Water sliders / Water Fes at Sayama Skiing Grounds in 2026.
Since the Sayama Indoor Skiing Ground reopened in Autumn 2020 there have been quite a few changes. The best, in my humble opinion, is that they have found a fun way to make use of the indoor ski slopes with water sliders in summer. Although Sayama Ski is an indoor skiing ground of artificial snow, they never use it for skiing in summer. It is not completely indoors, so it would be very hard for them to keep the snow frozen in 40 degree temperatures! But they have found a way to make use of the slope in summer since 2020…
Water Fes Summer 2026
Water Fes is the name of the summer event at Sayama Ski. Three water sliders occupy the slopes and the winter snow park is transformed into a water play area for children. And in 2024 they introduced a new “drenched slide” too, for a total of four slides. The water fes starts on Saturday April 25th 2026 and is on select dates until September 27th. See the information section for the breakdown of the dates.
Water sliders and Facilities
There are four sliders on the slopes. One is a long slide and two are “family” slides which are suitable for small children too. The fourth is called a “drenched slide”. You use tubes with two of the slides. You need to use the snow escalator to get to the starting point of the 220 meter long slide! Children need to be over 120 centimeters tall to use the longest slide. The two family slides are 140 meters long. For each of the three slides up to two people can ride together once the weight doesn’t exceed 150 kilograms.
There is also a water play area, with an indoor splash pool and inflated water fountains! The inflated play areas that are there in winter are also there in summer. I imagine they are too hot to use in the height of summer though. During the day they have water fight and bubbles at specific times. They also have a treasure hunt in the bubbles, which has an additional fee. From mid July they will also have a snow play area.
In addition, there is a little festival area for kids where they can fish for yo-yos or throw hoops. In total there are six activities. This area has an extra charge though. It costs 300 yen per activity or a book of six tickets (one ticket per activity) for 1500 yen.
Opening Weekend and Golden Week Events
They have additional events for children on the opening weekend, April 25th and 26th, and again over Golden Week:
- April 25th and 26th: Music event with parade and stage show at noon and again at 2 pm
- April 29th: workshop and music performance at 11.30 am and again at 1.30 pm
- May 2nd and 3rd: Circus show and experience
- May 4th to 6th: Bubble Crab party! At noon and again at 2 pm
- May 4th: Giant cardboard painting eight times from 11 am to 4 pm
- May 5th: Paper plane race
Lions Summer Festival
Please note that the Lions Summer Festival is on next door to the ski grounds two days during August and the area gets very congested. Moreover, the parking lot is closed to cars when the summer festival is on. Dates yet to be confirmed for 2026.
Information
Event: Water Fes ウォーターフェス
Dates: Saturday April 25th to Sunday September 27th 2026. Please note that after Golden Week until summer holidays the resort is only open from Saturday to Monday. (Last year they opened Fridays too, but not in 2026) That is;
- Daily from April 25th to May 6th
- Saturday to Mondays only from Saturday May 9th to Monday July 6th
- Daily from Friday July 10th to Monday August 31st
- Saturdays to Mondays from Saturday September 5th to Monday September 14th
- Daily from Saturday September 19th to September 23rd
- Open Saturday September 26th and the last day of the year will be on 27th of September 2026
Time: 10 am to 5 pm, last entry at 4 pm.
Cost: A one day ticket for adults costs 1500 yen and 1300 yen for children on a weekday, 1600 for adults and 1400 yen for children on weekends and public holidays and 1900 yen for adults and 1700 yen for children on “high season”. High season is the week of Obon and the Saturday and Sundays during summer holidays.
Venue: Sayama Indoor Skiing Ground, 2167 Kamiyamaguchi, Tokorozawa, Saitama 〒359-1153. View on Google Maps.
Access
Sayama Indoor Skiing Ground is right beside the Leo Liner Yamaguchi Line Seibu Kyūjōmae station. By car the ski resort is about ten kilometers from the Iruma Interchange of the Ken-o expressway. Parking is charged – it costs 1800 yen, flat rate, for one day.
is it warm enough for water slides? otherwise cool!