Madarao Mountain Ski Resort
Madarao sits 11km from Iiyama Station - under 2 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen. Most accommodation here is lodge or inn-style, a legacy of the area's development as a pension village from the late 1960s and 70s.
The resort's had its ups and downs since - including a run as a holiday-home hub for Japanese snow enthusiasts and a well-regarded jazz scene - and has seen a recent revival on the back of new investment from ski enthusiasts.
It's no longer the industry's best-kept secret - new investment and a wave of international visitors have seen to that. But Madarao is still a fraction of the size and crowds of Niseko or Hakuba, with the same tree skiing and powder culture that built its reputation in the first place.
Lifts & Terrain
Mt Madarao peaks at 1,382m with 440m of vertical, served by 15 lifts (including two high-speed quads).
Beginners: Beginner A & B, Utopia, and Shirakaba, all close to the base. Advanced: head up to the View Point (top of Lift 13) for access to the whole mountain.
Crystal Bowl and Powder Wave II offer the resort's best tree skiing. WorldCup - a moguls course at the 1988 Freestyle Skiing World Cup - sits alongside Powderwave, another gladed area.
Tangram Ski Circus, on the northwestern side, adds 15 runs over 520 vertical metres of mellow groomers - best suited to beginners and intermediates. Lifts 1 & 2 also access some of Madarao's best tree skiing, and Tangram has opened up a few decent tree runs of its own.
Ski Madarao
By Japanese standards, Madarao is considered a mid-sized resort (small by USA standards). Skiers will only need a few days to get the lay of the land. However, guests can opt to purchase an all-mountain pass, allowing access to the adjoining Tangram Ski Circus resort. This ticket gives skiers access to 34.8 km of runs in total—just shy of Nozawa Onsen’s 44.5 km.
What you may think Madarao lacks in overall size and length of run, it will more than make up for in the quality and depth of the powder, if you catch the right conditions. The photo's above were taken in January 2017 on Powder Wave II, during a 9-day storm which unloaded almost 3 meters of snow in 3 days.
That kind of dump isn't luck. Madarao sits at 1,382m, right in the path of the Japan Sea Polar-air-mass Convergence Zone: bitterly cold Siberian air sweeps across the relatively warm Sea of Japan, picks up huge amounts of moisture, then dumps it as snow the moment it hits the mountains. Temperatures stay reliably subzero, so that snow stays exceptionally light and dry - up to 12-13m of it a season.
Madarao has embraced its reputation as a powder haven, opting to keep 60% of its slopes un-groomed. The resort not only condones tree skiing, it encourages it. Madarao has gladed much of its forested area, opening up some beautiful tree runs. There are also backcountry options for those looking to test themselves in the side/backcountry terrain with an experienced guide.
In addition to the accessible tree skiing and reliable powder skiing, there is variable terrain for all levels of rider.
Restaurants & Bars in Madarao Village
The list of restaurants in Madarao is growing year by year and there are options to suit almost all tastes and dietary requirements. Below we have listed some of our favourites:
Food:
-
Izakaya Sura - soba-making demos
-
Sakura - okonomiyaki & teppanyaki
-
Unjaune - gourmet burgers
-
Rudolf - pizza with a Japanese twist
-
Fat Chef - nabe hot pot
-
Piedmont (Madarao Kogen Hotel) - chef's dinner, bookings required
-
Mimi & Reon - family-run cafe, cakes
-
Japan Snow Sports - degustation menu twice a week
-
The Green house Cafe - locally made meals including their made to order dragon roll sushi!
Drinks:
-
Jazzy - jazz bar
-
Snowball Chalet - nightly apres
-
Aki's Pub - coffee & pizza by day, drinks by night
-
Myoko Coffee and Beer
-
Pizza Luva
-
Drop Bar
-
Shaggy Yak
On Mountain Dining:
-
Aki's Pub: good coffee, cold beers and freshly made pizza's
-
Heidi's: the central hub of Madarao's base area with a variety of different options
-
Soba Restaurant Tangram: located downstairs at the main Tangram hotel
-
ZigZag: Tangram Hotel's main restaurant offers a wide range of different options
-
Okonomiyaki Sakura: located near the Madarao Kogen, places are limited though
-
Aki's Burgers: Limited numbers of burgers - not open every day (no Vege option)
Want more variety? Iiyama City has a wider selection, including conveyor-belt sushi.
Book ahead: most restaurants are small and family-run - they buy and prep for your exact numbers, often days in advance. Confirm your group size before booking, as changes and cancellations usually aren't possible last-minute.
Ski Hire, Lessons & Guiding
No need to fly out with your own gear - rental shops in the Madarao/Tangram area cover everything from beginner packages to performance demo skis, with on-site boot and binding fit.
-
Rental: Chill Madarao - consistently good service
-
Lessons & guiding (incl. backcountry tours): Japan Snow Sports (JPS), Aki's Pub
Ask us at the lodge and we'll help you book before you arrive.
Onsens
-
Madarao Kogen Hotel - natural hot spring, indoor and outdoor baths, day-use available
-
Hotel Silk Inn - public baths plus a reservable private cave-style open-air bath
-
Madarao no Yu - village-owned, with an on-site restaurant (car needed to reach it)
We'll confirm current day-use hours before your trip.
Cash & ATMs
There's no ATM in Madarao Kogen village itself - the nearest is at Iiyama Station.
Withdraw or exchange cash before you arrive. Some village shops and restaurants are card-only, others cash-only, so it's worth carrying both.
Day Trips & Self-Drive
Nozawa Onsen (~30-45 min) and Myoko Kogen (~25-40 min) both make easy day trips, with a seasonal shuttle available - full transport detail is on the Location page. Shiga Kogen, Japan's largest ski resort, is roughly 40-60 minutes away (~39km).
If you're self-driving: village parking is limited and some of it is paid, heavy snowfall can bury a car overnight (factor in digging-out time), and we'd strongly recommend a 4x4/AWD with winter tyres.
Lift Tickets
You can now buy your lift tickets online in advance and collect them at the resort from a vending machine - no need to queue at the ticket office. If you've skied Madarao before, you can also recharge last season's IC card at the same machines instead of buying a new one. Choose Madarao-only or a combined Mountain Pass that includes Tangram.
Multi-day and season tickets come at a discount. We'll confirm current pricing with you closer to your trip.
Mountain Safety & Etiquette
Madarao is a laid-back resort, but a few rules matter. Ski patrol actively enforce a no-skiing-under-lifts policy - get caught and they will confiscate your pass for the day. Skiing or snowboarding on the roads between lifts and lodges is also against the rules and can incur an on-the-spot fine, so please walk back to Aya Lodge rather than schussing down the road.
Always carry your pass, ski within your ability, and check conditions before heading off-piste - tree runs and gladed areas are fun but unpatrolled. If in doubt, ask us at the lodge.