MADARAO

There are nine chairlifts at Madarao plus three magic carpets. The resort states they have 15 lifts, but one of them doesn’t seem to run (at least most of the time) and the number one lift that takes skiers up the hill to the hotel actually consists of three separate lifts all going the exact same length– two doubles and a triple! There are 26 ski courses of which about 30 per cent are beginner, 45 per cent intermediate and 25 per cent advanced. The resort has two “base” areas. The first is next to the Madarao Kogen Hotel where the ski school, rentals, ticket office and ski patrol are located as well as a few restaurants. The second base area is at the bottom of the small beginner run that goes down from the hotel and it’s where you’ll find a couple of restaurants and a few other facilities. The main part of the ski area extends up the mountain on the opposite side from the hotel.

Like most Japanese resorts there are several big mogul runs, night skiing (most days until 9.30pm) and a few terrain park features. The intermediate terrain consists of wide-open groomed runs and there is a dedicated beginner area. The most frustrating thing about Madarao is that, apart from the Super Quad Lift, you often need to connect several slow lifts to get in a decent run. In addition, the left and right sides of the mountain are split and it requires a magic carpet ride and a bit of pushing to get back to the main base area from the (looker’s) right side. The top lift, No.13, accesses some great advanced skiing and is a slow, old single chair.

But it’s worth heading straight up there on a powder day and lapping this lift as there’s some fantastic tree skiing on runs called Powder Theater and Powder Wave 2. Although it’s not very steep, the terrain has some fun rolling jumps through nicely spaced trees – and best of all you may even have it all to yourself! Look out for the natural halfpipe, carved specifically by the resort to encourage more freeriding. It's incredibly fun, even without powder.

Madarao is connected to another ski area called (rather hilariously) Tangram Ski Circus. For a supplement you can buy a combined lift ticket, which is worthwhile for all standards. Even though most of the terrain there is best for intermediates and beginners, advanced skiers and boarders can use their top lift to access some of the best advanced terrain on the Madarao side.

Despite all this talk of tree skiing and powder, Madarao is also an excellent choice for families with young kids who are just beginning.  There are plenty of green beginner runs including some accessed straight from the main hotel. Plus, there’s a childcare center with English-speaking staff (in the hotel) and a ski school (next to the hotel) with English-speaking instructors (for private lessons only), and a kids snow park that has sleds, tubes and a warming hut. It’s very compact and easy to get around.

There are two main hotels at Madarao and a bunch of fantastic Japanese pensions – some that cater to Western tourists and others that are a more akin to staying in a Japanese home, with little English spoken. Since about 2018 there has been a sudden explosion of western style ski lodges - usually Aussies that have bought existing properties and done them up. These are great if you seek all the comforts of home, however they don't offer much in the way of an immersive Japanese experience.

The most convenient place to stay is the Madarao Kogen Hotel (or its sister hotel, Mon Aile Madarao) and only a few of the pensions and lodges are close to the ski slopes. Others will require a shuttle ride by the owner so be sure to select the location and pension carefully if you want to have easy access to the resort.

There is no self-catered accommodation in Madarao.

There are a few other non-skiing activities such as snow-rafting, snowmobiling (at Tangram), showshoeing, soba noodle-making and indoor climbing. There are tours of the nearby town of Iiyama that include cultural activities such as Japanese craft-making, sake tasting and a visit to a Buddhist altar. It’s also possible to do a half-day trip from Iiyama to see the snow monkeys.

Madarao is located in the northeastern part of Nagano prefecture. It’s about an hour from Nagano city and a 30-minute drive from Iiyama City.

The easiest and fastest way to get to Madarao is via the Shinkansen Asama from Tokyo to Iiyama (the very fancy station opened there in March 2015). From Iiyama you can catch a bus or taxi to Madarao. There are also buses from Nagano station (1.2hrs). If you prefer a bus you can catch a Chuo taxi directly from Narita airport. It’s a shared mini-bus with departures based on your flight arrival time.

There are several other ski resorts close to Madarao with the most notable being Myoko Kogen (30 mins), Nozawa Onsen (60 mins) and Shiga Kogen (90 mins) and Hakuba (2hrs). Nagano Snow Shuttle offers a number of transfer options daily between the resorts. Private guided day tours can be organise from Madarao to the other resorts (ask Scout for details!). There are also daily buses to and from those resorts making it easy to do a day trip or as a combination stay.

Madarao is generally open from early December till early May. The best conditions are usually from the end of January until the end of February.

Try to avoid the periods around New Year’s and Chinese New Year which can be busy.