繁中 Rail passes Plan a trip
冬
Ski season
WinterDec–Mar
Now at the resorts · 12 December opening planned
Madarao plans to open on 12 December 2026 and has not announced a closing date. Togari is estimated to run from about 20 December to late March, based on last winter.
春 夏 秋 冬
Checked 4 Nov 20269 min read
Season 2026-27
Opens 12 Dec (planned); estimated to late March
Altitude
About 1,000 m at the resort; top and base not published
Courses
52 on natural snow; longest 2,100 m
Adult day ticket
¥9,000 (Madarao and Tangram lifts)
Night skiing
Night ticket ¥3,500 from 16:30
Nearest Shinkansen
Iiyama, 1h 40m from Tokyo
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Find a hire car ↗ Rail passes

Opening confirmed; the closing date is estimated from last season.

In brief

Madarao Kōgen (斑尾高原) plans to open on 12 December 2026 with 52 courses on natural snow and a ¥9,000 adult day ticket that also covers the Tangram lifts. The station is Iiyama: 1h 40m from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, then a bus or a car. Togari Onsen, a smaller family hill in the same valley, is on this page too.

Why Madarao

Madarao is a hotel-and-hill resort above Iiyama, in northern Nagano, and its draw is snow rather than size: the official course list headlines 52 courses on 100% natural snow and tags 12 tree-run courses, which it calls one of the largest tree-run areas in Japan. Its Mountain Pass also covers the lifts of the neighbouring Tangram Ski Circus, so one ticket gets you across both sides.

Togari Onsen (戸狩温泉) is the quieter, cheaper hill next door, with 16 courses and a day ticket of ¥5,800. Both share Iiyama Station, which is also the stop for Nozawa Onsen and for the town's snow-hut village. Below: how to get there by train or car, every lift ticket price, the mountain, and where to stay.

Getting there

By train or by car

Both start at Iiyama, the Hokuriku Shinkansen stop between Nagano and Jōetsu-Myōkō.

No car needed
電

By train

Tokyo to Iiyama · 1h 40m · ¥8,890

Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama: Tokyo about 1h 40m (¥8,890 reserved), Nagano 11 minutes, Kanazawa about 1h 30m. Not every train stops at Iiyama, so check the timetable.

Then the bus from Iiyama Station to the resort. Madarao publishes the winter bus timetable as a PDF on its access page; the 2026-27 fare was not out on 4 November. Its access page lists a Nozawa Onsen, Iiyama Station and Madarao shuttle at ¥1,400 and a Myōkō shuttle at ¥2,000. Buses are not covered by any pass.

Passes: the Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) and the JR East Pass (¥35,000, 5 days) both cover the Shinkansen to Iiyama. For one return trip from Tokyo, two reserved tickets come to ¥17,780 and usually beat a pass.

See the Arch Pass ↗Compare rail passes
車

By car

Iiyama Station · about 12 km

Collect the car at Iiyama or Nagano Station. On the map the resort hotel is about 12 km from Iiyama Station and about 33 km (38 minutes, no traffic) from Nagano Station. Those are map distances with no snow, so allow at least 30 minutes up from Iiyama.

Ask for winter tyres when you book; some companies fit them as standard from mid December and others charge extra. Togari is about 25 minutes from Toyoda-Iiyama IC.

Parking: ¥1,000 a day in lots P1 and P2 (400 spaces, priority to overnight guests). The day lots P7 and P8 are marked both free and paid on the official page, so check before you go. Licence rules are in our car-hire notes.

Find a hire car ↗
Lift tickets

Lift ticket prices 2026-27 (雪票)

Madarao, in yen.

TicketAdultSenior 55+Child 6–12Under 6
Mountain Pass, 1 day¥9,000¥8,500¥6,000¥1,000
Mountain Pass, 2 days¥17,000¥16,000¥11,000¥2,000
Mountain Pass, 3 days¥24,000¥22,500¥15,000¥3,000
Area Pass, 7 hours¥8,800¥8,100¥5,900–
Area Pass, 5 hours¥7,400¥6,800¥4,700–
Area Pass, PM 3 hours (from 12:00)¥4,400¥4,100¥3,200–
Area Pass, 14 hours¥16,100¥15,400¥11,000–
Area Pass, 24 hours¥27,600¥26,400¥18,800–
Night ticket (from 16:30)¥3,500¥3,000¥2,500¥1,000
Single ride¥700¥700¥700¥700
Season pass¥77,000¥70,000¥36,500¥9,000

Prices are from Madarao's 2026-27 list, read on 4 November 2026: adults are 13 and over (junior high pays adult), seniors 55 and over, children 6 to 12. The Mountain Pass covers the Madarao and Tangram lifts from 8:30 to 16:30 and has no night use. The Area Pass covers Madarao only, and its hour tickets run down one hour at a time. The IC card needs a ¥500 deposit, refunded on return. Disability tickets are ¥1,000 off for the holder and one companion.

Buy ahead (雪票): Madarao sells tickets online through Webket, which has an English page and takes credit cards, PayPay and Alipay. You get a barcode and scan it at a machine at Restaurant Heidi or the Shirakaba entrance. No advance discount is stated, and tickets cannot be refunded or reissued.

On the mountain

Terrain, passes, lessons

What the official pages say. Some figures, such as top and base heights, are not published.

01

Natural snow and tree runs斑尾高原

Madarao Kōgen · about 1,000 m at the resort · planned opening 12 Dec 2026

The official course list headlines 52 courses on 100% natural snow. The numbered list tags 12 tree-run courses (all advanced) and three family courses named Rabbit, Kamoshika and Bear, plus a FreeRidePark. The longest run is Crystal at 2,100 m, and the steepest pitches, 36°, are Crystal and Powder Theatre.

The resort does not publish top and base heights or a lift count.

Longest run
2,100 m
Steepest
36°
Tree runs
12 courses
Night
¥3,500 from 16:30
02

The Mountain Pass and the Tangram sideタングラム

One ticket, two sets of lifts · 8:30 to 16:30

The Mountain Pass (¥9,000 a day) covers Madarao and the Tangram Ski Circus lifts, so a day can start on one side and finish on the other. The Area Pass is Madarao only and runs by the hour. Season pass holders ride both sides and get Madarao night skiing, but not Tangram night skiing.

Hotel Tangram, the best-reviewed stay on the hill, is at the Tangram end (see Where to stay).

Mountain Pass
¥9,000 a day
Area Pass
Madarao only
Hours
8:30–16:30
03

Lessons, rental and kidsスクール

Chinese and English lessons listed on the official school page

Chinese: 粉雪天堂 is listed as a Chinese-language ski school, ¥25,000 to ¥40,000 for 2 hours for one or two people (price varies by season), booked through a form on its own site. English: NORTH, Excellence Snowsports and Action Snow Sports. The Madarao Sports Academy runs group lessons at ¥6,500 for a half day and ¥8,000 for a full day (children ¥8,000 and ¥11,000; 0269-64-3727).

Kids: NORTH has a group lesson for ages 7 to 14 (¥13,000 half day, ¥17,000 full day) and Action Snow Sports a Kids Club (¥13,000 and ¥18,000). Rental: Shirakaba Rental (0269-64-3355) takes bookings online until noon the day before and also takes walk-ins; it has no goggles, hats or gloves. A wear and boots pack, with use of the Snow Base building, is ¥10,000. Ski and board prices are quoted on booking.

Chinese lesson
from ¥25,000 / 2 h
Group lesson
from ¥6,500
Wear + boots
¥10,000
Togari Onsen

Togari: the family hill next door

Smaller and cheaper than Madarao, with a village of inns at the base.

04

Togari Onsen ski area戸狩温泉スキー場

Iiyama Line 11 min from Iiyama + taxi about 5 min, or the winter shuttle bus about 25 min · Toyoda-Iiyama IC about 25 min by car

Togari has 16 courses over about 140 ha, a top at 1,050 m and a base at 400 m: 650 m of vertical. A weather site lists the 2025-26 split as 40% beginner, 40% intermediate and 20% advanced. The resort advertises a large freestyle park and a mogul course over 300 m.

Season: dates are estimated from last winter, when it ran from 20 December to 29 March. By train, change at Iiyama to the Iiyama Line, which the JR East Pass covers; the Hokuriku Arch Pass does not cover that line.

Vertical
650 m
Courses
16
Day ticket
¥5,800
Night
¥1,800, set dates
TicketAdultSenior 55+Primary school
1 day¥5,800¥5,300¥3,500
Half day¥4,800¥4,300¥3,000
2 days¥11,000¥10,000¥6,000
3 days¥13,000¥12,000¥8,000
Night (18:00–20:00)¥1,800¥1,800¥1,000
Season pass (night included)¥65,000¥55,000¥38,000

Prices are from Togari's winter price page, read on 4 November 2026. It does not print the season, but its night dates (26 December to 27 March) fit 2026-27. Half-day tickets run 8:30 to 13:00 (8:00 at weekends and holidays) or 12:00 to 16:30. Night skiing runs 18:00 to 20:00 on 26 and 31 December, 1 and 2 January, then Saturdays from 9 January to 27 March. Rental for a day, adult: full set ¥12,200, skis or board ¥5,500, boots ¥4,000, poles ¥2,000; children pay less. Rental can be booked at reservation.togari.jp/rental. The resort is fully cashless, and lift tickets are IC cards.

Where to stay

Hotels at Madarao, Togari, Iiyama and Nozawa

Twelve stays across the four bases. Check rates shows tonight's price for your dates.

On the hill · Madarao Kōgen and Tangram

Madarao · ski hotel

Madarao Kogen Hotel

斑尾高原ホテル · Madarao Kōgen

A ski hotel with its own hot spring within 5 minutes of the slopes, about 30 minutes by route bus from the station.

Check rates ↗
Tangram · resort

Hotel Tangram

Madarao Tangram

The most reviewed stay on the hill: 8.3 on Agoda from 1,106 reviews, at the Tangram end of the Mountain Pass.

Check rates ↗

At the foot of Togari

Togari · soba inn

Teuchi Soba no Yado Ishidaya

手打ちそばの宿 石田屋 · Togari Onsen

An inn named for its hand-made soba, scored 9.1 on Agoda from 11 reviews, at the foot of the Togari slopes.

Check rates ↗
Togari · ryokan

Shikisai no Yado Kanoe

四季彩の宿 かのえ · Togari Onsen

A ryokan scored 9.3 on Agoda from 12 reviews, the highest score among the Togari stays with 10 or more reviews.

Check rates ↗

Iiyama Station and the onsen alternative, Nozawa

Iiyama · town

Business Hotel Noble Iiyama

ビジネスホテル ノーブル飯山 · Iiyama Station

47 rooms about 15 minutes on foot from Iiyama Station, close to the doll museum and the temple route. A simple base for a Shinkansen-and-bus ski trip, or for the snow-hut dinner.

Check rates ↗
Nozawa · views

Nozawa Grand Hotel

野沢グランドホテル · Nozawa Onsen

Three bath halls on the Shin-yu and Ogama sources, and wide views over the valley. Nozawa is about 25 minutes from Iiyama by bus.

Check rates ↗

How to choose: Madarao has the most reviews and the only resort-size hotels, so it is the base for ski-in days and tree runs. Togari has few listings, mostly small inns. Iiyama Station is the cheap, flexible base for a train trip, and Nozawa suits anyone who wants the baths more than the hill.

Eat and après

After the lifts

Most stays on the hill sell dinner with the room, so food is usually a hotel question. Most stays on the hill offer dinner plans; ask when you book.

  1. 01
    The snow-hut dinner in Iiyama. From 22 January to 28 February 2027, Iiyama builds about 20 snow huts in a rice field and serves a miso hot pot inside one, by reservation. See the Iiyama guide for prices and booking.
  2. 02
    A bath after the lifts. Madarao Kogen Hotel has its own hot spring, and Togari is an onsen village with baths at its inns. For more, Nozawa Onsen has 13 free village baths and street food, about 25 minutes from Iiyama Station by bus.
  3. 03
    Soba at Togari. The inn Teuchi Soba no Yado Ishidaya (手打ちそばの宿 石田屋) is named for its hand-made soba, and is one of the Togari stays above.
FAQ

Madarao questions, answered

How much is a Madarao lift ticket in 2026-27?

The Mountain Pass (Madarao and Tangram lifts, 8:30 to 16:30) is ¥9,000 for one day for ages 13 and over, ¥8,500 for seniors 55 and over and ¥6,000 for children 6 to 12; under 6 pays ¥1,000. Two days cost ¥17,000 and three days ¥24,000. A night ticket is ¥3,500 and starts at 16:30. The IC card needs a ¥500 deposit, refunded when you return it.

Can I buy a Madarao lift ticket (雪票) before I arrive?

Yes. Madarao sells tickets in advance through Webket, which has an English page and takes credit cards, PayPay and Alipay. You get a barcode and scan it at a machine at Restaurant Heidi or the Shirakaba entrance to collect the IC card. The page states no advance discount and no refunds or reissues for any reason.

How do I get from Tokyo to Madarao?

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Iiyama: about 1h 40m, ¥8,890 reserved, and not every train stops there. Then take the bus from Iiyama Station to the resort. Madarao publishes the bus timetable only as PDFs and the 2026-27 winter timetable was not readable on 4 November, so check its access page before you fix a connection. The Hokuriku Arch Pass and the JR East Pass cover the Shinkansen but not the bus.

Can I drive to Madarao?

Yes. The resort hotel is about 12 km from Iiyama Station on the map and about 33 km from Nagano Station (38 minutes with no traffic). Allow more in snow, and ask the hire company for winter tyres. Parking in lots P1 and P2 costs ¥1,000 a day, with priority for overnight guests.

When does Madarao open, and when is the best time to go?

Madarao plans to open on Saturday 12 December 2026 and has not announced a closing date. It runs on 100% natural snow, so the first weeks depend on snowfall; January and February are the safest months for powder and tree runs.

Is Madarao good for beginners?

It has three family courses (Rabbit, Kamoshika and Bear) and a beginner snowboard lesson area on the course map, but most of the 12 tree-run courses are advanced and the hill is known for them. Families with small children can also look at Togari, which lists about 40% of its courses as beginner (a 2025-26 figure from a weather site).

Can I take ski lessons in Chinese or English at Madarao?

Yes. Madarao lists a Chinese-language school, 粉雪天堂 (Funayuki Tendo), at ¥25,000 to ¥40,000 for 2 hours for one or two people, booked through a form on its official site. English lessons are listed by NORTH, Excellence Snowsports and Action Snow Sports, and the Madarao Sports Academy runs group lessons from ¥6,500 for a half day.

Madarao or Nozawa Onsen?

Pick Madarao for tree runs, natural snow and a hotel on the hill, and Nozawa Onsen for a village with 13 free baths and street food. Both are reached from Iiyama Station: Nozawa is about 25 minutes by bus, and a shuttle links Nozawa, Iiyama Station and Madarao for ¥1,400.

Continue exploring

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