KYODO NEWS - Dec 16, 2017 - 09:10 | Lifestyle, All

A ski resort opened in western Japan's Hyogo Prefecture on Saturday, with its operator and the local government saying it is the country's first new facility to be opened to skiers and snowboarders in 14 years.

Mineyama Kogen Resort White Peak, located near the town of Kamikawa, has three pistes, ranging from 860 meters to 1,200 m in length, two chairlifts and lights for night skiing.

The operator of the resort, built at a cost of 1.08 billion yen ($9.59 million), expects to attract 50,000 visitors through the winter season, which concludes at the end of March 2018.