Tanigawadake Ropeway Changes Its Name to Tanigawadake Joch; Operator to Enhance Services for People to Enjoy Mountain Area on Gunma, Niigata Border

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:47 JST, December 26, 2024

Tanigawadake Ropeway, which is often used by hikers and skiers visiting Mt. Tanigawa on the border between Gunma and Niigata prefectures, changed its name to Tanigawadake Joch earlier this month.

Hoshino Resorts Inc., which operates the ropeway in the Yubiso district of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, hopes that the soft sound of the name will help people feel more familiar with the mountain where people can enjoy various experiences. The company is considering offering more services for visitors to revel in nature.

“Joch” is a German word meaning “col,” a saddle-like ridge between two mountains.

According to the company, they chose the new name because the Tenjindaira area that has ski slopes is located on a col.

The ropeway operates a special gondola equipped with a mountain-hut-like table and offers a “cruise lunch” service in which customers can enjoy food while being surrounded by a snow-covered landscape.

People involved in the project gathered on Dec. 1 at a restaurant in the ropeway’s Tenjindaira Station and performed a Shinto ritual to pray for snowfall and safety.

The area is also known for its autumn leaves, and about 170,000 people use the ropeway each year.

Hoshino Resorts plans to make the entire mountain area more attractive through various measures including building a space in a mountainside where people can read books while enjoying the natural landscape.

“We would like to inherit the wonderful history and culture of Mt. Tanigawa and turn it into a place where people can discover new attractions of the mountain,” the general manager of the ropeway said.