Myoko Kogen Japan
The Myoko Kogen ski region is ideal for powder hounds. It scores highly on the pow-dometer thanks to a whopping 13-15 metres of pow per season on average! The Myoko Kogen ski resort area is also great for those looking for a bit of a Japanese cultural experience without it being too overwhelming. Myoko Japan is a far cry from one of those glitzy bubble era resorts or the highly westernised “Japanese” ski resorts. Founded in the 1930s, Myoko is rich in history, Japanese people own many of the businesses, and the area has lots of unadulterated onsen (hot springs). Lots of westerners now head to Myoko so it’s lost a bit of its Japanese-ness, but the upside is that it’s now much easier for English speaking travellers and there is a bit of nightlife.
Pros and Cons of Myoko Japan
Pros
- The Myoko Kogen ski areas are a must do for powder hounds considering the quantity of snow and the opportunity to get off-piste (in some areas).
- Powder hounds can easily also visit nearby ski areas such as Madarao, Tangram or Lotte Arai to score more pow.
- Akakura Onsen has a good range of restaurants to explore and most of the restaurants and izakayas (Japanese bars that serve snack food) have English menus, and the staff speak at least a little Engrish.
- There has been a moderate influx of gaijin but it’s still retained its Japanese flavour. Particularly if you venture away from Akakura, plenty of the “real Japan” remains.
- Myoko is one of only several Japanese ski resorts to offer child care and group ski and snowboard lessons in English. The other ski resorts that have this pro tend to be very westernised.
Cons
- There isn’t that much to do during the day except ski or snowboard.
- The villages look rather run down in places, but the upside of it not being glitzy and new is that it feels somewhat traditional (and a sign that there hasn’t been a major injection of western money).
- The two ski areas adjacent to the main village (Akakura) don’t provide much in the way of steep fall line terrain.
- As is typical of the non-westernised Japanese ski resorts, there is only a small amount of self-contained accommodation such as apartments in Myoko Japan.
Myoko Ski Resort Terrain
There isn’t actually a Myoko Kogen ski resort per se. The Myoko area is made up of a handful of ski resorts that are largely linked together only by shuttle bus. The main ski area is
Myoko Akakura which is made up of two resorts side by side; Akakura Kanko ski resort and Akakura Onsen.
Suginohara ski resort features super long cruisy groomers and good sidecountry,
Seki Onsen is renowned for steep and deep tree skiing,
Ikenotaira Onsen has good freestyle fun, and family friendly slopes can be found at Kyukamura and Myoko Ski Park.
There’s something for everyone across the Myoko Kogen ski resorts although the area is most well known amongst powder hounds for the treed slopes and off-piste riding. Some of the Myoko ski resorts also have sidecountry and backcountry opportunities, which is where the serious powder chasers head, considering that Myoko has become more mainstream and the off-piste areas get chowdered up pretty quickly.
Myoko Kogen Snow
Myoko Kogen is famed for the abundant snow which results from its proximity to the Sea of Japan. No one can quite agree on the average snow volume per season, other than it’s A LOT, and that it’s higher than other ski resorts near Nagano City such as
Hakuba,
Nozawa Onsen and
Shiga Kogen.
Seki Onsen reputably gets 16 metres per season, but it’s hard to know if this is just part of the hype associated with Seki or whether it’s the source of the hype!
Where is Myoko Japan?
Myoko Kogen is located one hour north of the city of
Nagano in the Niigata Prefecture in the heart of the Joshinetsu National Park. From
Tokyo the best way to
travel to Myoko is to take the Nagano Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagano (approx 100 minutes), then the Shinetsu train line to Myoko Kogen Station. The ski villages such as Akakura Onsen are approximately 10 minutes from the station via taxi or most accommodations provide transport.
Alternatively there are direct shuttle buses from the Tokyo airports to Myoko Kogen with
Nagano Snow Shuttle.
In addition to the Myoko Kogen ski resorts, there are various other nearby ski resorts to explore, and if you book a
Myoko Powder Tour, your hosts and guides will provide transport to nearby ski areas and show you the powder stashes.
Myoko Kogen Accommodation
“Myoko” is the town in the valley near Myokokogen train station, but many people stay in one of the ski villages up at the base of the Myoko ski resorts. Akakura Onsen is generally the most popular village to stay because it offers good access to the main ski resorts, and has the largest number of bars and restaurants. Myoko accommodation varies from traditional pensions, ryokans and lodges, to more European style hotels.
Myoko Accommodation Listings
Facilities & Activities
Even though Myoko Kogen has a bit of a traditional Japanese vibe, the facilities are reasonably well set up for Westerners and families, including English speaking ski school and day care.
The mandatory après activity is to take a soak in one of the many onsen, which range from hotel based onsens to delightful outdoor hot springs that are surrounded by forests or offer views. Due to its proximity to
Nagano, Myoko Kogen also provides access to some culturally interesting side trips.
Myoko Restaurants & Nightlife
Myoko is not a place with an overly vibrant nightlife relative to Austria or Whistler, but by Japanese ski resort standards it’s pretty good, especially in Akakura Onsen village where most of the
Myoko restaurants and bars are located. You can choose from westernised bars or izakayas and traditional restaurants where you can partake in some kanpai.