Exploring the Roof of Mie at the Gozaisho Ropeway
Mt. Gozaisho is a fantastic winter destination to experience authentic snowy scenery that is easy to reach from both Osaka and Nagoya. It is the closest snowcapped mountain to Nagoya offering glistening white snow and winter activities such as skiing and sledding. Mt. Gozaisho is also famous for its frost-covered trees and snow monsters in winter and gorgeous autumn leaves in fall. The goal for my visit today was to explore the beautiful scenery of the snowy mountain summit.
Written by John Asano
Table of Contents
・The Mighty Mt. Gozaisho
・Starting off at Yunoyama Onsen Station
・Snow and Spectacular Ice Trees
・Skiing and Sledding at the Gozaisho Ski Resort
・Enjoying Local Delicacies and the View
・Walking in the Snow at the Choyodai Observatory
・Exploring the Summit of Mt. Gozaisho
・Wrap Up
・How to Get There
The Mighty Mt. Gozaisho
Mt. Gozaisho is located in the Suzuka Mountain Range, which stretches across both Mie and Shiga Prefectures. With an elevation of 1,212 meters, it is one of the tallest peaks in the range and offers impressive views of the surrounding landscape.
The spectacular view from the ropeway
It is a popular attraction for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts due to its ease of access. Visitors can hike its trails and enjoy the lush greenery and diverse flora and fauna during the warmer months. In autumn, the mountain is a blaze of color with the leaves changing, creating a stunning display of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Autumn colors and the White Pylon at the Gozaisho Ropeway
Starting off at Yunoyama Onsen Station
I started the day at the Yunoyama Onsen Station at the base of the mountain. The Gozaisho Ropeway has the tallest ropeway tower in Japan. Pillar 6, commonly known as the White Pylon, is spectacular against the backdrop of the mountain. The ride in the sky takes visitors to the top of the mountain in around 15 minutes. The fee is ¥2600 for adults round-trip and ¥1300 for children round-trip.
About to enter the ropeway at Yunoyama Onsen Station
On this cold March morning, I was glad to warm up in the waiting room near the ropeway station before boarding the gondola. I met a brave mountaineer there who said that he sometimes climbs to the top of the mountain from the base. Fortunately, the 3 hour trek to the top was not an option for me on this snowy and windy day.
Gondolas at the base of the mountain
Enjoying the scenery and surrounding nature of Mt. Gozaisho
Snow and Spectacular Ice Trees
Once I stepped out of the summit ropeway station I was greeted with snowy scenery as far as the eye could see. The area that stretches beneath the ropeway is known as Summit Park and has a lot of interesting places for visitors to explore. It has some of the heaviest snowfall in Mie and the prefecture’s one and only ski resort.
The snowy scenery of the Summit Park
First stop for me was checking out the winter phenomenon, which is Juhyo (frost-covered trees). This is one of the few places in Japan, where you can experience this striking display. This spectacle only happens on days when the temperature drops below freezing. From the summit ropeway station, it is only a short walk to an ice tree tunnel with the path leading to the Choyodai Observatory at the top.
The frozen trees form a cool ice tree tunnel to walk under
The ice tree tunnel on a clear sunny day
During my visit, the trees just had enough snow to make them incredibly beautiful with their white bare branches.
The white branches of a frozen tree close up
The beauty of the ice trees
Skiing and Sledding at the Gozaisho Ski Resort
While exploring all the ice trees, I could hear the joys of children having fun in the snow. A short distance from the summit ropeway station are two areas for snow sledding and one trail for snowshoeing. Visitors can have the time of their life speeding down the slopes of the pristine white snow on the dedicated sledding courses. This activity is hugely popular with both adults and children. There are also two ski slopes (beginner and advanced) near the chairlift which are only open during winter.
Map of the area at Summit Park
Ski and sled rentals are available from the Gozaisho Nature School and Ski Rental Shop which is only open during the winter. Sleds can be rented for ¥600 per day.
You can find the ice trees all over Summit Park
Enjoying Local Delicacies and the View
After doing a little exploring, I had worked up a huge appetite, so it was time to warm up and refuel for the afternoon ahead. Nature is a restaurant where visitors can enjoy a delicious meal while taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding area. I ordered the local specialty, Gozaisho Curry Udon with fatty pork and was not disappointed. The noodles were soft and springy, and the full-bodied curry warmed both my heart and soul.
Gozaisho Curry Udon from the warmth of Nature
The restaurant also serves seasonal soft serve ice cream in several flavors. I ordered the vanilla soft serve that comes with a cute cookie on top and enjoyed it while watching the ropeway from the warmth of the eatery.
Soft serve ice cream and fantastic views from the restaurant