The Mountain
Ten ski areas
within thirty minutes.
Why here
Deep snow, with options
in every direction.
Siberian air crosses the Sea of Japan, picks up moisture, and drops it on this corridor as some of the driest, deepest snow on earth. Myoko averages 13.4 metres a season, reliably from late December into March.
From the lodge, Tangram is a three-minute walk, ten ski areas sit within thirty minutes, and thirty more within the hour — so the day's plan can follow the snow.
The ten within thirty minutes
Where to ski next
| Tangram | At the door — three minutes on foot, and the two ski as one mountain with Madarao. Groomers, trees, and the easiest first morning of the trip. |
|---|---|
| Madarao | Lift-connected to Tangram. 30 runs and 13 marked tree runs, the most in Japan. New on the Ikon Pass for 2026/27. Best on a storm day. |
| Myoko Suginohara | 1,124 m vertical and an 8.5 km top-to-bottom run. On the Ikon Pass. Best on a clear day. |
| Lotte Arai | The big mountain day — the largest inbounds freeride zone in Japan. On the Ikon Pass. |
| Akakura Onsen | The historic heart of Myoko skiing, with an onsen village at the base for the soak afterwards. |
| Akakura Kanko | Joined to Akakura Onsen at the summit — varied terrain across several zones. |
| Ikenotaira | Wide, gentle slopes and a first-rate terrain park. The family and freestyle day. |
| Seki Onsen | Two lifts, almost no grooming, and some of the deepest snow in the country. The powder-day pilgrimage. |
| Kurohime | Quiet touring through birch forests. Undiscovered, and untracked powder for days. |
| Iizuna | A quiet locals' mountain — mellow terrain and long views over Nagano. |
Hub and spoke
Thirty-plus areas,
five clusters,
one home base.
Widen the radius to an hour and you can chase the deepest snowfall or the most reliable high-altitude cover in the same week, without changing where you sleep.
- Myoko Kogen
- Six areas. Some of the deepest snowfall on earth, big vertical, and authentic hot-spring villages at the base.
- Madarao / Shinano
- Three areas. The tree-skiing capital of Japan — the most marked forest runs in the country, over Lake Nojiri.
- Nagano / Togakushi
- Two areas. Dry powder and family terrain, against a backdrop of mountain shrines and volcanic peaks.
- Iiyama / Nozawa
- Three areas. A world-famous onsen village and the longest continuous run in the prefecture.
- Yamanouchi / Shiga Kogen
- Nineteen areas. Japan's largest interconnected ski area, on the Ikon Pass, with the region's most reliable high-altitude snow.
What it is actually like
Fresh lines
beyond first chair.
Uncrowded. While Niseko and Hakuba fill, this corridor stays a locals' secret. Short lift lines, and powder that is still there at two in the afternoon.
Liberal off-piste. Unlike most of Japan, Myoko takes a relaxed view of sidecountry and backcountry access. Tree skiing, open bowls, unpatrolled lines — the reason people who chase snow keep coming back here rather than somewhere more famous.
On the Ikon Pass. Three of the ten carry Ikon access — Madarao, new for 2026/27 and lift-linked to Tangram at the top, plus Myoko Suginohara and Lotte Arai — seven days each on the Full Pass, five on Base. Shiga Kogen, an hour away, is on the pass as well. Hold an Ikon and the mountain connected to our front door is already included.
Lift ticket prices, opening dates and lift connections change season to season. Ask us before you commit to a pass — we watch this closely and would rather you bought the right one.
Storm day
Stay close and ski trees: Tangram–Madarao from the door, or Seki Onsen if you want it deep, steep and ungroomed. The days this valley is famous for.
Bluebird day
Go big: Suginohara's 1,124 m vertical and 8.5 km top-to-bottom, or Lotte Arai's free ride terrain. Both on the Ikon Pass.
Mixed group
Ikenotaira for wide, gentle slopes and the terrain park; Tangram itself for lessons and first weeks on snow, three minutes from breakfast.
Ski a different mountain every day. Sleep in the same bed every night.