Where to stay in Myoko Kogen: Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira, Suginohara and Lotte Arai compared by terrain and lift pass, with the properties we list.
Myoko Kogen is nine ski areas around the base of Mount Myoko. Our lodging data covers Akakura and Lotte Arai. Akakura Onsen is the most practical base, with the hot spring village, restaurants and night skiing in one place and shuttles out to Ikenotaira and Suginohara.
First time in Myoko: Akakura Onsen. Lodging, food and transport are in one place, with shuttles to the other areas.
Families and beginners: Ikenotaira. It is wide and gentle, the usual pick for families and beginners.
Long runs: Suginohara. It has the 8.5 km run and a big vertical.
Advanced skiers and a resort stay: Lotte Arai. Steep, managed off-piste terrain, with the resort hotel at the base.
Akakura Onsen. Feel: Hot spring village with lodging and restaurants. Best for: First-timers, night skiing. Lodging in our data: 2 properties (one ski-in/ski-out hotel).
Ikenotaira. Feel: Wide and gentle. Best for: Families, beginners. Lodging in our data: None listed.
Suginohara. Feel: Long runs, big vertical. Best for: Skiers who want distance. Lodging in our data: None listed.
Lotte Arai. Feel: Steep terrain, resort. Best for: Advanced skiers, a hotel-based stay. Lodging in our data: 1 property (at the base).
Akakura Onsen: A hot spring village running since the Edo period, with lodging, restaurants, night skiing, and shuttles to Suginohara and Ikenotaira. The Address Akakura has apartments with kitchenettes and an onsen. Akakura Kanko Hotel opened in 1937 and sits at about 1,000 m inside the Akakura Kanko ski area, with a free-flowing sulphur hot spring. Best for: A first visit to Myoko, a hot spring village stay, night skiing. Price: No rate on our listings. Check Agoda for your dates. To the lifts: The Address Akakura is 2 minutes from the Akakura Onsen main chair lift; Akakura Kanko Hotel is ski-in/ski-out.
Ikenotaira: Wide, gentle slopes that are the usual choice for families and beginners. Our lodging data has no property at Ikenotaira, so the usual plan is to stay in Akakura and take the shuttle. Best for: Families, beginners and anyone who likes gentle slopes. Price: No rate on our listings. Check Agoda for your dates. To the lifts: By shuttle from Akakura Onsen.
Suginohara: The ski area with the 8.5 km run and a large vertical. Our lodging data has no property at Suginohara, so you would stay in Akakura and shuttle across. Best for: Skiers who want long runs and a big vertical. Price: No rate on our listings. Check Agoda for your dates. To the lifts: By shuttle from Akakura Onsen.
Lotte Arai: Known for steep, managed off-piste terrain, with the resort's own hotel at the base of the slopes. Lotte Arai Resort has 257 rooms across several buildings and the Hoshizora hot spring. Lift tickets are sold separately from the other areas. Best for: Advanced skiers and anyone who wants the hotel and the slopes in one place. Price: No rate on our listings. Check Agoda for your dates. To the lifts: At the base of the ski area.
Lift passes differ by base. The Mt. MYOKO pass covers Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Ikenotaira and Suginohara, and Lotte Arai sells its own.
For 2026-27 the adult day ticket is ¥7,000 at Akakura Kanko, ¥7,400 at Ikenotaira, ¥7,777 at Lotte Arai (Economy Class, high season) and ¥9,000 at Suginohara.
Both Akakura properties we list have a hot spring, and Akakura Kanko Hotel has a free-flowing sulphur spring.
The season runs mid-December to early April for most areas, and a few stay open later (our season data).
From late January through February it snows almost daily. Pick that window if snow volume matters most.
Lift tickets here cost less than at Hakuba or Niseko. None of the properties we list publishes a nightly rate, so check Agoda for your dates.
Getting to Myoko Kogen The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Joetsu-Myoko takes about 1 hour 50 minutes, then about 25 minutes on the Echigo Tokimeki line to Myokokogen station, then a short bus or taxi ride. The whole trip is about two and a half hours. Buses from Nagano also work.
Why it snows so much Wind loaded with Japan Sea moisture hits Mount Myoko as the first large barrier inland and drops its snow there. The area takes about 1,300 cm a season, among the highest in Japan.
Where should a first-timer stay in Myoko? Akakura Onsen. Lodging, food and transport are in one place, with shuttles to the other areas.
Myoko or Hakuba? Myoko for snow volume, quieter slopes and price. Hakuba for terrain variety and international infrastructure.
Is one lift ticket valid everywhere? The Mt. MYOKO pass covers Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Ikenotaira and Suginohara. Lotte Arai sells separately.
Can it snow too much to ski? The upper lifts occasionally close in big storms, but the tree runs stay skiable and visibility in the forest is usually fine.
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