Shiga Kogen Ski Area 志賀高原 スキー場

The Shiga Kogen Ski Area, in the mountain town of Yamanouchi, offers an enormous variety of winter sports options. Close to popular onsen and the famous Snow Monkey Park , Shiga Kogen is a great choice for your Japanese skiing adventure.

The Shiga Kogen Ski Area is located in Nagano Prefecture and is easily accessed from Nagano City.

By train from Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen will bring you directly to Nagano City, about one hour and 45 minutes away. You can take the Shiga Kogen Express Bus from the East Exit of Ono Station directly to Shiga Kogen Ski Resort (it takes about 70 minutes). You can also transfer to the Nagano Dentetsu Line from Nagano Station, get off at Yudanaka Station, then take the Choden Bus to Shiga Kogen Ski Resort, which takes about 30 minutes.

Alternatively, the Nagano Snow Shuttle offers a bus service to the Shiga Kogen Ski Area and other major resorts from Narita and Haneda Airport in about six hours. It also runs between Shiga Kogen Ski Area, Nozawa Onsen, and Hakuba.

Shiga Kogen was the site of the slalom and snowboarding events for the 1998 Winter Olympics. It has 18 resorts with 48 lifts. With a total run distance of 80 kilometers, it is the largest in Japan. The ski resorts are connected to each other by trails and shuttle buses, and a shared lift pass (key ticket) allows you to use each resort.

If you crave some variety, try out some of the area's other activities like snowmobiling, snow tubing, and guided snowshoe trekking.

A convenient free ski shuttle bus runs between the resorts and hotel areas in season.

Shiga Kogen Ski Area's location is also superb. It's close to Shibu Onsen , Yudanaka Onsen , and the famed Snow Monkey Park , where Japanese macaques come down from the snowy hills to warm up in the baths.

The latest information may differ, so please check the official website.