Nearby Ski Fields Nozawa

Nozawa Onsen is the perfect base to go and explore other nearby ski fields from.

In fact, there are 102 ski resorts in the Nagano prefecture.

And many of them are only within one to two hours drive from our village. Due to Japan’s epic public transport, there are trains and buses that also link up these other mountain resorts.

You can also rent a car for a day or two from nearby Iiyama.

Nozawa Onsen will always be our favourite ski resort, but if you’re looking to change things up, try some new terrain, and seek some new views then we highly recommend going for an explore.

Most ski fields in Japan have pretty cheap day lift passes compared to resorts in the rest of the world so it would be a shame to miss out on them.

Here’s a rundown of some other epic resorts:

Togakushi Ski Resort

1hr drive from Nozawa. A car provides the easiest access. Or access from Nagano Station by bus. Catch the Nozawa Onsen liner to Iiyama and then the local train to Nagano or catch the Nagano liner which runs twice a day from Nozawa Onsen.
More relaxed terrain, great for beginners and intermediates; 19 courses.
4,500 yen Adult Lift Ticket.

This ski field is often deserted on weekdays so you have most of the terrain to yourselves, meaning not a lot of competition when you’re hunting for fresh tracks on powder! It’s not a typical skiing resort, so you will get a sweet Japanese experience when visiting. The area is famous for its soba noodles, a perfect treat after a long-day skiing. You can also explore the nearby Giant Sugi (cedar trees) which line the path to the Togakushi Shrine. Some of the trees are more than 900 years old. This would be a perfect overnight trip away.

Madarao Kogen Ski Resort

1hr drive from Nozawa. Direct bus from Nozawa Onsen in the morning, main bus station or bus to Iiyama and catch bus from there.
Even spread of terrain to suit all levels; 31 courses.
5,000 yen Adult Lift Ticket.

This ski field is super close to Nozawa Onsen and with a direct bus route getting you there just after 9am, it’s the perfect day trip away if you’re craving some new terrain.

Shiga Kogen

1hr drive from Nozawa. A car provides the easiest access. Or 2,.5hrs by several buses.
70% of courses are for intermediate skiers; 33 courses.
5,000 yen Adult Lift Ticket.

We take our guests here at the beginning of the season when it’s a slow start here. Shiga has 48 lifts! It has the biggest and most high-elevation of ski fields in the country, made up of around 19 previously separate ski fields. Ski in the morning and then stop by to see the Snow Monkeys on your way home. A great day trip from Nozawa Onsen.

Myoko Kogen

50min drive from Nozawa. A car provides the easiest access. Or bus to Iiyama and catch the shinkansen for one stop to Joetsu-Myoko. Local trains and buses to your desired ski field from there, maybe some hitchhiking!
This area is made up of many ski fields and each field has individual ski passes; they are on the lower side though around 4,500 yen.

Myoko is made up of nine main ski areas. Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira, Myoko Suginohara, Seki Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Lotte Arai, Madarao, Tangram, Myoko Ski Park. There’s also Kurohime, Togakushi and Lizuna nearby. I’d recommend taking a weekend trip here and picking one or two of the fields to explore! Sugi has the longest ski run in all of Japan – around 8.5km and Akakura Onsen has the steepest ski run in central Japan (38. degrees); it’s known as Third Wall.

Hakuba

1hr.50min drive from Nozawa. Bus to Iiyama and then local train to Nagano or direct bus to Nagano; direct buses or trains to Hakuba from there.
This area is made up of several ski fields with 135 lifts, several gondolas and more than 200 courses.
You can have a single lift ticket to access all fo the fields for 7,600 yen.

Hakuba village is actually a collection of nine ski fields. There’s Tsgaike Kogen, which is a great family field, perfect for beginners to learn. For the advanced skiers, heli-skiing is on offer. Hakuba is one of Japan’s most popular ski areas and has a more resort-like feel to it with a spread out village, although shuttles are available between ski areas. I would recommend a weekend trip here if you are based at Nozawa Onsen.

Let us know in the comments below your other favourite ski fields and if we’ve missed any favourites people should go and visit!