Many of our readers will know by now that we’re big fans of Madarao. On our first trip to the resort we were blown away by the quantities of champagne powder that we woke up to every morning out the front of Hakken, our cosy lodge managed by Madarao accommodation provider Active Life Japan. We duly spent our mornings getting to first chair – though we needn’t have worried, the lift lines were sparse and fresh tracks remained until late in the day. At the time we felt like we’d lucked out, but we now know that a 50cm powder day in Madarao is just another day to the locals.
Getting out of the driveaway can sometimes be a challenge in Madarao, but once you’re on the road the options are endless. Pictured: Hakken by Active Life. Learn more
On our second trip in 2020 (just before the pandemic stopped travel around the world), Japan was going through one of its driest winters on record. We still enjoyed several amazing powder days at the resort, but the sunny days in between gave us a chance to pause and discover what we think is a very underrated side of a holiday in Madarao: its proximity to other incredible ski resorts.
Heard of Nozawa Onsen, Myoko and Lotte Arai? Of course you have. But Togari Onsen, Ryuoo Ski Park and X-JAM Takaifuji. Quite probably not – and yet they’re all a stone’s throw from Madarao, with incredible powder and unique features that make them well worth a day trip.
Active Life Japan had the good sense to understand that visitors to Japan often love to explore, and years ago set up a complimentary inter-resort shuttle for guests of their properties. It’s a service that we made good use of on that second trip, skiing four different ski resorts in as many days. On Monday to Friday, the shuttle went to one of 12 nearby resorts, selected according to the conditions of the day. Never has exploring different ski resorts been so easy … we had a ball.
In 22/23, Active Life is once again offering the shuttle service to lodge guests, running between January 2 and February 17. Book your trip and you may end up skiing several of the resorts below.
Madarao Mountain
With doorstep access to Madarao’s powder-laden slopes, you won’t need a shuttle bus, though a pair of fat skis (and maybe a snorkel) would be well advised. The resort gets bucket loads of powder (“Madapow”) every season, and benefits from a powder-friendly approach to grooming, with 12 dedicated “powder zones” and up to 60% of the resort left ungroomed.
Madarao’s best feature: powder
Tangram Ski Resort
You won’t need to go far to reach Tangram; in fact, the resort is linked with Madarao and accessible on a single pass. The 500 yen investment for the dual-mountain pass is well and truly worth it, and some best runs of our last visit were found by dropping down from the ridge that separates the two resorts into Tangram.
Tangram’s best feature: tree skiing
Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen is one of the best all-round mountains on this list, and an incredibly popular destination for foreign visitors to Japan. The resort’s terrain is extensive, with more than 50km of trails serviced by 21 lifts (including a new high-speed gondola). But our favourite part of Nozawa has to be its beautiful town, with magical streets and laneways to explore, cafes, restaurants, shops and, of course, onsen.
Nozawa Onsen’s best feature: the town
The town in Nozawa Onsen is magical
Myoko Suginohara
Myoko Suginohara is a long, skinny ski resort, with great lift infrastructure, thigh-burning groomers and some fun tree skiing. The resort claims to have the longest run in Japan (8.5km) – a top-to-bottom combination of five runs (Shakunage, Panorama-connecting course, Suginohara connecting course, Downhill and Shirakaba family course), which will see you descend roughly 1,100 vertical metres.
Myoko Suginohara’s best feature: long groomed runs (terrain park a close second)
Myoko Suginohara
Myoko Ikenotaira
Wide, mellow runs make Ikenotaira a top spot for beginners and low intermediates, however there’s also some enjoyable tree skiing for more confident skiers. Nothing at this resort is especially challenging, so if you’re looking for steeps head elsewhere.
Myoko Ikenotaira’s best feature: beginner terrain
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Myoko Akakura Onsen Ski Area
Akakura Onsen is the larger of two resorts that make up Myoko Akakura, which is generally considered the “main” place to ski in Myoko, thanks to great lift infrastructure, abundant snow, and proximity to Akakura Onsen (town). With 14 lifts and 17 marked runs, this is a large resort by Japan’s standards – and even better with a dual pass that gives you access to Akakura Kanko.
Akakura Onsen’s best feature: variety of terrain (and powder)
Myoko Akakura Kanko Resort
Akakura Kanko, also known as “Akakan”, is the smaller of the two Myoko Akakura resorts, but with a gondola, six quads and runs of up to 4.5km, there’s still plenty to keep visitors interested. It’s also home to Myoko Snowsports, whose home base is on the Champion side of Akakan.
Akakura Kanko’s best feature: its international snowsports school
Seki Onsen
Seki Onsen embodies what a lot of us come to love about skiing in Japan. It’s a pint-size resort with limited facilities, but its a magnet for powder and offers some phenomenal tree skiing when the conditions are good (and they often are). A mid-week powder day at Seki Onsen will make you fall in love; if it hasn’t snowed then you’re better off at another resort with more terrain.
Seki Onsen’s best feature: powder
Lotte Arai
Lotte Arai not only gets an incredible amount of snow (22 metres last season!), it has the terrain to back it up. Like Madarao, it has dedicated powder zones spread generously through the resort, and offers steeps that you won’t find at many resorts in Japan. There’s also some exceptional backcountry, though we’d recommended exercising caution because the terrain is notoriously avalanche prone.
Lotte Arai’s best feature: Steeps
Image: lottehotel.com/arai-resort
Kita Shinshu Kijimadaira Ski Resort
If you’d like to claim that you’ve skied Japan’s steepest run, then Kijimadaira is your spot. The resort is home to an imposing 45 degree run called ‘Pioneer’ course, though it is often closed during the week (and the whole of last season) – so make sure you check ahead of your trip. Kijimadaira is otherwise a fairly modest resort, with good snow and a reasonable variety of runs given its smallish size. It has very much escaped the attention of foreign crowds, which may be a reason to visit in itself.
X-Jam Takaifuji
At one point X-Jam Takaifuji and Kijimadaira were connected by a “Mt Kosha” ski area pass that included five resorts, but this appears to have been dropped. As the trendy name seems to suggest, this is a great spot for terrain park riders. There are four parks at the resort that, when in full swing, offer up to 50 features and cater to all levels. Challenge Park and Hike Park and best suited to beginners and intermediates, while X-JAM Main Park and Excite Park are for more experience park riders.
X-Jam Takaifuji’s best feature: terrain parks
Ryuoo Ski Park
Ryuoo Ski Park is a narrow resort with more than 1,000 metres of vertical on offer and a decent variety of terrain. Like nearby Madarao, it gets plenty of powder. One of the most interesting features of Ryuoo is its 166-capacity Ropeway (one of the largest in the world), which delivers riders to a top station panoramic lookout called SORA Terrace. The views can be magical, and many visit in the hope that they’ll witness a phenomenon called unkai – a “sea of clouds” that rolls in over the ski resort below.
Ryuoo Ski Park’s best feature: its Ropeway (166-person capacity) and the views from the top
Ryuoo Ski Park. Image: Facebook.com
Togari Onsen Ski Resort
Togari Onsen is a small ski resort to the west of its more famous neighbour Nozawa Onsen. There’s a reasonable variety of trails and much better skiing than the four lift set-up would suggest, and we think it’s well worth a day trip from Madarao. What really intrigues us, however, is the dedicated snowbike park – Japan’s first – that features an 800m trail with banks, waves and single track. A great option if you want to add some variety to your ski trip and try something a bit different. Fat bikes are available to rent from the resort.
Togari Onsen Ski Resort’s best feature: snowbike park
Image: togari.jp
To book Madarao accommodation with Active Life Japan and get access to their inter-resort shuttle, visit their website or check our their offers page for the latest packages and discounts.
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October 25, 2022
Really under rated for a place with so much to offer.