Niseko Grand Hirafu adds pickleball to summer mountain retreat lineup
Niseko Grand Hirafu is folding pickleball into a July 4 summer launch that pairs courts, a gondola ride, mountaintop dining and river sports.
Pickleball at Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu will run from July 4 through August 30, 2026, then on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in September, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hokkaido Tokyu Land Corporation and Tokyu Resorts & Stay Co., Ltd. are opening Niseko Grand Hirafu’s summer 2026 season with pickleball built into a much larger mountain itinerary. The resort is turning its attention from ski season to a full-day warm-weather lineup in Niseko, Hokkaido, with the Ace Gondola, NEST813, river activities and court play all tied together in one program.
Court time is set at ¥1,500 for 60 minutes, with racket and ball rental included. Pickleball is easy to learn, simple in rules and a fit for friends and families, and ALPEN NODE will serve as the summer registration gateway.
The court package sits alongside the Ace Gondola’s first summer operation. The gondola will run from July 4 through August 30, with limited service on September weekends and holidays, and the ride lasts roughly 10 minutes with 360-degree glass panels and some cabins with glass floors. Adult round-trip fare is ¥2,000, elementary school children pay ¥1,200, and preschool children and pets ride free. Summer access also gives visitors views of Mt. Yotei, one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains.
NEST813, which opened last winter on the second floor of the mountaintop gondola station at 813 meters above sea level, will also operate during the summer season. It will be paired with YOTEI SKY TERRACE and the newly established YOTEI SKY FIELD lawn area, adding a food-and-view stop to the day’s route. Summer average daily highs are about 25C with relatively low humidity.
The expansion is being built with NAC Niseko, which has operated adventure activities in Niseko since 1995. Its summer lineup includes rafting, river SUP, river kayak, MTB touring, gravel road bike tours and the NAC Adventure Park, and the June 17 announcement includes rafting, SUP, kayaking and pickleball as first-time summer content for Grand Hirafu. The HIRAFU Opening Festa will run July 4 and 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ace Gondola base area, with free gondola rides and a free pickleball experience.
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