After every big dump in the Shinetsu area "Tangram Trees" is what all the locals are thinking. The Trees are very easily accessible and have a decent pitch for some super fun and exciting powder runs. There are some ungroomed runs, gladed and ungladed trees, so no matter what you're shred level is, there's something for you. Even on the busier days you still find fresh runs well into the afternoon, with most people ending the day out of exhaustion rather than the lifts closing.
Tangram also inter links with Madarao to double its ski area. Madarao also boasts ungroomed runs, gladed and ungladed Trees.
Should you have avalanche training, your avvy pack and a guide there's plenty more secret spots to explore outside of the resort boundaries. This area more than doubles the size again of the Tangram / Madarao inbound areas.
Tangram pension village is where you want to stay, with lift 6 only a small walk from all accommodations. The area has a mix of western and Japanese owned pensions, that vary in price and options. All the owners are working together and the area is becoming a culinary destination with 5 amazing restaurants and one bar in particular that hops from 3pm on - the cocktails are a must.
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Tangram Ski Resort is definitely worth hitting up in conjunction with Madarao to score some extra powder, but when riding at Tangram you may require some patience to tolerate some of the ski resort’s ancient Japanese-isms. Of course this is all part of embracing the Japanese culture!

In stark contrast to adjoining Madarao, Tangram used to have a strict ban on off-piste skiing. In the past few years, Tangram has started relenting a little and getting their chainsaws out to glade some trees to allow a couple of small permissible off-piste areas. So we went to check out the slightly expanded tree zones but they had closed signs in front of them. What the?! You can probably guess what happened next.

The really good tree skiing areas at Tangram remain prohibited and whilst the management team want to encourage a little more off-piste riding, it seems that some of the old-school patrollers don’t. The upside was that with some discretion, the powder in the trees remained untracked for ages.

This is the fifth time that we’ve visited Tangram and once again the black Lake View Line was closed for no apparent reason. It could have been due to avalanche risk, but instead of undertaking avalanche control work or grooming the run or allowing skier compaction, they just leave it closed. There was also a black run above the pension village that was closed because it had a small patch of vegetation poking through. Anywhere else in the world they’d put some warning poles to get people to ski around the bare patch, and keep the run open. This is not uncommon with Japanese ski resorts, but rather annoying nonetheless. It’s a pretty small ski resort that becomes even smaller due to poor management.

See the Tangram Ski Resort overview for more on the pros and cons of Tangram, and also see the Japanese ski resorts ratings to see how it compares to other ski areas.
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The comments in the guide are somewhat outdated. Just returned from an epic trip at tangram and will return. The tree riding through the apricot trees area is some of the best I've ridden, and far better than most could imagine. Yes it's only one area but the length, pitch and depth of the powder here was magic. The great dump of jan17 made a difference obviously.

Highly recommended during powder if you like and can handle steep tree runs.
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Change is in the air at Tangram Ski Circus. No they haven’t changed their ridiculous name – what the hell is a ski circus!? However the keen glading team at Madarao have been whispering in the ears of their neighbours at Tangram about what a remarkable transformation Madarao has gone through, because it not only allows off-piste skiing – Madarao encourages it by glading the trees!

Tangram have started on their long journey and have opened a small tree skiing area, but like most of Madarao, this permitted zone was tracked out when we visited. Meanwhile the better tree skiing that has a pure north facing aspect, tighter trees, and steeper pitches is still considered very naughty. This has its pros and cons. It would be good for many riders (and the economy of the ski resort) if off-piste skiing was permitted everywhere in the resort, yet we personally prefer to sneakily access powder that is completely untouched and on tap! We had the most amazing time at Tangram with some beautiful deep Japow.

It’s probably only a matter of time before the resort gets their chain-saws out to “make” some more permissible tree skiing.

See the Tangram Ski Resort overview for more on the pros and cons of Tangram, and also see the Japanese ski resorts ratings to see how it compares to other ski areas.
See our video here

TL:DRThis is a good place for intermediates or beginners get their snow legs. Any better, do a day trip from Myoko, there is a bus or odds on any self respecting pension owner (both our previous did) will insist on driving you at least the way out there if not pick you up too.

I've skied Tangram twice now, and both times I was able to get unskied, and fairly good condition snow in the trees inbound without any major drama. It's a pretty unassuming mountain in that if you turn towards the general direction of the base hotel off any piste you'll wind up at the base of it one way or another. However the trees are mainly what can best be described 'naturally gladed' so get quite tight at times.

The reason why this is titled MADARAO-tangram though is because I wouldnt get just one or the other, get both, get some freedom and don't take your day there to seriously.

Powder Recon do take some tours to madarao-tangram as part of their packages, and they say they know some good side country; but happen to keep the details of that little trade secret locked up of course, so it may be worthwhile investigating them if you want to get the full potential out of this mountain.
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Tangram is a small ski resort that might provide a little entertainment for advanced riders for a couple of hours only.

Tangram is good for intermediate riders as an adjunct to the intermediate terrain at Madarao.

Another benefit of Tangram is that it provides more convenient access from Myoko Kogen to Madarao, than driving around to Madarao.
See our video here