A summary of public reports, written by Ski in Sky and checked against each source. It is not an official investigation, and it may change as investigations continue.
What happened
At about 09:00 a visitor riding a chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort failed to get off at the top station and was left hanging from the chair after it turned around. Staff stopped the lift and freed the visitor, and called the fire service saying a person had failed to get off and was hurt. The visitor was taken to hospital unconscious and later died. Police looked into the accident, considering professional negligence. It is thought that part of the visitor's backpack caught in the seat and the visitor was dragged. In late August the lift operator, Tsugaike Gondola Lift, sent its final report to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: more devices at the unloading area to detect riders who have not got off and stop the lift, and wider spacing between chairs so staff can watch and call out, to be in place before the 2026 season opens.
About 09:00 is the time of the accident given by Kyodo; staff called the local fire service.
Where
On a runUnloading point at the top of a chairlift, Tsugaike Mountain Resort, Otari village (Hakuba Valley).
Known only to the ski area.
Link to the ski area
Inside the managed area of Tsugaike Kogen
Kyodo: at the ski resort 'Tsugaike Mountain Resort' in Otari, the visitor was left hanging from the lift that had turned at the top station. A lift accident on the resort's own lift.
People
Died1
Injured—Not reported
Rescued—Not reported
What is known about the cause
- News reportPart of the rider's backpack is thought to have caught in the chair seat, so the rider was dragged and left hanging (SBC). [2]
- Investigation reportThe operator's report added more stop devices to detect riders who have not got off at the top (SBC on the operator's final report to MLIT). [2]
Not confirmed
- The name of the lift.
- The date of death (an English-language report seen only as a search result reported the death on 1 Feb).
- The outcome of the police investigation.
Sources
- Kyodo News (via Yahoo! News) ↗ · 2026-01-30
- SBC Shinetsu Broadcasting (via Yahoo! News) ↗ · 2026-09-03
- CNN.co.jp ↗
Last checked against the sources on 2026-10-22.