STS Ski School for Japanese Elementary Kids Returns to Shiga Kogen This Winter

TL;DR: A Tokyo education company will again run a small-group, SAJ-test-focused ski school for elementary schoolers at Shiga Kogen this winter.

On 5 November 2026, Plus One Education (株式会社プラスワン教育), a subsidiary of Riso Education Group in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, announced that its STS (School Tourship) ski school will run again this winter. The programme is held at Shiga Kogen and is aimed at elementary school children, from complete beginners to experienced skiers.

I'll be upfront: this is a company press release, so the figures are the organiser's own and I couldn't verify them independently. The pitch is that children are split into small groups by ski level and coached toward passing the SAJ (Ski Association of Japan) proficiency test.

Key Facts

• Organiser: STS (School Tourship), run by Plus One Education, part of Riso Education Group (PR TIMES, 2026-11-05).
• Participation: The company says about 1,500 people joined last season, roughly half of them repeat customers. It also says it runs about 300 tours a year for around 5,500 children overall.
• Teaching format: Small groups divided finely by ski level. STS instructors work alongside SAJ coaches and share information if anything happens. STS instructors also offer mental support to the children.
• Solo children: Many kids join alone. Bus seats, group assignments and lodging rooms are arranged to help them mix, and the release says meals, bathing and bedtime are supported, including for younger children.
• Gear: A rental set is available (skis, boots, poles, ski wear top and bottom) with size exchanges. Goggles, gloves and a knit hat or helmet must be brought.
• SAJ test levels: The release says the junior grades 6 and 5 can be attempted even by children who have never ridden a lift.

What This Means for International Travellers / Buyers

This programme is a Japanese-language product for Japanese families, and the release doesn't mention foreign participants or English instruction. I wouldn't treat it as an option for visiting families. What it does tell you is who shares the slopes: school-tour groups of children are part of the winter mix at Shiga Kogen, so expect groups of young skiers on beginner runs at busy times. That's a general observation, not something the release states about specific dates or slopes.

If you're planning your own trip with kids, the SAJ badge structure is still useful to know. It exists as a graded system starting from beginner levels, and many Japanese ski schools use it. Ask any school you book whether it offers English lessons and whether it prepares kids for these tests. For getting there, see how to get from Tokyo to Shiga Kogen: there's no shinkansen to the resort, so you go to Nagano first, then onward by train and bus.

For property researchers, one press release is not market data. It shows an outside company running recurring winter programmes at Shiga Kogen. It says nothing about lodging supply, prices or demand in Yamanouchi-machi, and I won't stretch it to cover that.

Background

The SAJ proficiency test is a nationwide badge system. Shiga Kogen links 18 resorts under one ticket and is largely inside Joshin'etsu-Kogen National Park, which is partly why development there is tightly limited. If you visit outside winter, the area also has autumn walks such as the larch colour hike.

Editorial Note: This article is an independent English-language summary of the Japanese source listed above, prepared by ShigakogenHub. Figures are the organiser's own claims and have not been independently verified. Please consult the original source for full details.