Joetsu Kokusai has some amazing strengths such as the expanse of terrain on offer for intermediates (and strong beginners), the family friendliness, ease of access from Tokyo, and the ski-in ski-out hotel. As powder hounds, it wasn’t our cup of tea, but we couldn’t definitely see the appeal for other skiers and snowboarders. In addition to playing on the groomers, we enjoyed using it as a base to access other nearby ski resorts, some of which are a bit of fun for powder hounds.

Staying at the hotel provided a very classic Japanese resort experience (which is very common at many of the big Japanese ski resorts), so if you’re looking for a traditional Japanese cute town experience, Joetsu Kokusai is probably not for you. If you want a convenient location, and an all-inclusive ski holiday, then it’s ideal.

You can see our Japanese ski resort ratings to see how we compare Joetsu Kokusai to other resorts.
See our video here