We did 10 days here Feb 24’

We got a train from Tokyo to Nagano then another train from Nagano to Myoko, Very easy from Tokyo.

The town was no where near as developed as other ski resorts we have been too but it was beautiful. Plenty of great humble restaurants to eat at a few bars to have a beer after a day skiing.

The resort buses were good and reliable other than 1 time when we were heading to Sugi and on this powder morning they dint run the 8am bus, but the next bus was only at 8:30am.

Terrain was good, nothing that steep & long in the Myoko resorts but still a lot of fun when there’s fresh snow each day.

We did get a bus which took about 35 minutes to Lotte Arai which was one of the most impressive lift infrastructures we have seen! It had amazing fall lines straight off lifts, if you want to boot up another 5-10minute walk it offers more amazing terrain all in bounds!
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I have just visited Myoko for the first time staying near Akakura Kanko Ski Area in a great self-catering lodge, Chalet Myoko. We were about 400 metres from the ski lifts and assumed there would be a free shuttle running so we didn’t have to walk with all our ski gear, alas there was not and the local buses charge 500-1000 yen for even the shortest trip. We also wrongly assumed there would be a supermarket in Akakura Onsen town about 1 kilometre away. The only supermarket was down near Myoko Kogen Station a 3000 yen taxi ride away. Accessing the other resorts such as Suginohara and Seki Onsen were equally difficult and expensive to get to. The only way to get around is to have your own vehicle. As for the epic snow we were unlucky as it rained for the 2 days we were there and that was in late January. There are better places to ski in Japan.
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We often get emails asking for advice that goes something along these lines. “I want to go to a ski resort in Japan with a cute village and some nightlife, where there is plenty of Japanese culture, lots of onsen, and it’s not overrun with westerners and snowgans (bogans at the snow). I don’t want to learn to speak Japanese so it would need to be somewhere with lots of English. I also need group lessons for the kids in English and need to stay somewhere with a room with ensuite bathroom and I don’t want to sleep on the floor”. It often makes us laugh that people are looking for a unicorn ski resort where they want a Japanese experience (sort of) but want all the ease and services they’d have if they went skiing in Canada, and without understanding that bars and international snowsports schools wouldn’t have a business if there weren’t some foreigners around. Myoko might be one of a handful of ski resorts in Japan that has a small village and the combination of Japanese experiences and accommodation if you want it, or fully westernised experiences if that’s what you want.

Each time we visit, Myoko becomes more international, and along with that it seems to lose a little bit more of its Japanese soul. At the moment, the balance is still OK, although who knows what effect the big Singaporean investment company will have on the region in coming years. It’s easy to see why many years ago, the Myoko mafia used to try and bully foreigners out of town. That’s not the case any longer and plenty of foreigners have bought old lodges and renovated them. This type of lodging has become popular because you get support from native English speaking hosts, and have the opportunity to meet others in the communal lounge.

We stayed in a cute little lodge, Red Fox / Kitsune (you can see our review here), and we could definitely see the attraction of having such friendly and knowledgeable hosts who drove guests around to different ski areas and to dinner in the evenings, and provided advice on other attractions in the area. It was just different to a couple of traditional ryokan that we stayed in many years ago, where we loved sleeping on the floor, soaking in the onsen, eating Japanese food, and enjoying the challenge of our poor Japanese language skills.

On this trip, the mostly SE facing aspects and low elevation of the ski areas came to bear because the temperatures had risen across the region, so the skiing was very average. We accepted that though, because on every other occasion in Myoko we’ve been lucky to score ridiculously plentiful fresh snow.

We were fortunate that we had a car on this trip, because many people were talking about the bus service that had become grossly inadequate. Prices had doubled, and one-way bus fares were 1000 yen between Akakura and Ike for example. We’d heard stories of people staying in Akakura and only skiing and dining in Akakura because the buses or taxis to other areas were too expensive.

Like other ski resorts that rely on international tourism, Akakura Onsen village had some Covid effects. A few bars had closed and there seemed to be less restaurants, so you had to go out for dinner really early if you hadn’t many reservations well in advance. One of the lifts at Kanko had been retired, which is a major blow for access for those staying in accommodation in the lower Akakura Onsen village, necessitating a dual resort pass or a bus ride. At least Akakura didn’t seem on the brink of financial ruin, like it did a decade or so ago.

See our Myoko overview for our thoughts on the pros and cons of Myoko Kogen, and also see the Honshu ski resort ratings to see how it compares to other ski areas. Note that we’ve rated Myoko as a whole as well as the individual ski areas.
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We visited from Sunday to Friday in the first week of March, and rode at Akakura Ski-jo and Akakura Kanko. The snow was excellent. There were very few people on the pistes, the lifts and the cafes/restaurants so we were able to get in a lot of time on the slopes. Unfortunately the lifts are old and slow, and the pistes are not well marked in many places - making it quite dangerous when visibility is poor (which it was at times). There are many, many green runs so its not the best choice for snowboarders (too much time skating) and this alone would stop us visiting Myoko again, but I highly recommend the Myoko Snowsports ski school for the kids. For a small village there are loads of meal options each night, good stores and services.
We didn't visit Suginohara as the cost of the shuttle bus made it too expensive for a family of four.
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Great zone during powder days
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We’ve visited Myoko multiple times and seen it evolve significantly over the years. 12 years ago Myoko had negligible gaijin, plenty of fresh powder & it looked like it was on the brink of bankruptcy with lots of buildings boarded up. Now there is some foreign ownership in town without there being too much, and it looks like it’s financially back on track despite the presence of some lodges that look destitute from the outside (even though they’re operational). Of course the region is only financially viable now because it’s had an influx of foreign tourists, mostly just in the Akakura Onsen village, which brings its pros and cons depending on your perspective. The Akakura Onsen main street can get a bit crazy in the morning and afternoon, with cars and pedestrians all weaving around each other. The long queues out the front of the Kebab 501 food truck are amusing, and somewhat reminiscent of Fergburger in Queenstown. Accommodation and food have got a bit more expensive, but there are more options now, and for drunken bogans, there are a few bars for them to hang out. It’s also much easier for Anglophones who don’t want to try to learn some Japanese phrases.

Meanwhile in the little villages at the base of Ikenotaira, Seki Onsen & Suginohara, it’s still incredibly quiet and there is plenty of the real Japan to be found.

Of course with the increase in visitation, the fresh powder lines are not as readily available in-bounds, but Myoko is still a good destination for powder hounds. True powder hounds can push into the backcountry to find fresh powder and there are lots of nearby Niigata and Nagano ski areas where there are fewer people, and even some ski areas where you can find old school fresh powder lines straight off the lift.

We stayed at AIR Myoko, which was a lovely lodge with a ski-in ski-out location at Akakura, that had a beautiful mix of Japanese decor & western comforts. The plant based food was scrumptious, even for us non-vegans.

See our Myoko overview for our thoughts on the pros and cons of Myoko Kogen, and also see the Japanese ski resort ratings to see how it compares to other ski areas.
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During mid-late February of 2020, and a 5 day stop in Akakura, we were blessed to wake with a 30cm+ layer of fresh over the entire resort. The riding in both Akakura onsen and Akakura kanko areas is a mellow ride. Nothing to give you goosebumps in this area but that’s not to say this isn’t a fun resort for the beginner/ intermediate ski/boarder. Fresh tracks all day and open area galore.. and.. no crowds!! Lift lines were near non existent in our time here and apart from what looked like the local schools having there lessons around, there wasn’t many others on the slopes. The Japanese group classes when you would cross paths with them at lifts would all move to the side and wave you through (in true Japanese style) as they wait for there group to reform. The 100 or so metre main street of town is a interesting little place but don’t expect to be spending to much time here as once you down a few crepes (must do at one of the 4 crepe places on the street), peel off your boiled hot spring egg, purchase your fireworks, there’s not a lot to do.. but that not what we are here for.. right... 😃
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Snows epic and the town still has a Japanese vibe!!!!
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Myoko Kogen is the collective name given to 5 separate but loosely affiliated snow resorts located in Niigata prefecture. A majority of the lodging and dining options are located in Akakura Onsen which is easily accessed by shuttle bus from the Myoko Kogen train station. Most lodging is within walking distance to the lifts with some ski in and/or out and an inter resort shuttle bus links the separate resorts and more remote lodging. Lodging is primarily in family run ryokans that have their own private onsens. Arrange to dine in your ryokan one night. The town has yet to be overrun by tourists but it is still easy to get by speaking only English. Suginohara and Seki Onsen have the steepest terrain of the 5 resorts for advanced and experts. Akakura Kanko has good children's programs and the best on hill food in the world.

Pros; Charm (village and the locals), Dining, Snow quality/ quantity, backcountry, access, proximity to other snow resorts (Madarao, Lotte Arai, Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen), not overrun by tourists,

Cons: You have to take shuttle buses to get to the other resorts, not a lot of off hill activities.
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This is the third time we’ve visited Myoko Kogen in the past 5 years and we’ve seen it change significantly. Five years ago there were only a handful of foreigners visiting Myoko, 2 years ago the increased numbers of gaijin were only apparent in the restaurants at night, whilst in 2016 there were lots of westerners. This is no great surprise considering what Myoko has on offer including pros such as group ski lessons in English (a rarity at Japanese ski resorts) and small villages.

Myoko is still a great pick for most looking for a ski holiday and it snows a mighty lot, but it’s lost some of its appeal for powder hounds, in part due to the increased numbers hitting the powder (oh well, onto new places!!). At Akakura ski area the patrollers had become distinctively anal about off-piste riding and were pulling tickets (although it was still possible to find freshies), whilst Seki Onsen was over-run with powder rodents and there were lift lines. Whilst freshies disappear quickly now in the obvious areas at the main ski resorts, Myoko still has plenty of fresh powder opportunities in the sidecountry and backcountry. Also Myoko makes a great base to explore various nearby resorts where fresh powder is a little more plentiful.

With the influx of gaijin, Myoko has lost a little of its Japanese feel (but there's still plenty of it) and the restaurants are more expensive now (but still very reasonable), but the upside is that it’s become much easier for English speak travellers now. Another huge advantage of the many western travellers is that Myoko is looking more financially viable now. A few years ago, the situation looked pretty dire with some lifts closing and some hotels boarded up and things generally looking bleak.

See the Myoko overview page for more of our thoughts on the pros and cons of Myoko Kogen.
See our video here