Destination Madarao Kogen is your independent guide to Madarao Mountain Resort and Tangram Ski Circus.
Madarao Kogen Japan
Madarao Kogen is only 2.5 hours from Tokyo.
Book your Madarao accommodation and transfers now!
Destination Madarao Kogen
Madarao Mountain Resort is a great choice for your Japan ski holiday. Families are well catered for with kid’s lessons and rentals in English. Skiers can slay some Madapow in both Madarao Kogen and Tangram Ski Circus ski resorts on the same day ticket.
Need to check out some other lines? Nozawa Onsen and the Myoko Kogen resorts are only a short shuttle away whilst Togari Onsen and Kurohime Kogen are also a close drive, with Shiga Kogen (Japan’s largest ski resort) within 45 minutes. Please refer to our ski and snowboard page for further information. You can check out current conditions at Tangram Ski Circus and Madarao Mountain Resort via our live web cams or Madarao Snow Report.
The Madarao Ski Resorts are a paradise for winter sports lovers with a great range of Madarao accommodation options. There are a number of ski schools with instructors teaching partly or exclusively in English to help you improve your skiing, or to get out into the beautiful backcountry of Madarao Mountain Resort and Tangram Ski Circus.
There are endless ways to enjoy skiing here, from long, scenic, tree-lined slopes to challenging bump runs—and especially deep, deep powder. The best months for skiing Madarao Mountaain Resort and Tangram Ski Circus tend to be in January and February, although great snowfalls can extend anywhere between November and May!
At our Madarao Snow Report & weather page you can check out all the latest Madarao Mountain Resort and Tangram Ski Circus weather forecasts plus, during the winter ski season, our daily Madarao Snow Report.
Metres of snow each year
+
Ski runs
hours from Tokyo
hrs
Tripadvisor Rating
/5
Reasons to visit
Follow us on social media for Madarao Kogen deals and reports
Madarao Kogen Accommodation
Find the best accommodation deals in Madarao Kogen
Need a place to stay in Madarao Mountain Resort or Tangram Ski Circus? There’s a wide variety of accommodation in Madarao Kogen to suit all tastes and budgets from small cosy family pensions to newly renovated lodges, backpacker/hostel type offerings plus some large resort type hotels with great facilities like indoor heated pools. You can check out all the options here or go straight to our secure Madarao booking engine for some great deals. Need some help choosing your Madarao hotel? Contact us via the form here.
Check here for Nozawa accommodation, here for Togari accommodation, here for Lake Nojiri accommodation or here for Myoko accommodation.
Madarao Kogen Hotel
This major hotel offers ski-out convenience, being situated right at the top of the Madarao Kogen ski lifts.
Pension Ringo Jam
There are 14 rooms at this popular pension with single, twin & triple occupancies. Onsite bar and restaurant
Annex Aburaya
Only a 1-minute walk from the lifts, the Aburaya offers both Western rooms and Japanese-style rooms
JP Snowsports
A small boutique 7 room Madarao ski lodge beautifully located at walking distance from the slopes
Alpha Lodge
In a great location near some of the best Madarao restaurants and bars and only 200 metres from the lifts.
Alp Bach
Lovely locally owned lodge located right in front of the ski slopes, where you can ski right to the front door.
Accommodation: Nearby Resorts
Myoko Kogen
Myoko Ski Resort is known for it’s all-access powder and variety of slopes as well as it's traditional hot springs.
Togari Onsen
Just across the valley from Nozawa Onsen, Togari Onsen offers a good range of low to mid-range accommodation
Nozawa Onsen
Renowned for its traditional accommodation, onsen hot springs, stunning ski slopes, and rich cultural heritage
Tags: Madarao Mountain Resort, Tangram Ski Circus, Madarao Ski Resort
Book Madarao Accommodation
Madarao Webcams
Check out snow and weather conditions around the Madarao Mountain Resort, Iiyama City, Tangram Ski Circus Resort, Snow Monkeys, Nozawa Onsen and Lake Nojiri areas via our Madarao webcams. These are usually updated every 30 minutes during the Madarao winter season.
Additionally these live cams display some of the local road conditions in case you are travelling in and around the area. The picture below comes the Madarao Kogen Hotel.
Madarao Ski School
Visitors can find all of their needs for a great Madarao Mountain Resort ski holiday – ski rental, ski school, child care and backcountry tours. Madarao ski lessons in English are mostly offered as private classes, but there are some opportunities for group lessons.
What about Madarao ski lift passes? You can save around 20-40% with the ski discount coupons and tickets that are available from your hotel or pension. If you pre-purchase online before arrival you can save even more!
Tags: Madarao Mountain Resort, Tangram Ski Circus, Madarao Ski Resort
Book a Madarao Transfer
Where is Madarao Kogen?
Madarao Kogen is located north-west of Tokyo, only a short distance from Nagano City at the northernmost part of Nagano Prefecture. Mount Madarao is located deep within the heart of the Japan Alps, making it an excellent retreat during any of the four seasons.
Madarao Mountain Resort & Tangram Ski Circus in Iiyama City and the surrounding areas are more than just an increasingly popular ski resort area. Here you can experience “ancient” Japan by visiting the many remaining temples or just by viewing its traditional landscapes that are spread across the region.
Iiyama City is a former castle town within the Okushinano region of Nagano with many old Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples still standing side by side. The Chikuma River (the longest river in Japan) runs through the centre of the area and becomes known as the Shinano River when it passes into Niigata Prefecture.
A virgin beech forest covers 400ha of Mt. Nabekura, providing great opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. The area prides itself on ‘green tourism’ and is known as ‘Japan’s Hometown’ and ‘Little Kyoto’.
Getting to Madarao Kogen
Getting to Madarao is super easy. It’s just ninety minute ride from Tokyo on the shinkansen bullet train to Iiyama, then a short connecting bus up the hill. See our comprehensive directions to Madarao here.
For medium-large groups we can help organise a direct shuttle from the airport or other resorts, whilst shared shuttles are available for individuals, couples and small groups. There are also inter-resort transfer options available to Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, Myoko, Iiyama Station, Arai and Shiga Kogen.
Having a Madarao rental car during your stay is a great option. See below for instant booking options, or check here for Nagano car rental options.
Madarao Ski Resort Car Rental
Click on the links below to get the best Madarao car rental deals. Enter Nagano or Iiyama as your choice (unless travelling from Tokyo or elsewhere). Iiyama is closer but Nagano will have more range.
Need more information on renting a car in Madarao? Click here.
To do
In addition to the great Madarao powder snow there are lots of other fun things to do away from your Madarao accommodation. For those having a ski rest day from their Madarao Kogen accommodation, or for non-skiers there is a variety of activities such as tours to various sites (Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple, Lake Nojiri, Togakushi, ice fishing, shopping tours, etc.). There are also events to take in such as the NY fireworks, a small fire festival, late night NY Eve skiing and much more! See here for more info…
Eat and Drink
Although rapidly improving, Madarao Kogen tends to be a bit quieter in the eating and drinking department than it’s near neighbours Myoko Kogen and Nozawa Onsen. Nonetheless after a day of getting in amongst the Madapow there are still a rapidly growing number of Madarao restaurants and bars in Madarao Kogen to relax with friends and meet locals. There is also a good selection of bars and restaurants down the hill in nearby Iiyama City, including everyone’s favourite – a sushi train! Get more details here.
Local Onsen
A number of Madarao hotels have onsen (hot springs) plus there are several fine public onsen to be found nearby, plus the novelty of an outdoor cave-like onsen at Silk Inn. The hot springs here are rich in minerals that soothe tired muscles, ease joint stiffness and promote overall well-being. In winter, nothing compares to the contrast of soaking in steaming mineral waters while snowflakes fall around you. It is the perfect complement to ski adventures. Check out Madarao Onsen info page to find the best places to soak.
What our visitors say
What do people like about Madarao Kogen?
"Great resort!!! Fabulous Japanese food everywhere and also good western options. 10/10 for food in the villages."
Sara B
Singapore
"I just love love Madarao. Such a nice and friendly place. Madarao see you again next year. Highly recommend"
Dorota P
New Zealand
"Truely a magnificent majestic place. The mountains & location are spectacular. The people & restaurants are amazing."
David T
Australia
Madarao Ski Gallery
Contact Destination Madarao Kogen
Got questions about the resorts or area?
Thank you for visiting Destination Madarao Kogen
Tags: Madarao Ski Information, Madarao Mountain Resort, Madarao Kogen, Madarao Ski Resort, Tangram Ski Circus, Madarao Kogen Map, Madarao Kogen Ski Resorts, Madarao Resort Map, Myoko Ski Resorts, madaraokogen.com, madaraokogen.net, madaraokogen.org, madarao.org
