Biwako Valley
Biwako Valley Ski Resort is located in Shiga Prefecture and within easy day trip distance from Kyoto and Osaka. If you’re a beginner or park rider and your Japan itinerary and timeline doesn’t provide the opportunity to head further north, then go to Biwako if you’re keen for a slide. Otherwise make the effort to go a little further north to where the real Japan skiing and snowboarding is.
Pros and Cons of Biwako Valley
Pros
- The slopes afford really nice views of the large Lake Biwa.
- Biwako Ski Resort is readily accessible for a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto.
- It is OK for beginners and beginner-intermediates when it’s not too congested.
- Biwako has a bit on offer for terrain park riders.
Cons
- It can be mayhem on weekends with crowds, even just for the Biwako Valley Ropeway, and long lift queues are commonplace.
- Advanced skiers and snowboarders will get bored very quickly.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- Snow cover on-piste is quite reliable considering the many, many snow guns to make artificial snow, yet the natural snow quality and quantity is a far cry from the famous Japow that powder hounds covet.
Biwako Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Biwako Valley Ski Resort is quite small with only 8 courses and 5 chair lifts (2 quads & 3 doubles). The Biwako Valley Ropeway heads up from the carpark to an elevation of 1,108 metres to the ski area proper. From there, slopes head in a couple of directions, and the maximum vertical of the runs is only 224 metres (950 to 1,174 metres). Check out the ski trail map for Biwako below.
Biwako Ski Resort has a couple of beginner runs, whilst the rest of the piste are intermediate runs except for a couple of very short pitches rated as advanced, although the only real challenge might be derived from the size of the moguls. Occasionally the snow quality may allow for a little venturing off the courses.
Biwako has a beginner terrain park as well as a small intermediate park that usually has various jib items and a big kicker, where it feels like you can jump out into Lake Biwa. It seems that a half pipe is no longer formed.
One of the prominent features of Biwako Ski Resort is the crowds that descend upon the place on weekends and holidays. Kyoto and Osaka have populations of 1.5 million and 2.8 million respectively, which gives you a hint as to the potential visitor pool at Biwako, and that doesn’t include the inbound tourists. The ropeway to get up and down the mountain is in high demand from skiers and snowboarders as well as pedestrians heading up for snow play. An abundance of wet bum snowboarders sit in the middle of the trails, which adds to the general congestion. If you can, try to avoid weekends.
Biwako Snow
You’re unlikely to find the highly prized snow that Japan is famous for at Biwako. It doesn’t get a lot of natural snowfall and the base usually peaks at about a metre of snow. The elevation isn’t particularly high considering that the latitude is only 35.21N. The ski area has a variety of aspects, and thankfully some of the runs are north-facing.
Where is Biwako Valley?
The ski area is located in Otsu City in the Shiga Prefecture, near the western shores of the large Lake Biwa (Biwa-ko). It is 35km northeast of Kyoto and just a 40 minute drive from the Kyoto East Interchange, and 89km from Osaka.
If you don’t have your own wheels, you can catch trains to Shiga station, from where there are regular shuttles to Biwako Valley. Or private companies provide a bus service to Biwako Valley from Kyoto and Osaka.
Don’t confuse Biwako Valley with the Biwako Hakodateyama Ski Area further to the north which is smaller and has lower elevation.
Accommodation
Considering its proximity to Osaka and Kyoto, it makes sense just to day trip to Biwako Valley from one of these two cities.
Search & book local accommodation via the Kyoto Hotel Listings and Osaka Hotel Listings pages.
Facilities
The bottom station of the Biwako Valley Ropeway has lift ticket sales as well as a rental outlet for ski and snowboard equipment and clothing. At the top of the ropeway, you’ll find a retail shop and reception for ski school which provides lessons with instructors that speak simple English, and a cafeteria. If you were hoping for a swim in one of the infinity pools at Biwako Terrace, alas these are closed for the winter season.