Mt. Fuji ski resort opens for new season, 1st in Japan for 21st straight year
(Mainichi Japan)
SUSONO, Shizuoka -- Snowboarders and skiers, many dressed as characters from popular culture, took to the slopes at a ski resort in this central Japan city on Oct. 25, the resort's first day of the new season.
This season's opening of Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti marks the 21st year in a row the resort has been the first in the country to welcome skiers for the season, operators said, though the opening came six days later than in 2018. Those wearing costumes receive free passes for the opening day every year.
This year, some 200 people in costumes including Minions started to sweep down the slopes after the resort opened at 11 a.m. The opening time was set back about an hour from the planned time due to strong winds. The temperature just before 10 a.m. stood at 8 degrees Celsius, and it was raining.
Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti is located at Mount Fuji's second station, at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,450 meters. The "snow" was the product of snow machines, which have been pumping out about 550 metric tons of the white stuff made from crushed ice daily since Oct. 15 to lay down one of five courses about 1 kilometer long.
The ski resort is scheduled to remain open daily until April 5, 2020.
(Japanese original by Hiroshi Ishikawa, Numazu Local Bureau)
