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秋

Getting around now

AutumnOct–Nov

Shiga Kōgen · colour now

Colour peaks on the lakes in early October and lasts to late October. A craft fair runs 17–18 October, and first snow can come in mid-October.

春夏秋冬

18 ski areas · 1 ticket

Nagano · Yamanouchi

Shiga Kōgen ski resort志賀高原

Q: How big is Shiga Kogen and what is on the lift ticket?

Shiga Kōgen has 18 ski areas across about 1,000 m of vertical, with more than 80 courses and a top at 2,307 m (Yokoteyama-Shibutōge, the highest ski area in Japan). One all-mountain key ticket works on every lift and gondola in all 18 areas, and the area calls itself one of Japan's largest.

Q: When is the 2026–27 season and how much is a lift ticket?

The common lift ticket runs 5 December 2026 to 5 May 2027. An adult 1-day ticket is ¥9,500 at the window (student ¥6,500, child ¥4,000, senior ¥8,000) and ¥8,500 online, where sales open on 1 November; 3 days is ¥27,500 at the window or ¥24,500 online, and 5 days ¥45,500 or ¥40,500. Children up to elementary-school age ski free on the third Sunday of December to April.

Eighteen ski areas on one ticket, 1,000 m of vertical and Japan's highest ski slopes at 2,307 m, above the snow monkeys of Yudanaka. 5 December to 5 May; about 70 minutes by bus from Nagano.

From ¥8,500 a day5 Dec – 5 MayChecked 13 Oct 2026

Checked 13 Oct 20267 min read

In brief

Shiga Kōgen (志賀高原) is 18 ski areas on one lift ticket, with about 1,000 m of vertical and a top at 2,307 m. The 2026–27 ticket runs 5 December to 5 May; an adult day is ¥9,500 at the window and ¥8,500 online (on sale from 1 November). From Nagano Station East Exit the Nagaden express bus takes about 70 minutes and costs ¥3,000; from Tokyo it is the Shinkansen to Nagano (about 1h 20m) and that bus. The Jigokudani snow monkeys are 30 minutes down the hill.

One ticket, 18 mountains, no background music

Shiga Kōgen sits at more than 1,300 m in Yamanouchi, in the Jōshin'etsu Kōgen National Park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The ski areas are strung along the plateau and joined by lifts, gondolas and shuttle buses, so you ski from one to the next on a single key ticket. The resort plays no music on the slopes, and its 80 or so hotels sit by the slopes rather than in a village, so evenings are quiet. Onsen come with the hotels, and the Yudanaka and Shibu onsen towns are below. Compared with Nozawa Onsen, Hakuba and Myōkō it is the one to pick for variety and a long season. It is also open in autumn: the colour is on the plateau now.

The five areas

Where to ski

The resort groups its 18 ski areas into five zones. One key ticket works across all of them.

Zone	Character	Good to know
Central 中央 13 ski areas	The biggest zone, with many gentle courses, so the place for a first trip and for families	Plenty of restaurants. The Pulse Gondola (Shiga Kōgen Resort Gondola) leaves from Yamanoeki, the bus hub
Yakebitaiyama 焼額山	Long natural-terrain courses, two gondolas, an ungroomed zone for powder and moguls	Ski-in, ski-out from the Shiga Kōgen Prince Hotel. Night skiing on set days, 18:00–20:00
Okushiga Kōgen 奥志賀高原	The far end of the plateau: no snowmaking, so 100% natural snow, and the only terrain park in Shiga Kōgen	Après-ski spots at the base. The bus from Nagano continues to Okushiga Kōgen Hotel
Kumanoyu 熊の湯	A fan-shaped, easy-to-read layout with less sun and so some of the best powder	An old sulfur onsen. Night skiing 18:30–21:00 on set days
Yokoteyama–Shibutōge 横手山・渋峠	Japan's highest ski area at 2,307 m, the coldest and snowiest, and the last in Shiga Kōgen to close	The best bet for spring skiing. On clear days you can see the Northern Alps and Mt Fuji

Night-skiing dates for 2026–27 were not posted on 13 October 2026.

What it feels like

High, cold and spread out

Ride and slideリフトとゴンドラで巡る

Lifts, gondolas and shuttle buses between the 18 areas

The key ticket lets you ride all 47 lifts and gondolas across the whole plateau, so a day is a traverse rather than a loop. Shuttle buses link the zones, and Yamanoeki is the bus hub.

Snow arrives early and stays: the area says it runs from late November to May, and the common ticket is valid from 5 December 2026 to 5 May 2027. Early-season and spring dates (5–18 December and 1 April–5 May) have cheaper multi-day tickets.

Ski areas

Courses

80+

Top

2,307 m

Lift tickets 2026–27

All-mountain ticket prices

Prices for the 18-area ticket. Online sales open on 1 November 2026 and cost less than the window.

Days	Adult, online	Adult, window	Student 13–18, window	Child, window	Senior, window
1	¥8,500	¥9,500	¥6,500	¥4,000	¥8,000
2	¥16,500	¥18,500	¥12,500	¥7,500	¥15,500
3	¥24,500	¥27,500	¥18,500	¥11,000	¥23,000
5	¥40,500	¥45,500	¥30,500	¥18,000	¥38,000
7	¥56,500	¥63,500	¥42,500	¥25,000	¥53,000
10	¥80,500	¥90,500	¥60,500	¥35,500	¥75,500

Multi-day tickets (2 to 10 days) can be used on non-consecutive days; a 4-hour ticket is ¥7,500 and early-season (5–18 December) and spring (1 April–5 May) 1-day tickets are ¥7,500 online. Skiing Kids' Day: children up to elementary-school age ski free (1-day) on the third Sunday, 20 Dec, 17 Jan, 21 Feb, 21 Mar and 18 Apr. Ikon Pass holders ride the all-mountain ticket (the resort joined Ikon in 2025–26; check Ikon's 2026–27 list). Single-zone tickets are sold at each zone's counters. Prices checked 13 October 2026; the lift association lists them for the window and online. Sold at SKIOSK machines and ticket counters at Yamanoeki, Sun Valley, Giant, the Prince hotels and Okushiga Kōgen Hotel, among others.

Compare

Shiga Kōgen against the other big names

All four are reached on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line. Every Hokuriku ski area compared.

Resort	Size	Day ticket	Vertical and top	From Tokyo	Best for
Shiga Kōgen 志賀高原	18 areas, one ticket	¥9,500 window, ¥8,500 online	1,000 m · 2,307 m	Nagano 1h 20m + bus 1h 10m, about 3h	Variety, high and long season, quiet hotel stays
Nozawa Onsen 野沢温泉	One connected resort	¥7,800	Long top-to-bottom runs	Iiyama about 1h 40m + 25 min bus	A village with 13 free baths; intermediates, tree runs
Hakuba Valley 白馬	10 resorts, one pass	¥11,100	Happo-One 1,071 m · 1,831 m	Nagano + bus 1h 10m, about 3h	The biggest terrain, nightlife, backcountry gates
Myōkō 妙高	4 linked resorts plus Lotte Arai and Seki	¥7,000–¥7,900 (Akakura, Ikenotaira); Suginohara ¥8,000 in 2025–26	Suginohara 1,124 m · 1,855 m	Jōetsumyōkō 1h 50m + local line and bus	The deepest natural snow, tree skiing

Nozawa Onsen's price is the 2026–27 regular-period adult ticket. Myōkō's Akakura and Ikenotaira prices are 2026–27; Suginohara had not posted 2026–27 prices on 14 October. See each guide for the detail.

Getting there

From Nagano Station to the slopes

Leg	How	Time	Fare
Tokyo → Nagano	Hokuriku Shinkansen	From 1h 20m	¥8,450 reserved
Nagano Station East Exit, stop 23 → Sun Valley or Yamanoeki	Nagaden express bus, no reservation	About 70 to 78 min	¥3,000
Nagano → Okushiga Kōgen Hotel	Same express, at most departures	About 1h 50m to 2h	¥3,000
Nagano → Yudanaka, then up to Shiga Kōgen	Nagaden limited express, then a local bus	44–46 min + local bus	¥1,660 + ¥100 + bus
By car from Tokyo (Nerima IC)	Kan-etsu and Jōshin'etsu expressways to Shinshu-Nakano IC, then Route 292	About 3h 30m	Tolls; parking at the bases is free

Nagaden's 2026–27 winter timetable runs 5 December 2026 to 5 April 2027 with departures from Nagano at 09:10, 10:30, 11:15, 13:10, 13:20, 14:30 and 17:05, plus an 08:15 on Saturdays from 19 December to 20 March; it is cashless at weekends and holidays, and skis go under the floor free. It does not stop at the snow monkey park this winter. Timetable checked 28 September 2026. The Yudanaka local-bus timetable for 2026–27 was not out. The Arch Pass and JR Pass cover the Shinkansen, not the buses; see all rail passes.

Route 292 in winter

The Shiga Kusatsu Kōgen Route over the top (Route 292, 2,172 m at the highest national road point near Shibutōge) closes for the winter, so there is no through bus to Kusatsu Onsen. Prefecture notices give the closing date; it fully reopened on 29 May 2026.

Driving

Approach from Shinshu-Nakano IC on Route 292, the Olympic road. Use winter tyres or chains. Kanazawa to the plateau is about 3h 40m by car.

Book ahead

A tour, or a pass for the trains

Shiga Kōgen lift tickets are sold by the resort; the online prices open on 1 November.

Skiing and the monkeys

猿

Shiga Kōgen and Jigokudani, one day

Join-in bus tour from Nagano

Snow activities at Shiga Kōgen and the snow monkeys in one day, from Nagano. It is a snow-fun tour, not a ski day, and lift tickets are extra. Winter only, so check dates.

See on Klook ↗

虹

Hokuriku Arch Pass

¥35,000 · 7 days

The Shinkansen to Nagano and on to Kanazawa, reserved seats free. The bus up the hill is extra. Worked fares.

Find on Klook ↗

券

Japan Rail Pass

from ¥50,000 · 7 days

Worth it when Shiga Kōgen is one stop on a longer trip round Japan. Compare every pass.

Book on Klook ↗

When to go

Colour, snow monkeys and summer

The plateau has a long year, from early colour to late spring snow.

01
Autumn colour, now. Leaves turn from late September at Yokoteyama and move down; the whole plateau is at its best around early October, and the lakes (Hasuike, Biwaike, Ichinuma) mirror the colour. It usually lasts to late October; the first snow can fall in mid-October and snow settles in November. A craft fair runs 17–18 October. See autumn leaves 2026.
02
Snow monkeys. Below the resort at Yudanaka; best from December to March. See the Yudanaka and Shibu guide.
03
Spring skiing. 1 April to 5 May on the common ticket, with Yokoteyama-Shibutōge holding snow longest.
04
Summer hiking. The plateau stays under 25°C on average in summer, and 18 trekking courses start from lifts. Route 292 is open for the drive to Kusatsu from late spring until the winter closure.

Where to stay

On the mountain or in the onsen town below

Most skiers sleep in the plateau's hotels; Shibu is the alternative if the snow monkeys matter more.

Ski-in, ski-out

Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel

志賀高原プリンスホテル · Yakebitaiyama · ski-in

The resort hotel at the foot of Yakebitaiyama, with lift ticket counters in the East and West lobbies. The South wing is due to open 4 December 2026, the West wing 18 December and the East wing 19 December (planned).

resort hotel

Check rates ↗

Sulfur onsen

Shiga Kōgen Hotel Ichibōkaku

志賀高原ホテル一望閣 · Hoppo

A hotel in Hoppo on a sulfur-bearing sulfate-bicarbonate spring at 68°C. Listed as operating in September 2026.

onsen hotel

Check rates ↗

Snow monkeys

Kanaguya

歴史の宿金具屋 · Shibu Onsen · 30 min below

The 1758 ryokan in Shibu, with a four-storey wooden Saigetsurō lit at night and eight baths. A base for the monkeys and a day at Shiga Kōgen.

from ¥18,700 pp with 2 meals

Check rates ↗

FAQ

Shiga Kōgen, answered

How big is Shiga Kogen and what is on the lift ticket?

Shiga Kōgen has 18 ski areas across about 1,000 m of vertical, with more than 80 courses and a top at 2,307 m (Yokoteyama-Shibutōge, the highest ski area in Japan). One all-mountain key ticket works on every lift and gondola in all 18 areas, and the area calls itself one of Japan's largest.

When is the 2026–27 season and how much is a lift ticket?

The common lift ticket runs 5 December 2026 to 5 May 2027. An adult 1-day ticket is ¥9,500 at the window (student ¥6,500, child ¥4,000, senior ¥8,000) and ¥8,500 online, where sales open on 1 November; 3 days is ¥27,500 at the window or ¥24,500 online, and 5 days ¥45,500 or ¥40,500. Children up to elementary-school age ski free on the third Sunday of December to April.

How do I get from Nagano or Tokyo to Shiga Kogen?

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano (about 1h 20m from Tokyo, ¥8,450 reserved), then the Nagaden express bus from Nagano Station East Exit, stop 23: about 70 minutes to Sun Valley and 78 to Yamanoeki, ¥3,000 one way, seven buses a day from 5 December. The Arch Pass and JR Pass cover the Shinkansen, not the bus.

Can I see the snow monkeys on the same trip?

Yes. Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is about 30 minutes down the hill from Shiga Kōgen by bus to Yudanaka, then a short bus and a 30–40 minute forest walk. The monkeys bathe mainly from December to March. Our Yudanaka and Shibu guide has fares, entry and the walk.

Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen or Hakuba?

Pick Shiga Kōgen for variety on one ticket, the highest slopes and the longest season, and for a quiet, hotel-based stay. Pick Nozawa Onsen (¥7,800 a day) for a village with 13 free public baths, and Hakuba (¥11,100 for the 10-resort valley pass) for the biggest single mountain and the most nightlife. Myōkō has the deepest natural snow.

Is Shiga Kogen good for beginners, and is there night skiing?

Yes for both. The central area, 13 of the 18 ski areas, has many gentle courses and plenty of restaurants. Night skiing runs on set days at Kumanoyu, Yakebitaiyama and Ichinose Diamond; check each area's calendar, as the posted 2026–27 dates were not out at the time of writing.

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