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Snowboarder making a turn down an open powder slope
Madarao guide

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.

Winter

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.

For ski and snowboard rental, try Chill Madarao, at the top of Chair Lift #1, with English-speaking staff and kids' skis and boards. It's open daily from December to March.

Madarao Mountain Resort
Snowy chairlift at Madarao Mountain Resort
Winter

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.

Skinning up a snowy ridge on a backcountry tour
Winter

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.

Book ice fishing
Snow-frosted trees above Lake Nojiri and the Myoko mountains, seen from Madarao
Ski the region

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.

  1. Madarao (4-minute walk) & Tangram

    Tree runs and powder at Madarao, a 4-minute walk to the resort. Tangram is on the same Mountain Pass, reached over the mountain, with about 50 runs between them.

    madarao.jp

  2. Togari Onsen · 30–35 min

    A friendly Iiyama hill with night skiing, a new terrain park and a long mogul course.

    togari.jp

  3. Nozawa 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.com

  4. Myoko 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 resorts

  5. Seki Onsen · 40–45 min

    A tiny two-lift hill famous for very deep, ungroomed powder and a season that often runs into May.

    sekionsen.jp

  6. Ryuoo 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.com

  7. Arai Mountain Resort · 50–60 min

    Huge snowfall, big freeride terrain and a 7 km longest run. It's the ski area of Lotte Arai Resort.

    Arai Mountain Resort

  8. Togakushi · 55–60 min

    Light, dry inland snow and big views, close to the famous Togakushi shrines.

    togakusi.com

  9. Shiga Kogen · 60–75 min

    One of Japan's largest ski areas: 18 interlinked areas at high altitude on one all-mountain pass.

    Shiga Kogen
Rest days

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.

  1. Snow monkeys · about 1 hour by car

    Wild Japanese macaques soak in the hot spring at Jigokudani. The last 30–40 minutes are on foot along a snowy forest path, so wear boots with grip. In winter, people with online tickets get in first.

    Jigokudani Monkey Park

  2. Zenkoji Temple, Nagano · about 1 hour

    One of Japan's most important temples, nearly 1,400 years old. Feel your way along the pitch-dark passage under the main hall to find the 'key to paradise', then browse the shops on the approach. Easy by train via Iiyama.

    zenkoji.jp

  3. Togakushi · about 1 hour by car

    Snowshoe or walk up to the 400-year-old cedar avenue on the way to the Okusha shrine, then warm up with Togakushi's famous soba. In winter the path ends at the cedars.

    Togakushi tourism

  4. Snowshoeing · right here

    Local guides lead snowshoe walks through Madarao's beech forests, from gentle family outings to longer treks. You can also hire snowshoes and get a trail map at Yama no Ie, the visitor centre in Madarao Kogen.

    Snowshoe tours

  5. Onsen · minutes away

    Madarao no Yu, a few minutes' drive from the lodge, is a day-visit hot spring with an outdoor bath and a sauna. It's usually open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30) and closed on Tuesdays, except public holidays; check its calendar before you go. Or try one of Nozawa Onsen's 13 historic village baths: they're free, with a small coin in the box. Bring your own towel.

    Madarao no Yu

  6. Iiyama town · about 30 min

    The 'Little Kyoto of the snow country' has more than 20 temples, a covered gangi street lined with Buddhist altar makers, and Mayumi Takahashi's doll museum. You can also make your own Uchiyama washi paper or taste Mizuo sake at the Tanakaya brewery.

    Iiyama culture

  7. Kamakura Village · about 30 min

    From late January to the end of February, have hot pot lunch or dinner inside a lantern-lit snow hut at Iiyama's Kamakura Village. You need to book, and it fills up quickly.

    Kamakura Village

  8. Obuse · about 45 min by car

    A pretty little town famous for chestnut sweets, with a museum dedicated to the woodblock artist Hokusai. A good choice for a rainy day.

    Hokusai Museum

  9. Iiyama Station tourist information

    The team inside Iiyama Station speaks English and can help with buses, tours, tickets and more ideas for a day off. Open daily, 9:00–18:00 from December to March. They also store luggage.

    Iiyama Station
Spring to autumn

Green season adventures

Madarao is much more than a ski resort. When the snow melts, the trails open up.

  1. Shinetsu Trail

    The Shinetsu Trail (信越トレイル) starts on Mt Madarao and follows the ridge between Nagano and Niigata for 110 km, crossing old mountain passes on the way. The first section, about 8.5 km from Mt Madarao to Akaike Pond, makes a lovely day hike; it usually opens in late May.

    Shinetsu Trail

  2. Mountain biking

    The best riding starts around the end of April. An easy 12 km downhill from the Buddha bus stop follows the old highway along the river to Iiyama Station — catch the bus back up, or ride it if you want a challenge.

    Local trail ideas

  3. Zipline Adventure

    Eleven zipline courses through the forest at Madarao Kogen, running from late April to late October. Groups of up to 10.

    Zipline Adventure

  4. Golf

    Madarao Kogen Country Club sits among five famous peaks including Myoko and Kurohime. Shinano Golf Club (par 72, 7,029 yards) and Madarao Tokyu Golf Club are close by too.

    More about golf nearby
Culture

Winter festival

Every February, nearby Iiyama celebrates its famous snow.

  1. 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)
Questions

Madarao FAQ

When is the 2026–27 ski season?

For the 2026–27 season, Madarao Mountain Resort is open from 12 December 2026 to 28 March 2027, and Tangram from 19 December 2026 to 28 March 2027. The two are linked over the mountain, except from 12 to 18 December and from 23 to 28 March. Winter stays can start from 10 December, even before the resort opens. The resorts set the dates each year, and we're open all year.

Madarao, Hakuba or Nozawa: which is best for families?

Madarao suits families who want a quieter mountain. Lift lines are usually short, especially on weekdays, while Hakuba's resorts get very busy at peak times, and Nozawa Onsen, though quieter than Hakuba, is still busy. Madarao has a kids' park, a ski school and plenty of beginner runs, plus tree runs for older kids. With the resort a 4-minute walk from the lodge, it's easy to come back for lunch or a rest. Hakuba and Nozawa are great resorts too, and Nozawa Onsen is an easy day trip, 40–45 minutes by car.

Rider in powder between the birch trees

Stay right in the middle of it

Tombi Lodge is a 4-minute walk to the resort and a minute from the bus stop, with more than a dozen resorts within reach.

Tombi LodgeTwo private lodges · Madarao
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