Niseko Village’s Most Significant Infrastructure Upgrade in Decades
Niseko Village has announced the development of a major new gondola lift system — the “Shin Mori-no Gondola” (New Forest Gondola) — set to begin operations in December 2026. The project replaces the resort’s ageing Mori-no Chair, a two-person chairlift in operation since the 1980s, and represents one of the most significant infrastructure investments the resort has made in recent memory.
The announcement, first reported by the Hokkaido Shimbun in May 2026, confirms that the new eight-seat gondola will span approximately 2,000 metres in total length, connecting the base of Niseko Village Ski Resort to an elevation of 930 metres across two phases. Phase one — running from the base to a mid-mountain station at 670 metres — is scheduled to open for the 2026–27 winter season. Phase two, extending to a new 970-metre summit station, will follow in December 2027.
The existing Niseko Gondola will continue to operate alongside the new system.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Gondola name | Shin Mori-no Gondola (新 森のゴンドラ) |
| Cabin capacity | 8 persons per cabin |
| Total cabins | 86 (incl. 4 VIP dining + 2 glass-floor) |
| Total length | ~2,000 metres |
| Phase 1 opening | December 2026 (base → 670m mid-station) |
| Phase 2 opening | December 2027 (670m → 970m summit) |
| Capacity increase | 2× current Mori-no Chair throughput |
| Wonderland Chair upgrade | 1-seat → 2-seat, December 2027 (+1.7× capacity) |
| Year-round operation | Under consideration from 2028 |
| Replaces | Mori-no Chair + 4 other ageing lifts |
What’s New: Key Features of the Shin Mori-no Gondola
The new gondola will comprise 86 cabins in total, with a clear focus on the premium guest experience. Four cabins will serve as VIP carriages, equipped with dining tables so guests can enjoy food and drink during the ascent. Two further cabins will feature fully transparent glass floors, offering an elevated perspective of Niseko’s terrain below.
The gondola has also been engineered as an all-weather system. A mid-mountain station allows operations to continue even if summit conditions prevent a full run — a practical design choice in a region known for strong and variable alpine weather.
Capacity is the core operational gain. The new system is expected to double the throughput of the existing Mori-no Chair route, meaningfully reducing congestion at one of the resort’s key access points. Niseko Village’s highest-elevation lift, the single-seat Wonderland Chair, will also be upgraded to a two-seater in December 2027, increasing its capacity by approximately 1.7 times.
Resort Director Panch Ratnavale has described the project directly: “This gondola is about speed, comfort, and giving our guests more time on the snow.”
Part of a Broader Consolidation of Niseko Village’s Lift Network
The Shin Mori-no Gondola is not an isolated addition — it is part of a deliberate rationalisation of Niseko Village’s lift infrastructure. Five ageing lifts, some dating to the 1980s, are being progressively consolidated into two new gondola sections and a single chairlift upgrade. The result is a leaner, higher-capacity network built for modern operational demands.
This mirrors a pattern visible across Niseko United as a whole. Grand Hirafu completed its own gondola upgrade for the 2024–25 season, replacing the 38-year-old Center Four quad with a new 10-person gondola under the “Value Up NISEKO road to 2030” programme. Hanazono added its Symphony Gondola in 2021–22. Niseko Village’s investment signals that each of the four resorts within the Niseko United network is being brought up to a consistent standard of infrastructure quality.
Year-Round Operations: The Next Step for Niseko Village
Perhaps the most significant long-term element of this announcement is what it reveals about Niseko Village’s direction as a destination. From 2028, the resort is actively considering year-round operation of the Shin Mori-no Gondola — which would give visitors mountain access outside the ski season for the first time.
For a resort long associated with winter powder, extending gondola operations into summer and autumn represents a meaningful shift in positioning. It aligns with a broader strategy across Niseko to increase visitor dwell time, attract non-skiing travellers, and build a more resilient multi-season tourism economy.
The timing also tracks with the anticipated opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension to Kutchan in 2030, which will substantially improve access from Sapporo and other major population centres. Infrastructure investments being made now are being designed with that expanded future visitor base in mind.
What This Means for Niseko Village Property
Lift infrastructure upgrades have a well-established relationship with property values in alpine resort markets. Improved on-mountain capacity directly affects the guest experience — shorter wait times, more vertical metres per day, and enhanced comfort all translate into stronger visitor satisfaction and repeat visitation. These factors support rental demand and reinforce the appeal of resort property as both a lifestyle and investment asset.
For Niseko Village specifically, the gondola project reinforces the position of the resort’s immediate surrounds — including the area around the Green Leaf Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton Reserve — as a desirable location for property ownership. Properties within walking distance of the new gondola base stand to benefit most directly from the upgrade in on-mountain access.
The year-round gondola ambition from 2028 also widens the potential rental window for owners, extending relevance beyond the core ski season and bringing Niseko Village into closer alignment with other four-season alpine destinations globally.
For buyers and investors monitoring the region’s trajectory, this announcement — alongside the planned Shinkansen, continued international flight expansion, and ongoing luxury hotel development — forms part of a consistent, long-term investment story that continues to underpin confidence in the Niseko property market.
Interested in property in Niseko Village? Contact the Nisade team to discuss current listings and investment opportunities in the area.
