Resort
Madarao Kogen斑尾高原スキー場
Nagano · Medium
Yuki Recommends
Champagne snow and storybook factor — very much Yuki's kind of place. 🐻
Yuki Recommends is our own scoring — charm, storybook feeling, snow texture and more. Subjective factors are our read from the data, not a hard grade.
Madarao Kogen is a ski resort in Nagano Prefecture, Chubu, Japan with 32 runs over 24 km and 350 m of vertical (1000–1350 m). A one-day adult lift ticket costs ¥5,800. There are 2 onsens within 0.3 km. Nearby lodging runs about ¥9,020 a night. The nearest station is Iiyama (Hokuriku Shinkansen).
Tree runs, tree runs, and more tree runs
Madarao Kōgen is a cult, and the cult is trees. While most Japanese resorts groom their pistes into corduroy, Madarao does the opposite — it has deliberately left more than half of its terrain ungroomed as gladed tree runs, turning a modest forested hill into one of the best powder-tree playgrounds in the country.
It isn't about vertical here; the mountain is small and rounded. It's about density — line after line of well-spaced birch and pine that catch the Shin'etsu snow and hold it, so fresh tracks last far longer than the size of the place suggests. Link it with neighbouring Tangram on the same ticket and you've a genuinely big tree day.
The base is small and unpretentious — a couple of lodges, not a resort town — and that suits its regulars fine. People don't come to Madarao to be seen; they come to disappear into the woods and come out grinning, snow down the back of their neck. If you love trees, this is your mountain.
36.8536, 138.2867 · Google Maps ↗
Nearest station: Iiyama — Hokuriku Shinkansen. Shuttle ~25 min
Madarao Kogen Hotel — map ↗
Madarao Mountain Resort
- Myoko Coffee — 0.4 km
- MADAPOW CAFE — 0.4 km
- Tiraunji — 0.4 km
- Japan's original managed tree-run resort (~40% off-piste)
- Lift-linked with Tangram on one ticket
- Deep, dry snow
- ♨ Madarao Kogen Hotel Onsen — 0.3 km🚶 walkable· Day-use hotel bath on the plateau
- ♨ 斑尾高原体験交流施設 まだらおの湯 — 2.3 km🚕 short taxi
Madarao & Tangram has 2 base areas on one valley — each its own lifts, ticket office and lodging. Plan your stay around any of them.
- Madarao Kogen · this base¥5,800 lift♨ 2stays ¥4,500+
- Tangram Ski Circus¥5,500 lift♨ 2stays ¥4,500+
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Deep report
Madarao Kogen — the full write-up
The taste-led deep report: powder, village soul, onsen, food and logistics — free during beta.
Common questions about Madarao Kogen
Is Madarao Kogen good for beginners?
Madarao Kogen is a reasonable beginner choice — gentle/varied terrain and a ski-school base (our read). Confirm green-run coverage before booking.
Is Madarao Kogen good for families?
Yes — Madarao Kogen has the mix families want: places to stay, 2 onsen nearby and terrain across abilities (our read).
Does Madarao Kogen get good powder?
Good — about 9.3 m a year (JMA normals).
Does Madarao Kogen have an onsen?
Yes. There are 2 onsens recorded near Madarao Kogen, including Madarao Kogen Hotel Onsen (0.3 km), 斑尾高原体験交流施設 まだらおの湯 (2.3 km).
How much is a lift ticket at Madarao Kogen?
An adult one-day lift ticket at Madarao Kogen is ¥5,800 (2024/25 season).
How do you get to Madarao Kogen?
The nearest station is Iiyama on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Shuttle ~25 min
How big is Madarao Kogen?
Madarao Kogen has 32 runs totalling 24 km, with 350 m of vertical.
How much does it cost to stay near Madarao Kogen?
Lodging near Madarao Kogen runs from about ¥4,500 a night, with a median of ¥9,020 across 7 priced properties.
Data recorded for Madarao Kogen: terrain, price, access, onsen, dining, coffee, stay, features, official. Empty fields mean unknown, not zero — nothing here is invented. Lift prices are adult 1-day, 2024/25 season, JPY.
More in Nagano · ski resorts with onsen