| 02, January, 2024
1st January 2024 Earthquake
Yesterday, on 1st January, at 16:10, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the tip of Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Western coast of Honshu which was accompanied by many smaller earthquakes. The main earthquake was felt as far away as Tokyo and a major tsunami warning was issued across the Western coast of central and northern Japan. At the time of writing all tsunami related travel warnings and advisories have been removed. Updates can be checked via Japan Meteorological Agency.
How are Japan Ski Resorts Affected?
The Northern island of Hokkaido is located far away from the earthquake zone on the West coast of Honshu. The earthquake was not felt by our team on the ground in Niseko, and being located away from the coast, other major Hokkaido ski resorts including Rusutsu were unaffected by tsunami advisories.
Hakuba is located in Nagano prefecture, around 100km from the epicenter on the Ishikawa coast. Members of the JSE team based in Hakuba felt the initial earthquake and ongoing aftershocks strongly, but no damage or injuries have been reported.
Hakuba Valley officials have confirmed that there has been no damage to the area. On 2nd January safety checks were carried out at all Hakuba Valley ski resorts and operations have continued as normal, including lift operation and shuttle buses. To check resort operations, please visit official resort websites which are linked to from our Hakuba ski resorts page. You may also wish to check the Hakuba Valley official website, and Hakuba Valley Facebook page for updates.
Can I Travel To Hakuba?
Other than operating at reduced speeds on some sections (which may cause delays), the Hokuriku Shinkansen train service which runs between Tokyo and Nagano is operational. The Alpico bus service between Nagano Station and Hakuba is also running as planned. Please see JR East website for further information. We also recommend checking your country’s travel advisory eg. UK Foreign Travel Advice for Japan.
If you are a Japan Ski Experience guest due to arrive in or depart from Hakuba in the next few days, you can reach our Hakuba team at [email protected] or call +81 (0)90 5532 2980 between 09:00 and 17:00 JST.
Anybody in the region is advised to remain vigilant against further earthquakes or after shocks, and can follow the tips compiled by the JNTO in the event of seismic activity.
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