curry udon dish. A rich curry with thick noodles covered in creamy mashed potatoes to give it a snow-covered appearance. It was delicious and went down perfectly with my frosty beer all while relaxing enjoying the view from 1,180 meters above sea level.

Be sure to dress appropriately when you come to visit Gozaisho in winter. The weather can often change several times a day from sunny and relatively warm to cloudy, windy, and downright freezing. Winter temperatures generally range from around zero to -10 degrees Celsius.

Mt. Gozaisho is located about 30 minutes from Yokkaichi by car or train. There are lots of great Japanese inns with hot springs located around the base of the slopes in the Yunoyama area.
Be sure to come out for a visit and enjoy some snowy adventures in winter!