A year-round mountain playground
Deep snow, quiet slopes and a snow festival in winter; trails, ziplines and golf the rest of the year. Here's what we love about our corner of Nagano.
Mt Madarao
Madarao Mountain Resort is a 4-minute walk from the lodge and the heart of winter here. It tops out at 1,382 m with 13 lifts and 31 courses for every level.
About 60% of the courses are ungroomed, so there's a good chance of the fluffy, deep powder Japan is famous for. There are also tree runs, freestyle park areas, wave courses and kids' zones — and English-speaking instructors if you're just starting out.
The Mountain Pass covers both Madarao and the neighbouring Tangram ski area.
Backcountry tours
Want to go further? Madarao has sidecountry and backcountry terrain for adventurous skiers and boarders. A guided tour with Nagano Outdoor Sports is the best way in: the guides know the area well, take care of route-finding and safety, and are happy to teach you if you're new to the backcountry.
The touring season usually starts in early to mid January, depending on snow cover.
Ice fishing on Lake Nojiri
For a slower day, try fishing for wakasagi (Japanese smelt) through the ice on Lake Nojiri. Hire a specially designed boat to carve out your own spot, or sit in a cabin warmed by a kerosene heater with a cup of warm local shochu while you fish.
A few days in the snow
Deep powder, frosted beech forests and big views across northern Nagano and Myoko. A few shots from our own days out in the area.
Deep days
Big views
Touring
Lift through the trees
Snow walls taller than the kids
Mt Myoko
Good company
Back up again
More than a dozen resorts within reach
Madarao sits in the middle of northern Nagano and Myoko's snow country. With a car, Nozawa Onsen, the Myoko resorts and Shiga Kogen are all easy day trips, and Hakuba is about two hours away. Drive times are rough winter estimates from the lodge.
Madarao & Tangram · 4-minute walk
Tree runs, powder and two linked mountains on one Mountain Pass, with about 50 runs between them.
madarao.jpTogari Onsen · 30–35 min
A friendly Iiyama hill with night skiing, a new terrain park and a long mogul course.
togari.jpNozawa Onsen · 40–45 min
A big mountain above a historic onsen village with 13 free public baths. Also reachable by shuttle bus in season.
nozawaski.comMyoko Kogen · 30–40 min
Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Ikenotaira and Suginohara, home to one of Japan's longest runs at about 8.5 km.
Myoko resortsSeki Onsen · 40–45 min
A tiny two-lift hill famous for very deep, ungroomed powder and a season that often runs into May.
sekionsen.jpRyuoo Ski Park · 45–50 min
A big ropeway up to 1,770 m and the SORA Terrace, famous for its sea-of-clouds views.
ryuoo.comArai · 50–60 min
Huge snowfall, big freeride terrain and a 7 km longest run at Arai Mountain Resort (formerly Lotte Arai).
Arai Mountain ResortTogakushi · 55–60 min
Light, dry inland snow and big views, close to the famous Togakushi shrines.
togakusi.comShiga Kogen · 60–75 min
One of Japan's largest ski areas: 18 interlinked areas at high altitude on one all-mountain pass.
Shiga Kogen
Not skiing today?
Not everyone skis every day, and northern Nagano is full of good ways to spend a day off. Times are rough winter estimates from the lodge. Buses to Iiyama Station take about 20–30 minutes, and Nagano is 11 minutes further on the Shinkansen.
Green season adventures
Madarao is much more than a ski resort. When the snow melts, the trails open up.
Winter festival
Every February, nearby Iiyama celebrates its famous snow.
Iiyama Snow Festival · early February
Huge snow sculptures, and a village of snow huts lit by lanterns at night. There's live music, snow games, mochi pounding, snowmobile rides and snowshoe walks.
Event information (in Japanese)
Stay right in the middle of it
Tombi Lodge is a 4-minute walk to the ski resort and a minute from the bus stop, with more than a dozen resorts within reach.