Akakura Onsen

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Myoko Akakura
Myoko Akakura

Akakura Onsen

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Akakura

Akakura4/55
Akakura4 out of 5 based on 5 reviews
  • Recommend
    80%
  • Would Revisit
    80%

Myoko Akakura

Akakura is made up of two interconnected ski areas: Akakura Onsen Ski Resort to the lookersโ€™ right; and Akakura Kanko ski resort aka Akakan to the lookersโ€™ left. The combined Akakura Ski Resort is considered by many to be the resort of Myoko Kogen because it sits above the main village (Akakura Onsen) where most people stay, it is the largest of the Myoko ski areas, and it has the most developed ski resort facilities and services.

Pros and Cons of Akakura

Pros 
  • Myoko Akakura (the combined Akakura Onsen Ski Resort and Akakura Kanko Ski Resort) is the largest ski area of the Myoko Kogen ski resorts.
  • There arenโ€™t that many Japanese ski resorts with a proper village and Akakura Onsen is the largest and the only โ€œrealโ€ village of Myoko Kogen. The Akakura Onsen village also has the most restaurants and bars of the Myoko Kogen villages.
  • The Akakura Ski Resort is readily accessible from the Akakura Onsen village.
  • Like the other Myoko ski areas, it receives abundant snow.
  • Akakura is very well suited to beginners and intermediate riders.
  • Akakura Kanko offers some very good slackcountry and backcountry access.
  • A reputable English speaking ski school and child care facility is based here.
Cons
  • As is common with most Japanese ski resorts, there is very little in the way of challenging piste terrain and much of the off-piste is not particularly steep (although itโ€™s pitchier than Ikenotaira).
  • Ski patrol are very old fashioned and can get antsy about off-piste skiing, particularly if it involves crossing a lift line.
  • In-bounds freshies disappear quickly.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
  • Akakura caters very well to gaijin, with group ski lessons and child care with English speaking staff, many of the restaurants have English menus, and many of the lodgings have various staff that speak English. Akakura is still a cute little village with plenty of Japanese vibe, but associated with the Anglophone benefits comes a loss of the traditional Japanese-ness of the place.
  • The lift infrastructure at Akakan is good by Japanese standards but the number of lifts continues to shrink, and in 2022 a key access lift at Kanko closed.

Myoko Akakura Ski Areas

โ€œMyoko Akakuraโ€ refers to the two adjacent ski areas of Akakura Onsen and Akakura Kanko. You can purchase a lift ticket for one or the other resort, or for a few more yen, you can purchase the Akakura Kanko/Onsen combined pass. This is particularly handy if your Myoko accommodation is much closer to one of the areas but you want to ride the other.

Combined, the Myoko Akakura ski areas have 20 lifts and 27 courses.

See the Akakura skiing page for more information.

Akakura Snow

Like the rest of Myoko Kogen, Akakura has a reputation for scoring lots of pow. For the 2021-22 season, Myoko received a whopping 17 metres (671โ€) of snow for the season! With respect to quality, the Akakura snow is generally very good to excellent rather than being phenomenal.

Where is Akakura?

Akakura is the main hub of the Myoko Kogen area for visitors. The Akakura Kanko base area is 4.3km from the Myokokogen train station, whilst the Akakura Onsen Ski Resort base area is another 0.9km up the road. The two ski resorts sit on Maeyama (front mountain) on the eastern flank of the dominating Mt Myoko. Ikenotaira Ski Resort sits 3.5km south of Akakura whilst Seki Onsen is directly to the north, although itโ€™s about a 30 minute drive to get there.

Myoko Kogen is located in the Niigata Prefecture close to the Nagano Prefecture, and the city of Nagano is only 31km to the south.

From the Tokyo Haneda or Narita Airport you can get a shuttle to Akakura or a train/bus combo with Nagano Snow Shuttle. See the travel to Myoko Kogen page for more information on the location of Myoko and options to get there.

Akakura Accommodation

Most visitors to Myoko Kogen stay in the Akakura villages, in either the lower village of Akakura Kanko (Shin Akakura), or Akakura Onsen (slightly further up the hill) which has a higher concentration of shops, restaurants and bars.

Akakura Onsen Accommodation - Upper Village Listings

Akakura Kanko Accommodation - Lower Village Listings


Most of the Akakura accommodation consists of hotels and inns (some with onsen) as well as lodges with communal lounges. There are a small number of self-contained accommodation options. As the Akakura Onsen is the most popular place to stay in Myoko, itโ€™s not surprising that accommodation in this area books up quickly.

Tours in/Near Akakura Onsen

Safari (Road Trip) Tours

Pow Pow Japan Tour
HOSTED PRIVATE TOUR
Cultural Ski & Snowboard Adventure
Ability: Beginner to Expert
Ski Japan's famous powder in conjunction with a rich cultural experience on this hosted tour (private tour only ie can't join a group). Hosted by a local Japanese person who speaks fluent English. The focus of the tour is primarily snowsports & you will also experience culture, food & festivities.
Price p/p
USD 2,034
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Japanese Alps
GUIDED LIFT ASSISTED BACKCOUNTRY TOUR
8 Nights | 9 Days
Ability: Advanced to Expert
This lift assisted backcountry tour takes in Myoko & Hakuba plus other areas & is ideal for advanced to expert backcountry skiers and split boarders. These areas are known for deep snow & epic tree skiing. Join as a solo, couple or small group; max 6 guests per tour.
Price p/p
USD 4,799
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Honshu Powder Trip
NIIGATA & NAGANO
10 Nights | 9 Days Skiing/Riding
Ability: Advanced to Expert
This Honshu tour offers a mix of freeride (approx 70%) and backcountry ski touring (30%) whilst exploring the best of the Nagano & Niigata ski areas on the island of Honshu.
Price p/p
USD 3,560
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See all Safari (Road Trip) tours that visit Akakura here

Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area Tours

Japow Experience
GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY & LIFT ACCESS
9 Nights | 10 Days | 8 Skiing/Riding | 7 Resorts
Ability: Advanced to Expert
If you are an advanced skier or snowboarder & don't mind a bit of hiking & are looking to experience deep, deep powder in & around Myoko Kogen then this tour could be for you.
Price p/p
USD 3,003
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Madarao Adventurer
MADARAO BASED EXPLORER TOUR
7 Nights | 6 Days Skiing Riding | Up To 5 Resorts
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Explore Madarao/Tangram & several of its nearby ski resorts (including the sidecountry) such as Nozawa Onsen, Myoko Kogen, Lotte Arai & Shiga Kogen with a guide. This good value package is customizable for your group of up to 6.
Price p/p
USD 1,824
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Myoko Guiding
MYOKO DAY GUIDING
Off-Piste & Backcountry
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
Myoko Guiding Co provide PRIVATE guided day tours of the off-piste and backcountry at Myoko & nearby zones, plus transport. From price is per person for a group of 4 per day. Total price is 110,000 yen per day for 1-4 people
Price p/p
USD 176
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See all Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area tours that visit Akakura here

Single-Base, Single-Ski-Area Tours

Myoko Private Lessons
SKI OR SNOWBOARD LESSONS
Half or full day lessons
Ability: Beginner to Advanced
Improve your skiing or snowboarding technique whilst exploring the Myoko ski areas. The snowsports lessons can be for just an individual or your private group of up to 6 people (ie you canโ€™t join a mixed group lesson). Sample price is for a morning lesson, assuming 2 people in your group.
Price p/p
USD 112
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Myoko Resort Guiding
RESORT GUIDING
Half or full day private guiding
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Advanced
If you're a first-timer to Myoko, let a guide show you around the powder stashes at the Myoko ski areas for a half day or full day. PRIVATE GROUPS only (ie you can't join a group). Sample price is for a morning guiding session, assuming 6 people in your group.
Price p/p
USD 37
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See all Single-Base, Single-Ski-Area tours that visit Akakura here

Ski & Snowboard Camp Tours

NZSIA Ski Instructors Course
LEVEL-1 SKI INSTRUCTOR COURSE
5 Days Instruction | 6 Days Lifts | 7 Nights Lodging
Ability: Intermediate to Advanced
Come and ride in Japan as a solo or with a couple of mates and achieve your level 1 NZSIA ski instructors certificate. Professional NZSIA qualified coach, great accommodation & more...
Price p/p
USD 1,914
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NZSIA Snowboard Instructors Course
LEVEL-1 SNOWBOARD INSTRUCTOR COURSE
5 Days Instruction | 6 Days Lifts | 7 Nights Lodging
Ability: Intermediate to Advanced
Come and ride in Japan as a solo or with a couple of mates and achieve your level 1 NZSIA snowboarding instructors certificate. Professional NZSIA qualified coach, great accommodation & more...
Price p/p
USD 1,914
View Details
 
See all Ski & Snowboard Camp tours that visit Akakura here
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