Resort
Tsugaike Kogen栂池高原スキー場
Nagano · Large
Yuki Recommends
Champagne snow and charm & cute — 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.
Tsugaike Kogen is a ski resort in Nagano Prefecture, Chubu, Japan with 16 runs over 26 km and 904 m of vertical (800–1704 m). A one-day adult lift ticket costs ¥6,500. There are 5 onsens within 0.2 km. Nearby lodging runs about ¥18,700 a night. The nearest station is Hakuba-Ōmachi / Hakuba (JR Oito Line).
The gentlest slope in Hakuba, hiding a wild top
Tsugaike Kōgen has the most forgiving beginner terrain in the whole Hakuba valley — an enormous, gently tilted open snowfield at the base that seems purpose-built for first turns and family days. For a lot of skiers, this is where Japan begins.
Then you take the ropeway up, and the character flips entirely. Above the tree line sits the notorious Tsugaike backcountry — the DBD (double-black-diamond) zone and the Norikura tree runs — some of the most serious, avalanche-managed lift-accessed terrain in the region, a magnet for the powder and split-board crowd. Few mountains swing so completely from nursery slope to no-fall zone.
That range is the appeal: a group of wildly different abilities can all have the day of their trip on the same hill and meet for lunch in the middle. The base village is low-key, with its own Tsugaike onsen to finish on. Beginners below, believers above — everyone leaves happy.
36.7583, 137.8331 · Google Maps ↗
Nearest station: Hakuba-Ōmachi / Hakuba — JR Oito Line. Bus ~25 min from Hakuba stn
Tsugaike Kogen base ticket office — map ↗
Assumed at resort base — verify on arrival
- Vast, gentle 1,200m-wide beginner slope
- Gateway to Tsugaike backcountry / Norikura-dake
- Family-friendly
- ♨ Tsugaike Onsen Motoyu (栂の湯) — 0.2 km🚶 walkable· Day-use bath in Tsugaike village
- ♨ Tsuganoyu Onsen — 3.6 km🚗 a drive
- ♨ おびなたの湯 — 4.3 km🚗 a drive
- ♨ 北尾根の湯 — 5.5 km🚗 a drive
- ♨ 倉下の湯 — 5.6 km🚗 a drive
Hakuba Valley has 12 base areas on one valley — each its own lifts, ticket office and lodging. Plan your stay around any of them.
- Tsugaike Kogen · this base¥6,500 lift♨ 5stays ¥5,500+
- Hakuba 47¥6,800 lift♨ 8stays ¥5,980+
- Hakuba Cortina¥6,000 lift♨ 2
- Hakuba Goryu¥6,800 lift♨ 8stays ¥3,465+
- Hakuba Iwatake¥6,300 lift♨ 8stays ¥5,500+
- Hakuba Norikura Onsen¥5,500 lift♨ 2
- Hakuba Norikura Onsen Ski Resort♨ 1stays ¥4,703+
- Hakuba Sanosaka Snow Resort♨ 2stays ¥3,000+
- Happo-One (Hakuba)¥7,000 lift♨ 8stays ¥6,000+
- Jiigatake Snow Resort♨ 5
- Kashimayari¥5,200 lift♨ 2stays ¥3,000+
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Deep report
Tsugaike Kogen — the full write-up
The taste-led deep report: powder, village soul, onsen, food and logistics — free during beta.
Common questions about Tsugaike Kogen
Is Tsugaike Kogen good for beginners?
Tsugaike Kogen is a reasonable beginner choice — gentle/varied terrain and a ski-school base (our read). Confirm green-run coverage before booking.
Is Tsugaike Kogen good for families?
Yes — Tsugaike Kogen has the mix families want: places to stay, 5 onsen nearby and terrain across abilities (our read).
Does Tsugaike Kogen get good powder?
Good — about 8.7 m a year (JMA normals).
Does Tsugaike Kogen have an onsen?
Yes. There are 5 onsens recorded near Tsugaike Kogen, including Tsugaike Onsen Motoyu (栂の湯) (0.2 km), Tsuganoyu Onsen (3.6 km), おびなたの湯 (4.3 km), 北尾根の湯 (5.5 km).
How much is a lift ticket at Tsugaike Kogen?
An adult one-day lift ticket at Tsugaike Kogen is ¥6,500 (2024/25 season).
How do you get to Tsugaike Kogen?
The nearest station is Hakuba-Ōmachi / Hakuba on the JR Oito Line. Bus ~25 min from Hakuba stn
How big is Tsugaike Kogen?
Tsugaike Kogen has 16 runs totalling 26 km, with 904 m of vertical.
How much does it cost to stay near Tsugaike Kogen?
Lodging near Tsugaike Kogen runs from about ¥5,500 a night, with a median of ¥18,700 across 9 priced properties.
Data recorded for Tsugaike Kogen: terrain, price, access, onsen, dining, 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