Where is Ikenotaira?
Ikenotaira is one of the
Myoko ski resorts in the Niigata Prefecture. Ikenotaira Onsen is 32km north of the city of
Nagano.
Road distances:
- Suginohara – 4km south of Ikenotaira
- Akakura Kanko Resort – 2.7km to the north
- Akakura Onsen Village – 3.4km to the north
- Myokokogen train station – 4.2km to the east
Driving to Ikenotaira
Having a car provides a lot of flexibility to explore the Myoko ski resorts, the other nearby ski resorts, or to do some sightseeing in Nagano or Matsumoto. The telephone number of Ikenotaira Ski Resort for GPS navigation is 0255-86-2370 and it’s a really easy drive to get there.
You can
rent a car with English GPS in Nagano (that are likely to have snow tyres) or at the Tokyo airports (you’ll probably have to request snow tyres).
Travel to Ikenotaira Myoko – Multi-Day Stays
If you’re staying in
Ikenotaira accommodation, there are a couple of options for getting to Myoko via
trains or
bus from the airport including options with
Nagano Snow Shuttle. Your accommodation can then provide a transfer from the Myokokogen train station or the Akakura bus stop.
Bus to/from Ikenotaira Around Myoko
There are buses to Ikenotaira from other parts of Myoko Kogen that are somewhat expensive considering the short distances covered. The Mt Myoko Shuttle Bus stops at Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Hotel Windsor, Alpen Blick Spa (one of the bases of the Ikenotaira ski resort), Ikenotaira Ski Resort, Ikenotaira Pension Village, Suginosawa Fire Station, and Suginohara Ski Resort.
There are about 10 services per day. Your accommodation should be able to provide you with a timetable. You need to purchase tickets on the bus with cash.
Getting Around Ikenotaira
The Ikenotaira Onsen village is rather sprawling. It is possible to navigate on foot, but having a car can be handy. Many of the lodgings are about a 10 minute walk to the ski resort or are driving distance, and only some of the accommodations provide a shuttle service to Ikenotaira, and a few also offer shuttles to other Myoko ski resorts.
To give you a bit of an idea of distances around Ikenotaira. From the main base of the Ikenotaira Ski Resort:
- 850m to Alpen Blick Hotel, which is the other base of the ski resort. It includes the Alpen Blick Tatra House (Myokokogen Beer – brewery buffet restaurant)
- 850m to Landmark Onsen Café/ Alpen Blick Spa
- 1.8km to Lime Resort Myoko – it has a nice onsen
- 800m to Arakin Ramen, a great little inexpensive Japanese restaurant with a convenience store attached. Another little eatery is about 200 metres away.
- 1.1km to the Myoko Kogen Visitor Centre which is adjacent to the Imori-Ike Pond. Lord know only knows why they put the new visitor centre here where most people will require access to a vehicle to get there.
- An idea of distances between the ski resort and each accommodation is provided on the Ikenotaira accommodation page.
Other Ski Resorts Near Ikenotaira
Myoko makes a good base to visit other nearby ski resorts. From Ikenotaira:
Other ski resorts that are easy to reach for a day trip are:
Togakushi;
Shiga Kogen;
Kijimidaira; and
Ryuoo.
If you're going to have a multi-day stay at a Nagano ski resort, you can get a shuttle from Myoko to Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen or Shiga Kogen with
Nagano Snow Shuttle.