Dec–MarTwo of Japan's biggest ski areas, 1h 07m from Tokyo by Shinkansen and a bus: Naeba for the hotel and the night skiing, Kagura for the deep snow and the spring season.
Dates are the operator's planned dates; openings depend on snow.
Naeba (苗場) and Kagura (かぐら) sit at the head of the Yuzawa valley in Niigata, joined by the Dragondola, one of the longest gondolas in the world. From Tokyo it is the Jōetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa (1h 07m, ¥6,900), then a route bus of about 20 to 60 minutes. Kagura opens on 28 November 2026 and runs to 16 May; Naeba skis from 18 December to 4 April. One day ticket for both is ¥11,800. The Hokuriku Arch Pass does not reach it; the JR East Pass and the JR Pass do.
Together they are one of the biggest linked ski areas in Japan, and the highest on the Jōetsu side, with Kagura rising to 1,845 m. Naeba is the Seibu Prince resort: a slope-side hotel, night skiing and events. Kagura has no big hotel on the hill, and what it offers instead is snow depth, 32 courses and the longest season in Niigata, which makes it the spring skiing choice.
It is a Tokyo ski trip first, and not a neighbour of Hokuriku: from Kanazawa you ride the Kagayaki to Omiya or Tokyo and change, so it fits best as a bolt-on at the start or end of a longer trip (see below). Below: the train, bus and car, the lift tickets, the mountains, and where to stay, from Naeba village to Echigo-Yuzawa.
Both resorts are up the valley from Echigo-Yuzawa Station, 20 to 60 minutes by road.
Jōetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa takes 1h 07m on the fastest train (Toki 303; weekend Toki 67 takes 1h 13m), with 38 trains a day. From Ueno it is 1h 01m (¥6,690) and from Omiya 42m (¥6,360). The first train leaves Tokyo at 06:08, and the last Tokyo-bound train leaves Echigo-Yuzawa at 22:25.
From the east exit a route bus climbs the valley: about 45 to 60 minutes to Naeba, about 20 to 30 minutes to Kagura Mitsumata and 35 minutes to Kagura Tashiro. On the 2025-26 timetable the fares were ¥700, ¥400 and ¥570; the 2026-27 timetable is posted nearer the season, so check the operator and the time of your last bus back. Hotel guests can also ask their hotel about a pick-up.
From Kanazawa: there is no through train. Kagayaki to Omiya takes 2h 03m (¥13,950) or to Tokyo 2h 26m (¥14,600), then change to the Jōetsu Shinkansen.
Passes: the JR East Pass (Nagano, Niigata area) and the JR Pass cover the Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa, but not the route bus. The Hokuriku Arch Pass does not reach this line. For one ski trip, ordinary tickets cost less than any pass.
See the JR East Pass ↗See the JR Pass ↗Compare rail passesFrom central Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa it is about 191 km, roughly 2h 47m with no traffic; add 30 to 45 minutes up the valley. From Yuzawa IC it is about 15 minutes to Kagura, 25 minutes to Tashiro and 30 minutes to Naeba.
Parking at Naeba (3,800 spaces) costs ¥1,000 on weekdays and ¥2,000 at weekends, holidays and from 29 December to 3 January. Kagura Mitsumata (1,200 spaces) is free on weekdays and ¥1,500 at weekends and holidays; Tashiro (800 spaces) is free on weekdays and ¥1,500 at weekends.
Winter tyres are needed. Ask for them when you book the hire car, and collect it at Echigo-Yuzawa Station if you come by train. Licence rules are in our car-hire notes.
Find a hire car ↗In yen, the operator's 2026-27 price list, tax included. Children up to elementary school age ski free with a child ticket from the counter.
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Mt.Naeba, 1 day (Naeba, Kagura Mitsumata and Tashiro, Dragondola) | ¥11,800 | Free |
| Naeba area, 1 day | ¥9,800 | Free |
| Naeba, 8 hours in a row | ¥8,300 | Free |
| Naeba, 4 hours in a row | ¥6,300 | Free |
| Kagura area, 1 day | ¥8,500 | Free |
| Kagura, half day (8:00 to 13:00) | ¥6,700 | Free |
| Kagura, half day (11:45 to 16:30) | ¥6,200 | Free |
| Kagura, 2 days | ¥15,500 | Free |
| Gondola return, Prince 1 and 2 (sightseeing) | ¥3,000 | Free |
| Dragondola return (sightseeing) | ¥4,000 | Not listed |
The 4-hour and 8-hour tickets do not include the Dragondola or Kagura, and the Dragondola is only on the Mt.Naeba ticket. Web tickets (credit card only) can be bought until 23:00 the day before and are not refundable. Seibu Prince Global Rewards members pay ¥10,800 for the Mt.Naeba ticket. A joint season pass for Naeba, Kagura and Rokugo-Hakkaisan is on sale until 15 November 2026. Prices can change in season.
| Rental, per day | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Naeba: ski or snowboard set | ¥7,500 | ¥6,000 |
| Naeba: snowwear | ¥5,500 | ¥4,500 |
| Kagura: basic set | from ¥6,000 | from ¥4,000 |
| Kagura: set with wear | from ¥10,000 | from ¥6,000 |
| Kagura Tashiro: basic set | from ¥7,000 | from ¥5,000 |
| Kagura Tashiro: set with wear | from ¥12,000 | from ¥8,000 |
Both resorts run a ski and snowboard school for adults and children; the 2026-27 programmes are posted by the operator before the season. Naeba has two snow parks.
Naeba has 24 courses, Kagura 32 and Tashiro 5, with the Dragondola in between.
The Seibu Prince resort, with the Naeba Prince Hotel at the base. Top 1,789 m, base about 900 m, 24 courses and 12 lifts including 3 gondolas, with a longest run of 4,000 m and a fairly even mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain. Two snow parks. Skiing runs 8:00 to 17:00, and night skiing to 20:30 is planned from 18 December to 21 March.
The high, snowy side. Kagura (Mitsumata and the Kagura area) climbs from 620 m to 1,845 m, a vertical of about 1,200 m, with 32 courses, 16 lifts including two ropeways, and a longest run of 6,000 m. It leans towards intermediate runs, is known for deep snow, and opens early and closes late: 28 November to 16 May. Skiing runs 8:00 to 16:30 and there is no night skiing.
The third area, with five named courses between 800 and 1,600 m and a longest run of 2,100 m, split roughly evenly between beginner, intermediate and advanced. Reach it by the Dragondola from Naeba or by road (25 minutes from Yuzawa IC, 800 parking spaces). The tourism calendar lists Tashiro from 19 December to 5 May.
A gondola of 5,481 m that carries you from Naeba over the valley to Tashiro, and so joins the two resorts. It runs from 26 December 2026 to 22 March 2027 and is only on the Mt.Naeba ticket. A sightseeing return is ¥4,000, and in the green season it runs as a ride on its own.
Beginner, intermediate and advanced shares vary by source, so treat them as a rough guide: about a third each at Naeba, slightly more intermediate at Kagura.
Thirteen stays in three places. Check rates shows tonight's price for your dates.
How to choose: sleep at Naeba for the lifts at the door and the night skiing; at Kagura for first tracks on the Mitsumata side; and in Echigo-Yuzawa if you want an onsen ryokan, the station and its restaurants, with a bus up the valley each morning. All three work for the Mt.Naeba ticket.
At Naeba
The big slope-side hotel of Naeba, with restaurants, baths and the events the resort is known for. Scored 8.3 on Agoda from 3,942 reviews.
Check rates ↗A three-star hotel among the Naeba lodges, within the village below the lifts. Scored 8.6 on Agoda from 69 reviews.
Check rates ↗A small resort stay in the Naeba village with free parking. Scored 9.3 on Agoda from 59 reviews.
Check rates ↗An onsen ryokan on the Mikuni Pass road, with its own baths and free parking. Scored 8.5 on Agoda from 44 reviews.
Check rates ↗At Kagura
A lodge by the Mitsumata lifts, the best reviewed stay on the Kagura side. Scored 9.1 on Agoda from 471 reviews.
Check rates ↗A cottage-style inn at the foot of the lifts, with parking for guests who drive. Scored 9.0 on Agoda from 140 reviews.
Check rates ↗A three-and-a-half-star onsen ryokan on the Kagura side, built around its bath. Scored 9.4 on Agoda from 41 reviews.
Check rates ↗In Echigo-Yuzawa, 45 to 60 minutes below
The inn where Kawabata Yasunari wrote Snow Country, with his room kept on site. Its own Yumoto source runs free-flowing at about 43°C.
Check rates ↗A stylish inn by the station, with free-flowing spring water that has had water and heat added. Scored 9.3 on Agoda from 562 reviews.
Check rates ↗A Kyoritsu Resort onsen ryokan with more reviews than any other stay near the Yuzawa lifts. Scored 9.3 on Agoda from 2,035 reviews.
Check rates ↗A four-star onsen ryokan in the station area. Scored 9.1 on Agoda from 933 reviews.
Check rates ↗A four-star ryokan in the station area. Scored 9.0 on Agoda from 1,216 reviews.
Check rates ↗A big ski resort hotel with a hall of spring baths, beside its own slopes. Scored 8.9 on Agoda from 2,151 reviews.
Check rates ↗Eleven more stays around Echigo-Yuzawa · Echigo-Yuzawa in the Niigata guide · GALA, Naeba and Kagura compared
Naeba keeps you on the mountain after dark; Echigo-Yuzawa is the place for rice, sake and a long bath.
The Mt.Naeba ticket, which covers Naeba, Kagura (Mitsumata and Tashiro) and the Dragondola, is ¥11,800 for an adult for one day. A Naeba-only day ticket is ¥9,800 and a Kagura-only day ticket ¥8,500. Children up to elementary school age ski free with a child ticket from the counter. These are up about 20% on last season, when the combined ticket was ¥9,800. Prices can change in season.
Kagura is planned to open on Saturday 28 November 2026 and run to Sunday 16 May 2027, the longest season on the Jōetsu side, and the opening depends on snow. Naeba is planned for 18 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with night skiing from 18 December to 21 March and the Dragondola between the two running from 26 December to 22 March.
Take the Jōetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa (1h 07m on the fastest train, ¥6,900), then a route bus: about 45 to 60 minutes to Naeba and about 20 to 30 minutes to Kagura. On the 2025-26 timetable the fares were ¥700 to Naeba, ¥400 to Kagura Mitsumata and ¥570 to Kagura Tashiro; the 2026-27 timetable is posted nearer the season.
No. Naeba and Kagura are reached from Echigo-Yuzawa on the Jōetsu Shinkansen, and the Arch Pass covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The JR East Pass (Nagano, Niigata area) and the Japan Rail Pass cover the Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa. The route bus is not covered by any pass.
Choose Naeba for the slope-side Prince hotel, the night skiing until 20:30 and the events; choose Kagura for the deeper snow, the 32 courses, the longer season to mid-May and a quieter feel. The Mt.Naeba ticket covers both once the Dragondola starts on 26 December, so a stay at either can use both.
Yes. Naeba has a mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced courses, two snow parks, and children up to elementary school age ski free with a child ticket. Kagura leans towards intermediate runs. Rental sets, snowwear and a ski and snowboard school are available.
Yes, but it is a long day: the Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa is 1h 07m, then the bus. The first train leaves Tokyo at 06:08 and the last Tokyo-bound train leaves Echigo-Yuzawa at 22:25, which is after Naeba's night skiing ends at 20:30, so check the last bus before you plan the return. A night in the valley gives you two full days.
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