Madarao and Beyond
Ski tickets are available at our front desk - please enquire for up-to-date prices.
Japan offers some tremendous ski areas and snow conditions. Among them, Madarao Mountain Ski Resort is a hidden Nagano gem, secluded in a private pocket of nearby Iiyama, just 2 hours by train from Tokyo. The quiet, peaceful surrounds will make you feel like you are enjoying your own private retreat where you can be alone with nature and enjoy the powder away from the crowds!
Raicho Lodge Madarao is directly adjacent to Madarao Resort ski area and nearby to neighbouring Tangram Ski Circus Resort. Madarao enjoys terrific powder snow conditions every winter, with an average of over 40 feet of snow, with officially the most in-bound resort tree runs of any ski resort in Japan. See Powerhounds for a review of Madarao ski resort.
Besides the wonderful ski conditions at adjacent Madarao, Raicho Lodge Madarao is less than one hour's drive to Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen and Myoko Kogen. Our friendly, expert English speaking staff will ensure that you enjoy the best conditions during your stay. Please ask them and they will be delighted to tell you all about the best runs, how to get around. They will also share with you some local secrets at Madarao and at each of our neighbouring resorts, so that you can enjoy less people, more powder for your ski adventure in Japan!
Madarao Ski Trail Map
Neighbouring Nagano Ski Resorts
Nozawa Onsen is a very popular resort with spectacular views
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is just a 45 min drive from Raicho Lodge Madarao and offers you some of the best big mountain skiing in all of Japan. It provides an extensive collection of wide-open long groomed ski trails and narrow cat tracks with playful, natural gullies and beautiful tree meadows for you to ski through. There are spectacular nature views from the peak of the mountain and all the way along the Skyline run.
Nozawa is getting more popular every year so it can get very busy during peak season. We recommend that you plan your visit for midweek to avoid long lines for the ski lifts at this resort.
Shiga Kogen offers European style resort skiing
Shiga Kogen Ski Resort is the closest thing in Japan to European style interconnected resorts. In reality, though, many of the resorts offer shorter runs and limited variation in terrain.
However, there are certainly a few areas that justify a visit. Okushiga and its neighbour Yakebitaiyama offer great vertical with a mix of long groomed courses and exciting tree runs.
Shiga Kogen is just one hour’s drive from Raicho Lodge Madarao by car. You will need to push deeper into the Shiga valley to reach Yakebitaiyama gondola car park.
Myoko Kogen has wide open powder highways
Myoko Kogen is more of a region than a resort. It is a collection of mostly local smaller ski hills except for the recently reopened Lotte Arai. With tremendous snowfall and some fantastic upper bowls, it offers high alpine skiing experience.
Seki Onsen is a tiny two lift hill that punches above its weight on a powder day. It's all about powder tree skiing at Seki.
Suginohara, just 30 min from Raicho Lodge is a real hidden gem. Long runs, magnificent trees and fantastic grooming make it fun for everyone.
