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Iwatake Accommodation

Pros: Kirikubo offers proximity to the Iwatake slopes, retained Japanese vibe.
Cons: limited restaurants, limited bus connections to other Hakuba ski areas

At the base of the Iwatake Ski Resort is the little hamlet of Kirikubo. A little further away is the small village of Shinden. Both areas are very quiet and other than a soak in the public onsen, there isn’t much to do after skiing and snowboarding.

The Iwatake accommodation is typically inexpensive and consists of rather simple pensions or minshuku (Japanese inns) that have Japanese style rooms with futons on the tatami flooring, and they may or may not have ensuite bathrooms. There aren’t many restaurants in the area so many of the lodgings provide dinner.

Iwatake and the associated villages have remained rather traditional, so this is a nice place to come to escape the westernised tourism of Happo. English is not widely spoken in the village.