Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort Video Reviews: Slopes & Mountain

A Manila family's snow day: Gran Class shinkansen from Tokyo, a local guide, the children snowboarding at the resort, then a tour of Karuizawa's villas, John Lennon's favourite bakery and a waterfall, and a farewell dinner in Tokyo.

A comic one-minute short about a winter Karuizawa stay: the free station shuttle that reaches the slopes in seconds, a hotel on the ski area, a great lounge, excellent food, an open-air bath under stars, and the Prince estate's many facilities.

Two Kansai snowboarders' long, joke-heavy season-opener: the drive among autumn colours, the plate-reading car park, binding talk, a top-to-bottom run with merge warnings, crowds thinned by the ticket price, and ¥240 drinks at the food truck.

A Nagano TV news item on Karuizawa Prince making its slopes ahead of a planned 31 October partial opening, helped by cold nights. The available captions are a garbled English auto-transcription and carry no usable content.

The snowboard duo's third opening-day visit: new gate car park, renovated toilets, a quiet 9:30 lift, a course that splits with snow piles and a box, a beginner practice space, a no-moguls course, and kebab lunch. Smoother and less crowded than last year.

The same snowboard duo's earlier opening-day video: heavy traffic on Route 18, 10°C, web and counter ticket lines, thick man-made snow made since October, a park on the main course, a crowded second lift, and booths with early-bird tickets.

A snowboard duo's opening-day report: car park, new board racks, no lift queue, a park course with a 2.5 m kicker and boxes, and a second course facing Mt Asama that turns mogulled after noon, plus kebab food trucks and opening-day booths.

Two ski instructors open the 2025-26 season at Karuizawa Prince among autumn leaves: two courses on two lifts, firm granular man-made snow that grips well for carving, junior racers training in the morning, and a view of Mt Asama. Ends with a plug for their Gala Yuzawa school.

Nagano TV news on opening day: eight snow guns running since the previous month built two 400 m courses with about 50 cm of base; skiers enjoyed clear skies and autumn leaves, and staff called it the best possible surface.

A 15-second pre-season short on Karuizawa Prince's conditions just before opening; the captions are only song lyrics.

A couple's quiet day trip from Tokyo: breakfast at the station, a short bus ride, switching from snowboard to skis for ¥1,000 after a wrist injury, cloudy views and thin snow on the surrounding mountains, then a sunset walk back to the station.

A 23-second clip titled as Lunar New Year crowds at Karuizawa Prince; the captions are only song lyrics, so nothing about the resort is said.

A snowboarder's roadster trip to Karuizawa Prince with a Sapporo-born rider friend on her season opener: X-Trail car tour, food-truck kebab wraps, queues of 10-15 minutes easing at noon, two open courses with fast skiers and three bands of snow, then dinner at the outlet.

A kids' channel family trip by shinkansen and shuttle: rentals, ticket prices with children free to grade 6, beginners struggling for lack of a gentle learning area, the Kurinoki course, a too-steep Prince slope swapped for the Family course, then day two at the Snowman Park.

A 30-second Karuizawa town promo: forests, churches, food and bonsai on Old Karuizawa street, a Western restaurant, and Shiraito Falls. Skiing is not mentioned.

A snowboarder's 2024-25 season-opener at Karuizawa Prince: parking paid before leaving, bus links, two open courses (the second much steeper and short), new binding straps, and snow-pile features to play on.

An Australian family's tips for skiing Karuizawa at Christmas: 75 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train, guaranteed man-made snow, ski-in hotels or cheaper places across the road, about $50 rentals and lift passes with kids free, night skiing, a kids' snow area and lessons.

A family vlog at Karuizawa Snow Park, a different resort, with a 3- and 7-year-old: sled hill with a conveyor, free sled rental, Snow Striders, a polar carousel, an air dome and kids' room; the older child joins ski school.

An Australian traveller's Karuizawa stop on a JR Pass trip: Prince Shopping Plaza by the station, two nights at the West Prince Hotel for about 550, fully booked restaurants, the hotel onsen, and a second-ever ski day on soft snow with long easy trails.

A 23 November conditions check: busier than rumoured despite the price rise, 13-15 minute waits at the Kurinoki lift, a day ticket of ¥8,000 plus ¥1,500 parking, firm man-made snow that suits sharp edges, and the steep pitch turning to slush by afternoon.

A family spends the day at the Snowman Park, the kids' snow area nearest the car park: ¥2,200 a day for adults and children, free under two, sledding and snow play, with a note that each of the resort's three areas has its own kids' park.

A family with a 1- and 4-year-old visits Karuizawa Prince's Snowman Park for sledding and snow play, then tours their suite at Tokyu Harvest VIALA annex Karuizawa with living room, tatami room and jacuzzi.

Another family vlog at Karuizawa Snow Park, a different resort: a -6°C morning, the sled area with a conveyor, a giant swing, Snow Striders, a polar carousel and tubing, ski school, lunch prices and kids' facilities.

A pro snowboarder's early-season slope report on a weekday: almost no lift lines, a narrow park course with kicker, jib items and snow-pile terrain, a second wider course for long turns, firm snow softening to bumps by afternoon, plus glove and board advice.

A 25-minute 4K family sightseeing video titled as a kids' activity review of Karuizawa Prince; the soundtrack is music only, with no spoken commentary in the captions.

A freeskier arrives at 6 am for Karuizawa Prince's opening day and rides the park from the first day: three rails, a table-top and a flat-down box in the usual layout, struggling with new short rocker skis and switching to a head-mounted camera.

A Filipino family's days eight and nine in Japan: shinkansen from Tokyo, outlet shopping in light snow, a hotel room tour, then a morning ski lesson for the children on the beginner area with the slopes right behind the hotel.

A freeskier argues the early-season ticket (¥8,000 day, ¥7,000 for five hours) is not really expensive: the price rise has emptied the hill, lift lines have no switchbacks, and he gets two to four times the usual laps.

An official Prince Hotels promo for the Karusuki-no-Mori activity park at Karuizawa Prince; the captions are only the lyrics of its love song soundtrack, with no information about the park.

A Singapore traveller's short on hidden costs: gloves, goggles and beanies are not available to rent, so bring your own or buy cheaply online; their total bill was ¥7,700.

A Singapore family tests skiing, outlet shopping and Old Karuizawa in one March day: free shuttle from the station, a 3-hour private lesson, gear and lift costs broken out, no glove or goggle rental, soft spring snow, and a verdict of pick two.