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Stunning views
Backcountry (off-trail) skiing
Hidden gemStunning viewsBackcountry (off-trail) skiingHidden gemStunning viewsBackcountry (off-trail) skiingHidden gemStunning viewsBackcountry (off-trail) skiingHidden gemMadarao Kogen sits in the rolling highlands of northern Nagano, in central Japan. It's a small resort with a big reputation for one thing above all, tree skiing. Madarao has more officially marked tree-run courses than anywhere else in Japan, cut through dense beech forest that catches the deep, dry powder the region is known for. Around the base sits a quiet highland village of small hotels, family-run lodges, and traditional inns, with hot springs to soak in and home-cooked local food in the evenings. A Madarao Kogen Pass covers the mountain's own slopes, which are more than enough to fill a trip, while the neighbouring Tangram ski area links in at the top if you want to range further.
The mountain sits in a natural bowl, entirely below the treeline, with much of it left ungroomed. Beginners have wide, gently groomed runs on the lower slopes, and because everything funnels back down into the bowl, there's no tricky navigation to worry about. Intermediates get flowing cruisers and can start dipping into the gentler marked tree runs, like the ridgeline Forest Line with views over Lake Nojiri. For strong skiers and boarders, the draw is the trees and ungroomed terrain such as the gladed forest runs, steep pitches like Crystal Bowl, and lift-accessed powder. Freestylers are well served too, with a terrain park and Madarao's history as host of Japan's first freestyle competition.
Off the slopes, Madarao is a relaxed, low-key place. Most people soak in an onsen after skiing, eat local Nagano cooking, and settle in for an early night before the next morning's snow. The village is small but growing, with a handful of restaurants and bars alongside the hotels. Beyond skiing, you can snowshoe or snow-raft through the forest, or take a soba-making class for a change of pace. The wider Myoko area is an easy day trip away, with hot-spring towns, sake breweries, and the mountains of the Japanese Alps, and the famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani are within reach too.
Check out Madarao ski deals to start planning your trip.
Madarao Kogen sits in the rolling highlands of northern Nagano, in central Japan. It's a small resort with a big reputation for one thing above all, tree skiing. Madarao has more officially marked tree-run courses than anywhere else in Japan, cut through dense beech forest that catches the deep, dry powder the region is known for. Around the base sits a quiet highland village of small hotels, family-run lodges, and traditional inns, with hot springs to soak in and home-cooked local food in the evenings. A Madarao Kogen Pass covers the mountain's own slopes, which are more than enough to fill a trip, while the neighbouring Tangram ski area links in at the top if you want to range further.
The mountain sits in a natural bowl, entirely below the treeline, with much of it left ungroomed. Beginners have wide, gently groomed runs on the lower slopes, and because everything funnels back down into the bowl, there's no tricky navigation to worry about. Intermediates get flowing cruisers and can start dipping into the gentler marked tree runs, like the ridgeline Forest Line with views over Lake Nojiri. For strong skiers and boarders, the draw is the trees and ungroomed terrain such as the gladed forest runs, steep pitches like Crystal Bowl, and lift-accessed powder. Freestylers are well served too, with a terrain park and Madarao's history as host of Japan's first freestyle competition.
Off the slopes, Madarao is a relaxed, low-key place. Most people soak in an onsen after skiing, eat local Nagano cooking, and settle in for an early night before the next morning's snow. The village is small but growing, with a handful of restaurants and bars alongside the hotels. Beyond skiing, you can snowshoe or snow-raft through the forest, or take a soba-making class for a change of pace. The wider Myoko area is an easy day trip away, with hot-spring towns, sake breweries, and the mountains of the Japanese Alps, and the famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani are within reach too.
Check out Madarao ski deals to start planning your trip.
Madarao's skiing is built around powder and trees. Up front, the mountain has its groomed runs, wide, well-tended pistes that suit intermediate cruising and learning, and mellow beginner courses right by the base and steeper, plus more testing pitches higher up. The real character of the place, though, is in the forest. Madarao has gladed its beech woods into some of the most extensive marked tree skiing in Japan, with widely spaced trunks, a steady, rideable pitch, and deep, light snow between them. These tree zones are marked with coloured gates by difficulty, so you can pick a line to match your ability, from a first cautious run in the trees to something wilder.
Getting around is simple enough, and the layout is easy to read and you rarely have to traverse far.. Madarao sits in a natural bowl, so wherever you ski you feed back down towards the base, and you can cover the whole mountain comfortably in a day. The lifts are all chairs and a couple of fast quads serving the main runs and access points, and a scattering of slower chairs, including a single chair up to the top gate. From the top, a short traverse and a chairlift bring you over to Tangram, the neighbouring ski area, which adds more open, groomed terrain and comes on a combined pass if you fancy the extra ground.
Important for international visitors: One thing to know if you've mostly skied in Europe is that Japan grades its runs differently. It uses three colours, green for beginner runs, red for intermediate, and black for advanced. The one to watch is red, which here means intermediate, the middle grade, rather than the harder European red, and there's no blue at all. Gradings can also be a little gentler and less consistent than you might be used to, so it's worth easing in over your first few runs to see how they translate. The marked tree runs sit outside this system, graded instead by the colour of their gates.
Madarao has a patient, encouraging feel that suits beginners well. The pace is relaxed, the beginner terrain is kept separate from faster traffic, and the staff at the lifts and ski school are friendly and used to first-timers. There's a nursery area at the base with a gentle surface lift to start on. From there, a couple of wide, mellow green runs, Champion and Shirakaba, give you room to practise, and the soft snow is forgiving if you take a tumble. Because the mountain sits in a bowl, everything leads back down to the base, so you're never far from the lodge or unsure of the way home.
As your confidence grows, the front face has gentle runs to build on, like the long Traverse Course, which carries you along a ridge with wide views over Lake Nojiri and, on a clear day, out to the Sea of Japan. Over on the Tangram side there's more wide, open, gentle terrain worth skiing across to once you're linking your turns comfortably. It makes a good next step, a change of scene without a big jump in difficulty.
WeSki insider tip: Madarao is one of the few resorts set up for beginners to try tree skiing for the first time. It has gentle, clearly gated tree runs, like Usagi, designed so you can dip off the piste and into the forest safely, with easy ways in and out. Give one a go once you're comfortable on the greens, it's something you'd rarely get to try elsewhere.
Madarao's own front face is the place for intermediates to start. Its groomed runs have a steady, comfortable pitch and good snow underfoot. The wide Crystal Course is a fine cruiser, and the ridgeline Forest Line is worth skiing for its views over Lake Nojiri as much as for the run itself. There's enough on this side to keep you busy for a few days. If you want more ground, the Tangram side, on the combined pass, adds open, rolling groomers that make an easy change of scene.
As an intermediate, this is also where you can start skiing the trees. Madarao's tree zones are marked by coloured gates according to difficulty, and the easier ones lead into wide, gently pitched glades spaced out through the beech forest. They make a natural first step off the piste. The spacing gives you room and clear lines to aim for, so skiing in the forest feels manageable rather than daunting, and Powder Wave is a good one to start on.
WeSki insider tip: Don't think of the trees as a separate thing you have to commit to. Many of the easier gated glades run right alongside the groomers, so you can duck into the forest for a few turns and pop straight back out onto the piste on the same run. Weaving in and out like this over a few days is the quickest way to get comfortable in the trees, and it's how a lot of the terrain here is meant to be skied.
For strong skiers and boarders, the best of Madarao is up top, behind the red and black tree gates. These lead into steep, tight lines through dense beech forest, where deep snow gathers in the gullies and the natural shape of the ground, rollers, little drops, and wind-formed pillows, keeps every run different. Crystal Bowl is the steepest pitch on the mountain, and the ungroomed Air Wave course throws moguls, trees, and small airs at you in quick succession. Over on the far skier's left, the Sawa gully holds some of the steepest tree terrain in the resort, a proper fall-line run where you'll want confident technique and quick reactions.
Beyond the gates, Madarao opens into backcountry, and it's a resort that actively welcomes off-piste skiing. The surrounding highlands and the wider Myoko area hold plenty of deep, quiet powder for those equipped to reach it. A local guide is well worth it, both to find the best snow and to stay safe, since the terrain has gullies and creek beds that need care. Anyone heading out of bounds should carry avalanche kit, know how to use it, and check the day's conditions before setting off.
WeSki insider tip: Ride the old single chair to the very top and look for the gate there. A short hike or traverse from it opens up the longest, best lines on the mountain, terrain the lifts don't quite reach and that most visitors skip. Take avalanche kit and know the conditions, but if you're equipped, this is where Madarao's advanced skiing really comes alive.
Snowboarding runs deep at Madarao. It hosted Japan's first freestyle competition, and that freestyle spirit still shows, in a terrain park, a natural halfpipe at Sawa, and playful features all over the mountain. The trees are the real draw, though. The beeches are well spaced and the fall line is consistent, so you can keep your flow through the forest without the flat spots that catch riders out elsewhere, and the powder is effortless to ride. Natural drops, rollers, and pillow lines turn the trees into one big terrain park. The groomers are wide enough for proper carving, and Tangram adds longer runs on the combined pass. Just watch for the odd flat traverse between areas.
Off-piste is Madarao's headline act. A colour-coded gate system gives you structured access to designated tree-skiing zones, graded from beginner-friendly green gates through to expert-only black, so you can choose terrain that matches your ability and step it up as you go. It makes Madarao one of the easiest places in Japan to get into tree skiing safely, whatever your level. The rule is simple: the gated zones are open to ride, but skiing outside them, into closed areas, isn't allowed. Beyond the gates, guided backcountry tours reach the wider Myoko highlands, with steep volcanic terrain and deep, untracked powder for experienced skiers. That's proper backcountry, so go with a local guide, carry avalanche kit, and check the day's conditions before setting out.
Madarao's ski school runs from the base, with English-speaking instructors offering group and private lessons for all ages and abilities. Because this is a powder mountain, the teaching leans that way. Alongside the usual lessons, the schools run powder clinics and tree-skiing sessions that take intermediate and advanced skiers off the groomers and into the beech forest, the best way to get to grips with Madarao's signature terrain with an expert alongside you. There are also guided tours that show you around the mountain, and across to Tangram, to find the best runs, which is handy if you're new to the resort. Beginners on a snowboard are especially well looked after, with free beginner snowboard lessons run several times a day.
Madarao has a freestyle streak, going back to its days hosting Japan's first freestyle skiing competition. Its main setup is the Freeride Park, a compact park with a mix of jumps, kickers, rails, and boxes, shaped and maintained through the core of the season. The features are well built and pitched at riders working on their progression. Beyond the park, Madarao has a large natural halfpipe at Sawa, shaped by the resort to encourage freeriding, which is an unusual and fun feature to have on the mountain. There's also a dedicated Kids' Park with gentler features for younger children starting out.
Madarao is a place the whole family can ski together, and it’s a destination that makes for a memorable holiday for everyone. The lower slopes are gentle enough to learn on, and once kids have a bit of experience, the gated tree runs let them follow you into the forest on the easier lines. Because the mountain sits in a bowl, everything feeds back down to the base, so splitting up for a run and meeting again is simple. Off the snow, most families stay in small, family-run lodges where the hosts cook for their guests, so a hot-spring soak after skiing and a home-cooked Japanese dinner become part of the holiday. It's a small, calm village with little traffic, which makes for an easy base with children.
The beginner setup is reassuringly simple. There's a nursery area at the base with a magic carpet, and wide, gentle green runs to progress onto. Ski and snowboard lessons run from age four with English-speaking instructors, and for the littlest ones, the main hotel has a childcare centre and a small play area. Once children can ski, families can do a lot of it together. The gentle gated tree runs are a big adventure, graded so that kids with experience can follow their parents into the beeches on the easier lines. There's a terrain park and a kids' park too, for anyone keen to try a few freestyle features.
Besides skiing, there's plenty to round out a family trip, starting with sledging and tubing on the mountain. Everyone can soak together in a hotel onsen at the end of the day, and the wider Myoko area has hot-spring towns to explore, with the famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani a popular family day trip. Meals are mostly in the lodges and a handful of village places, with hearty Japanese home cooking the norm. Some of it may be new to younger children, but rice, noodles, and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) tend to go down well, and the village izakaya, casual Japanese pub-restaurants, are relaxed, welcoming places to eat as a family. Worth knowing too, there are no cash machines in the village, so bring plenty of yen for the trip.
Madarao is a skiing destination first, and the village itself is small, so most of what there is to do off the slopes lies in the wider area. That's no bad thing, because northern Nagano is one of the most rewarding corners of Japan to explore in winter. Within an easy drive you'll find steaming hot-spring towns, sake breweries, snow-covered temples, and Japan's famous snow monkeys, plenty to fill a rest day or keep non-skiers happy. Here are some of the best things to do around Madarao.
The food around Madarao is focused on Nagano mountain cooking. This is Shinshu, the old name for the Nagano region, known across Japan for its soba, buckwheat noodles served cold with a dipping sauce or hot in broth, and for oyaki, little dumplings stuffed with seasoned vegetables. Menus lean on what the cold highlands produce, rich Shinshu miso, river fish, wild mountain vegetables and mushrooms, and the pickles that turn up alongside almost every meal, all washed down with local sake. Most pensions serve a generous home-cooked dinner as half board, and the village izakaya, casual Japanese pubs, are relaxed spots for a meal and a drink after skiing.
WeSki insider tip: Look out for nozawana-zuke, pickled mustard greens that are a Nagano speciality, first made just up the road in Nozawa Onsen. They turn up as a small side dish at most pensions and restaurants, salty and tangy, and cut nicely through a rich winter meal. They're also sold in local shops and make a good souvenir to take home.
Après-ski at Madarao is low-key and sociable, in keeping with the village. It's a handful of small bars, izakaya, and cosy lodge lounges where you settle in after a soak in the onsen. Most nights they fill with a friendly mix of locals, seasonal workers, and visiting skiers, fuelled by Japanese whisky, local sake, and a mutual love of powder. There's even a local whisky distillery in the area if you want to lean into that side of things. Here are some of the spots worth knowing.
Après-ski spots to know:
Madarao's accommodation has its own character, and much of it is small in scale. The village is built around family-run pensions and lodges, most in a Japanese or Japanese-Western style, with futon bedding, a communal onsen to soak in, and half-board dinners cooked by your hosts, who are often long-time locals or keen skiers themselves. Those home-cooked meals and onsen soaks are a big part of the appeal. Alongside them you'll find a growing number of Western-run chalets, some self-catered, along with larger hotels that have more conventional rooms and facilities, and a handful of self-catering apartments. Quality and size vary, from simple and homely to smart and well-appointed, so there's something to suit most groups and budgets. Almost all of it sits either slopeside or in the village itself, a short walk from the lifts.
Wherever you base yourself, the skiing is close, since the village is compact and everything sits near the slopes. Staying slopeside, at the base of the lifts, gives you the easiest mornings, with ski-in, ski-out access and the shortest walk to the first lift. Choosing a place in the village puts you closer to the pensions, bars, and restaurants, and among more of the low-key evening atmosphere, with the lifts still only a few minutes away. Either way, you're never far from the snow, or from a hot spring to come back to.
The Madarao Kogen Pass covers Madarao's own slopes, and for most visitors it's all you need, since there's plenty here to fill a trip. Day tickets and multi-day passes are both available, and a multi-day pass works out better value over several days. If you want to range further, you can add the neighbouring Tangram ski area with a combined Madarao-Tangram pass, which links the two mountains on a single ticket. It's worth considering if you're staying longer or fancy a change of terrain, though it isn't needed to get the most from a Madarao trip.
When you book your Madarao ski holiday package through WeSki, check the family and multi-day pass options to find the best fit for your trip.
There are several rental shops at the Madarao base stocking skis, snowboards, boots, and helmets, for all ages and abilities. Given how much powder falls here, it's worth asking for fat, rockered skis or a powder-specific board rather than standard gear, and some shops carry demo and high-performance ranges built for exactly these conditions. A few also rent avalanche safety equipment (a transceiver, shovel, and probe) for anyone heading out on a guided backcountry or sidecountry session. Book ahead online to secure the gear you want, especially over the busy Japanese New Year and February holiday periods. Some shops also offer overnight storage, handy if you're staying a short walk from the lifts.
Madarao village is small and easy to get around on foot, and most pensions and lodges sit within a short walk of the lifts. There's no shuttle running around the village itself, though, and it's a little spread out, so from the lower and outer parts it's a ten to fifteen minute walk to the slopes, worth checking when you book your accommodation, and some places run their own shuttle for guests. The link between Madarao and Tangram is made on skis through the connected lifts, so you don't need any transport to reach the wider ski area during the day.
For trips beyond the village, to the Myoko hot-spring towns, the snow monkeys, or the nearby resorts, a car is helpful but not essential. Some pensions arrange shuttles, and taxis are available but not cheap over any distance. One useful run is the bus down to Iiyama (around 25 to 30 minutes), handy for a supermarket, a look around its temple streets, and, importantly, an ATM, since there's no cash machine in Madarao and Japan still runs largely on cash, so bring plenty of yen. If you're driving yourself, winter tyres or chains are needed on the mountain roads. In the evenings, everything in the village is within walking distance, so you won't need transport for dinner or drinks.
Madarao is reached through Tokyo, whose two international airports, Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND), are served by direct flights from cities across the world. Narita is around 300km from the resort. From central Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Iiyama, the closest station to Madarao, which takes around 100 minutes. From Iiyama, a local bus or taxi covers the final stretch to the resort in about 25 minutes. Getting from either airport into central Tokyo to pick up the shinkansen takes somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour by train.
WeSki has private and scheduled transfers to Madarao. Add them to your Madarao ski holiday package for seamless door-to-door travel. WeSki also provides car rental from the airport if you'd prefer flexibility on the ground.
Madarao's tree skiing is its defining feature and among the best in Japan. The resort marks designated tree-skiing zones through its beech forests with colour-coded gates, graded from beginner-friendly greens through to expert-only blacks, so off-piste is accessible across a wide range of abilities. The trees are well spaced and the snow is deep and dry, and because Madarao stays relatively quiet, fresh tracks often last well beyond the first hour after a snowfall. For anyone new to skiing in trees, it's about as structured and welcoming an introduction as you'll find.
Both sit in the Nagano region and both make for a memorable Japanese ski trip, but they're quite different. Nozawa Onsen is larger and busier, a historic hot-spring town with a bigger ski area, famous free public bathhouses, and a livelier village. Madarao is smaller and quieter, with its reputation built on tree skiing and powder. If off-piste and tree runs are your priority, Madarao has the edge. If you want a bigger village with more dining, nightlife, and things to see, Nozawa Onsen is the stronger choice.
Madarao has a decent beginner area at the base, with gentle green runs and soft, forgiving snow to learn on, and a calm, unpressured feel. It's a comfortable place to start. That said, the mountain's real draw is its tree skiing and powder, so while beginners are looked after, the best terrain suits intermediate and advanced skiers. A mixed-ability group works well here, with beginners on the lower slopes and stronger skiers heading into the trees.
Madarao gets a lot of snow, on average somewhere around 13 metres a season. Sitting in the northern Nagano highlands, it catches moisture-laden systems off the Sea of Japan, which deliver the light, dry powder the region is known for. The season usually runs from mid-December into early April, with the most reliable snow between January and early March. The one caveat is the relatively low top elevation, which can bring the odd warmer spell, so conditions are at their best in the deep midwinter months.
Tangram Ski Circus is a neighbouring resort linked to Madarao by the lift system and covered on the combined pass. It has a more open, hotel-resort feel, with wider groomed runs that make a nice change from Madarao's forest terrain. It's worth a look if you're after variety, particularly intermediates who like a longer cruiser, and the crossing is easy, just a short traverse and a chairlift. For most visitors, though, Madarao's own slopes are plenty for a trip.
The quickest way is the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Iiyama, which takes around 100 minutes. From Iiyama, a local bus or taxi covers the last stretch to Madarao in about 25 minutes, so the whole trip from central Tokyo takes comfortably under three hours. You can also book a private or scheduled transfer through WeSki for the leg from Iiyama, which is especially handy with ski gear and luggage.
Madarao and Tangram together are a modestly sized ski area by European standards, and on groomed runs alone, four or five days would cover the main terrain. The tree skiing changes that, though. Conditions shift with every snowfall, and you'll keep finding new lines through the forest, so the mountain holds your interest far longer than its size suggests. Add rest-day trips around the Myoko area, onsen soaks, and the experience of staying in a Japanese pension, and a full week rarely feels stretched.
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