Taiwanese snowboarders await rescue at Japanese ski resortBy Hollie Younger / Staff writerA group of six Taiwanese and Chinese snowboarders who went missing yesterday afternoon in Japan’s Minamiuonuma is in contact with authorities, but are still awaiting rescue, Japanese news outlets reported today. The group became lost when snowboarding off-piste at the Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, then contacted a friend to call emergency services at about 2pm yesterday, they said. The Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Resort in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture is pictured on Jan. 18. Photo from the Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Resort FacebookThe group had not yet been rescued as of 8am, although authorities have maintained contact with them via smartphone, they said. The incident comes shortly after a sightseeing helicopter carrying two Taiwanese passengers crashed on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday last week.

Source: Taipei Times January 26, 2026 05:01 UTC