If you’re searching for the most reliable snow on Honshu, the main island of Japan, Okushiga Kogen should be at the top of your list. It is one of the highest ski resorts in the country, with a peak that reaches 2,000 metres, which is why you can still ski well into spring most years.
While many other resorts in the Nagano and Japanese Alps region (and the wider Shiga Kogen area) begin to see their base areas turn to slush in March, the slopes here often stay in reasonable condition right through until the Golden Week holidays in early May.
Okushiga Kogen sits at the far northern tip of the massive Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort, the largest interconnected ski area in Japan, and has a wonderfully peaceful, almost European atmosphere that’s a world away from the more internationally famous resorts in the region or the busier central hubs lower down at Shiga.
In Shiga Kogen, you are often above the clouds, which offers stunning views. Image: Robin Watts
Lifts and terrain
One of the most important things to understand about the layout is that Okushiga Kogen and neighbouring Yakebitaiyama are essentially a pair of larger-scale ski resorts sitting side by side (and connected to the two smaller Ichinose ski resorts) on a separate mountain peak from the rest of the smaller interlinked Shiga Kogen resorts. If you compare the official piste map and the OpenSnow scale map, you can clearly see the difference.
There’s a lot to fit in here, so you can understand why they did it this way, but it is misleading. Image: shigakogen-ski.or.jp
The piste map doesn’t accurately show how large Okushiga and Yakebitaiyama are compared to the rest of Shiga Kogen or the distances between the other areas. Image: opensnow.com
By staying in Okushiga Kogen, you can easily ski the log reds and short blacks of both resorts without the effort of zig-zagging through the more central parts of Shiga Kogen. I spent some time trying to navigate the central area, and it was quite an effort with all the cat tracks, tunnels, and little walks required to get from one place to another. Staying on the Okushiga and Yakebitaiyama side allows you to avoid all of that and just focus on the skiing.
The geography of this peak also means the snow stays in much better condition. Because the base area sits at 1,470 metres, which is higher than the top of many other Japanese resorts, it often stays below freezing when lower elevations are seeing rain. I have been in Shiga Kogen in late March when it was raining almost everywhere else, but it was still dumping fresh snow at the higher elevations on this separate peak. For anyone planning a trip during the Christmas period or late spring, this is the best bet.
The resort offers a total vertical drop of 530 metres, and the lift system is straightforward and efficient. The main artery of the mountain is the Okushiga Kogen Gondola, which takes just over six minutes to the top station. From there, you can ride several high-speed pair lifts, including the 2nd and 3rd Rapid Pairs. The terrain is balanced, with about 20% for beginners and 60% for intermediates.
If you want to try some mellow tree runs for the first time, then Okushiga’s Forest Course is the place to start. The lower section, which is designed for kids, is flat and easy to navigate. Once you’re comfortable, you can try the steeper upper section and take shortcuts between the corners of the snaking forest run.
The pitch is mellow, and the trees are nicely spaced off the side of the Forest course. Image: Jamie O’Brien
Yakebitaiyama seems to have the more easily explored tree runs. The area between the Shirakaba and Buna trails is a good place to find fresh lines, as it’s in a slightly awkward corner of the resort that isn’t easy to lap. The lift also closes quite early, preserving the snow. Both resorts have a relaxed attitude to skiing in the trees, but if you’re doing this without a guide, be extremely careful. If you have a guide to show you the way, the trees between these two resorts hold huge stashes of untouched powder all day long.
Navigating the wider Shiga Kogen area
Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort is actually 18 interlinked ski areas. While the idea of a huge interconnected area sounds amazing, the reality of moving between the resorts can be a bit of a disappointment. Many of the runs that connect the different peaks are quite short, and you will often find yourself navigating a frustrating series of winding cat tracks that link the different peaks. I spent a day trying to tick off as many areas as possible, but I found that exploring the whole system using the lifts was not always particularly fun, especially if you’re a snowboarder.
The central hub, Ichinose Family, is where crowds tend to gather, and while it is a good place to lap the pisted runs, it can become quite congested with beginners who are not always in control. The lift lines are rarely more than a few minutes long.
I was actually very disappointed with the famous 1998 Olympic run that connects through Takamagahara Mammoth and Hoppo Bunadaira. To be completely honest, it felt like a bit of a scam to mark it on the map as an Olympic course because it seems like they have converted what should have been an interesting red run into a series of narrow, snaking cat tracks (probably for safety reasons). This leads to a lot of congestion, and I saw a couple of nasty accidents where beginners were clearly on terrain that was simply too narrow and steep for their level.
The World Cup course was deserted and features gentle rolling hills. Image: Jamie O’Brien
If you want a much better experience on a day when there is no fresh powder, you should head over to the World Cup course at Nishitateyama Ski Resort and the nearby Giant Ski Area. The Giant run is easily the best pisted run in the entire Shiga Kogen resort because, although it’s not long, it’s wide, and it has a consistent, steep pitch that’s intimidating enough to keep most people away (on the chairlift up, you can see people sliding down after falling, unable to stop). If I were to visit this part of Shiga Kogen again on a non-powder day, I would probably just lap the Giant and World Cup courses.
You get great views of the World Cup course on the opposite peak on the way down Giant Course. Image: Jamie O’Brien
Giant Course from the chairlift. Image: Jamie O’Brien
Late-season strategies and snow quality
Like most resorts in Japan, Okushiga Kogen doesn’t use snow cannons, and because of the height, the snow stays very light and dry. This becomes particularly important in April. Most resorts can suffer from rain, sunshine and +10°C temperatures in the spring, which turns the base into a bit of a mess, but Okushiga typically stays much colder. Okushiga averages around 12 metres of snow each season.
The best strategy for a late-season trip is to hire a car from Nagano station and use this high-elevation peak as your base. Rather than trying to navigate the potentially slushy or icy connections between resorts elsewhere in the valley, you should just park at the base of a peak like Okushiga or Yokoteyama and lap the main gondola or chairs. You might also want to plan to ski or snowboard in the morning when conditions are good, then head down to the valley for other activities in the afternoon if the snow starts to feel sticky as the sun gets higher.
No lift lines at the gondola base, even during peak season. Image: Robin Watts.
The Ikon Pass and international access
For international travellers, it is worth noting that Shiga Kogen is now part of the Ikon Pass. This gives pass holders seven days of access to the entire mountain resort, which is a great deal if you are also planning to visit other major destinations like Niseko United or Lotte Arai during your trip. Having a multi-resort pass like this makes it much easier to justify a trip to these more remote corners of Nagano, and it allows you to move between the different Shiga Kogen areas without having to worry about separate lift tickets.
Accommodation at the Okushiga Kogen Hotel
The entrance to the Okushiga Kogen Hotel. The bridge-like patio area on the second floor leads directly to the ski slopes. Image: Jamie O’Brien
If you are planning to stay on the north side of Shiga, the Okushiga Kogen Hotel, at an elevation of 1,500 metres, is a wonderful option and makes an excellent base for first tracks while others are still making their way up the mountain. The hotel has a timeless, refined feel, like a setting from a 70s Bond movie.
You can ski right up to the locker room door on the second floor of the Okushinga Kogen Hotel. Image: Jamie O’Brien
There are deluxe triple rooms in the new wing that offer plenty of space, and twin rooms with large windows that let you look out over the snowy landscape. For those travelling alone, the single rooms in the main wing are a great choice because they come with a wide 140cm bed, which is much more comfortable than the tiny beds you often find in many Japanese hotels. If you are with a larger group or a family, the suite is the most spacious option and can accommodate up to five people.
I stayed in a double room with an ensuite bathroom. Image: Jamie O’Brien
The impressive bar, housed in the pitched roof of the building, has views across the ski resort. Image: Jamie O’Brien
A good measure of whether a Japanese ski area has “sold out” is whether alcoholic drinks are still available at normal ¥200-400 prices in vending machines. These have disappeared from many resorts or are “out of order”. Image: Jamie O’Brien
A feature of the hotel is that the baths and the sauna use 100 per cent natural mountain water rather than volcanic hot spring water. The water is taken from a stream on Mount Yakebitai and is filtered before use. While a traditional volcanic onsen uses naturally hot subterranean water, these baths are heated and use what is considered some of the best-quality fresh water in Shiga Kogen. The water is incredibly clean and soft.
Lift passes and rental equipment are available at the hotel or at the base area of the ski resort. There’s also a small shop inside the hotel.
Dining
The dining in Okushiga is far superior to the typical food courts you might find at other resorts. At the Okushiga Kogen Hotel, you can choose from three restaurants for your evening meal: French cuisine at Gendai (including raclette), traditional Japanese dishes at Kunenbo, or a teppanyaki experience at Shirakaba.
The eight-course Japanese dinner, included in the room rate, was impeccable. Image: Jamie O’Brien
For a mountain lunch, Restaurant St Christoph, near the base area, is a popular spot for a bowl of ramen or curry. You can also find excellent lunch or dinner options at the Hotel Grand Phoenix.
Restaurant St Christoph has a mini ski museum. Image: Robin Watts.
Getting there
Reaching Okushiga Kogen does take a bit more effort than staying in a more central location, but that’s why it remains so quiet. Most people take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano, a journey of about 90 minutes, and then take a bus or a private car for the final hour up the mountain. Personally, I prefer to rent a vehicle and drive up from Tokyo, so I have the flexibility to visit other nearby resorts that westerners don’t really go to, like Ryuoo Ski Park and Yamaboku. Just make sure you have AWD and snow tyres. The roads can be treacherous.
Culture & ambience
Okushiga Kogen feels as if it hasn’t changed much over the last 50 years, and that is a massive part of its charm. It has a timeless quality that sets it apart from the more modernised or crowded resorts like Niseko or Hakuba.
It is the ideal choice if you want to stay somewhere completely devoid of late-night bars and loud music and prefer to have a high-quality meal and a drink in the comfort of your hotel. Whether you are hunting for powder or just enjoying the relatively empty slopes, Okushiga offers a more refined, European-influenced version of skiing and snowboarding in Japan.
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