A family snow day at Maiko Ski Resort

One of my major goals for our family in the new year was taking part in the 1000 hours outside project. I wrote about it in a blog on City-Cost here, but the concept itself is fairly simple. Over the course of a year, the goal is to spend 1000 hours outside, which equates to around 2 hours and 45 minutes daily. Obviously in Japan that can be a challenge at certain times of the year, primarily the summer and winter months – however, there are definite workarounds to that.

One thing we did earlier this month was head to Maiko Ski Resort here in Minamiuonuma, to give our kids the opportunity for some fun outdoor snow play. They’re at the age now where they both have an interest in skiing and snowboarding too, and honestly there’s no better place to live than here for that!

There are a few reasons why I really liked Maiko for a family snow trip, and if you’re planning one yourself, this is why I think you should visit.

I highly recommend Maiko Ski Resort as a great option for a family snow day.

It wasn’t crowded at all

We were fortunate to be able to visit here on a weekday, and I’m sure that played into it, but it wasn’t crowded at all. This put my mind at ease, because obviously COVID is still a very real issue and the idea of being somewhere ultra-packed is not appealing at all. If you can manage it, I highly recommend trying to do a weekday trip – it was stress-free.

I highly recommend visiting on a weekday if you can!

Price-wise, it’s very reasonable

A one-day adult pass at Maiko is 5000 yen, which I felt was very reasonable. My only real comparison price-wise is my home country of Australia, where a one-day ticket at somewhere like Mount Buller is almost double that. Sure, it’s not something we’d be shelling out for on a super-regular basis, but it was still manageable, and we made some special family memories.

There are so many kid-friendly activities and amenities

I really liked Maiko because there were so many activities and amenities that catered to kids. There are banana boat rides and dedicated sledding areas, plus kids ski and snowboarding lessons if you’d prefer a professional to show your kids the ropes. Another thing I really liked was the indoor kids area which served as a welcome respite from the cold for a while.