---
title: Niseko Lift Network Enters Major Upgrade Cycle Through 2028
date: 2026-08-29T19:14:00+09:00
author: Chris Pickering
canonical_url: "https://uchijapan.com/news/niseko-lift-network-enters-major-upgrade-cycle-through-2028"
section: News
---
[Resort News](https://uchijapan.com/news/resorts)# Niseko Lift Network Enters Major Upgrade Cycle Through 2028

Aug 29, 2026

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   ![Annupuri Gondola](https://d1g90p0r985xbs.cloudfront.net/general/_480x270_crop_center-center_60_line/Annupuri-Gondola.jpg)Niseko’s four major ski areas are entering a significant period of mountain infrastructure investment, with new gondolas and chairlifts being introduced across Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri between now and winter 2028-29.

Taken individually, each project is an upgrade to an ageing or increasingly congested part of the mountain. Together, however, they point to something bigger: sustained investment in the infrastructure required for Niseko to compete as a mature international mountain resort.

Grand Hirafu has already begun that process. Niseko Village will open the first stage of a major new gondola this December, while Annupuri is preparing to almost double capacity on one of its most important lifts by 2028.

For property owners and investors, these are not simply improvements to the skiing experience. Lift capacity, mountain access and resort infrastructure all form part of the wider proposition that supports an international resort property market.

## Grand Hirafu Leads With More Than ¥10 Billion of Investment

Perhaps the clearest example is Grand Hirafu, where Tokyu has committed more than ¥10 billion to its wider “Value up NISEKO 2030” programme.

The most visible change came in November 2024 when the old Ace Quad Center Four was replaced by the new 10-person Ace Gondola. Hourly capacity increased from approximately 1,800 to 2,800 passengers, while the gondola was designed for summer use as well as winter operations.

That was followed last winter by the replacement of King Lift #3 with a high-speed six-person chair. The new lift added capacity for approximately 600 additional passengers per hour through a heavily used section of the middle mountain.

The next project comes this winter.

For the 2026-27 season, Grand Hirafu plans to replace the existing two-person Ace Lift #3 with a four-person hooded chairlift. Tokyu expects the upgrade to double capacity on this section of the mountain, helping absorb increased traffic moving upwards from the new Ace Gondola. Components removed during the King Lift #3 replacement are also being reused in the new lift.

The important point is that these projects are being planned as a network rather than as isolated replacements. Increasing capacity at the base creates greater demand further up the mountain, requiring subsequent investment in the lifts that distribute skiers from the mid-station areas.

## Niseko Village Begins Two-Stage Gondola Project

Attention is also turning to Niseko Village, where a new eight-person Shin Mori-no Gondola is being built to replace the existing Mori-no Chair.

The approximately two-kilometre gondola will be completed in two stages. The first section is scheduled to open in December 2026, connecting the resort base with an intermediate station at around 670 metres elevation. A second stage is planned for December 2027, extending the gondola to approximately 930 metres.

Once complete, the new system is expected to provide around twice the transport capacity of the chairlift it replaces, while substantially improving access between the Niseko Village base and higher parts of the mountain.

It also represents a significant improvement to one of Niseko Village’s long-standing infrastructure constraints. The resort has continued to attract substantial hotel and property investment over the years, but parts of its lift network have remained considerably older than the accommodation surrounding them.

The new gondola begins to narrow that gap.

## Annupuri Prepares to Almost Double Gondola Capacity

Further west, Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area is preparing one of the largest individual lift replacements currently planned across Niseko United.

The existing Annupuri Gondola has been operating since 1985 and is scheduled to be replaced by a new 10-person system ahead of the 2028-29 winter season.

Transport capacity is expected to increase from approximately 1,440 passengers per hour to around 2,800—almost doubling the number of people who can move from the resort base towards the upper mountain. Niseko United describes the project as one of Annupuri’s most significant infrastructure investments in recent years.

The investment is particularly interesting because it means the current upgrade cycle is not concentrated entirely around Hirafu.

Hanazono has already invested heavily in modern lift infrastructure in recent years, while substantial projects are now underway or planned at Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri. The result is a broader modernisation of the Niseko United network rather than simply continued investment in its busiest resort base.

## Investment Continues Despite a Softer 2025-26 Season

The timing is also worth putting into context.

Lift and gondola usage across Niseko United fell 5.5% year on year during the 2025-26 season, to approximately 10.69 million rides. However, the decline followed a delayed start to winter caused by weaker early snowfall, and Niseko still exceeded 10 million lift rides for the second consecutive season.

The scale and duration of the current investment programme suggest operators are looking well beyond fluctuations in any individual winter.

Grand Hirafu’s upgrades form part of a strategy running to 2030, Niseko Village’s project extends through 2027 and Annupuri’s new gondola is not scheduled until 2028-29. These are long-term capital decisions based on expectations for the development of the destination over the coming decade.

## Why Mountain Infrastructure Matters for Real Estate

For Niseko’s property market, there is an important distinction to make. A new gondola does not automatically make nearby apartments or land more valuable, and property performance varies considerably between different areas of Niseko.

But lift infrastructure is one of the fundamental assets underpinning any mountain resort.

For buyers of ski-access apartments, hotels and private residences, the quality of the building is only one part of the purchase. How easily owners can reach the mountain, how reliably they can move around it and whether the resort infrastructure keeps pace with visitor growth all contribute to the experience of owning property there.

This is particularly relevant as Niseko’s accommodation stock becomes increasingly sophisticated. Multi-million-dollar residences and internationally branded hotels need to sit within a resort infrastructure capable of supporting the expectations of the people using them.

There is also a potentially important geographical implication.

Hirafu has traditionally attracted the greatest concentration of international property demand, but major lift investment at Niseko Village and Annupuri improves the infrastructure proposition of those areas as well. It does not eliminate the considerable differences between Niseko’s individual property markets, but it strengthens the argument that the next phase of resort development will increasingly extend beyond Hirafu alone.

Niseko’s development story has often been dominated by new hotels, apartments and rising land values. Over the next few years, some of its most important investment may instead be taking place on the mountain itself.

By winter 2028-29, the way visitors move through several major parts of Niseko United will look markedly different from only a few years earlier—and the infrastructure supporting one of Asia’s most valuable resort property markets will have changed with it.

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