Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort
Overview
Myoko Suginohara sits in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture, and is built around a single defining feature: one of the longest ski runs in Japan, a descent the resort’s operator, Prince Hotels, puts at roughly 8.5 km from top to bottom. That run drops skiers past views of Lake Nojiri and the Northern Shinano mountains on the way down, and it’s the reason Myoko Suginohara has a reputation among long-run skiers well beyond what its lift count would suggest. The resort’s overall vertical drop is 1,117.5 m, from a base at 739.1 m to a summit at 1,856.6 m, which is substantial for a mountain served by just 5 lifts — a single gondola and four chairlifts.
The 22 marked runs cover 21.39 km in total, and the difficulty mix skews heavily toward easy terrain: 12.97 km easy against 4.87 km intermediate and 2.74 km advanced, with a small amount of ungraded terrain making up the rest. That combination — a gentle overall run profile paired with one very long, more demanding signature descent — gives the resort a different character from a mountain with lots of short, steep pitches. It suits skiers who want distance and scenery over technical variety, and the free lift access for children up to elementary-school age makes it workable for families as well.
Access to Myoko Suginohara runs through several mid-sized regional airports: Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport is closest at 79.7 km, Toyama Kitokito Airport is next at 87.6 km, Noto Satoyama Airport is a third option at 114.4 km, and Niigata Airport, the designated gateway with broader flight connections, sits 148.9 km away. Nagano city, with roughly 372,760 residents, is the nearest larger population center at 24.1 km, followed by Jōetsu (about 189,430 people) at 33.0 km and Ueda (around 157,480 people) at 52.9 km. On the pass side, Myoko Suginohara became part of the Ikon Pass network for the 2025-26 season, with the full Ikon Pass granting 7 days at the resort and the Ikon Base Pass granting 5, both without additional blackout dates — a relatively new option for Ikon holders compared with the pass’s longer-running Japanese destinations. For travelers building a Japan ski trip around one exceptional run rather than a large connected lift network, Suginohara is a specific, narrower proposition than the bigger valley systems elsewhere in this guide.
Key stats
Official website — Last checked 2026-09-14
Lifts by type
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| gondola | 1 |
| chair lift | 4 |
Runs by difficulty
| Difficulty | Distance |
|---|---|
| easy | 12.97 km |
| other | 0.82 km |
| advanced | 2.74 km |
| intermediate | 4.87 km |
Maps
View official Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort trail map (page) →
Run & lift overview
Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort: 22 runs, 5 lifts. A schematic built from OpenStreetMap/OpenSkiMap data — this is not Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort's official trail map. © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenSkiMap (ODbL).
Typical conditions by month
Monthly conditions data for Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort is not yet available.
Lift tickets & passes
- Ikon Pass — 7 days, no blackout
- Ikon Base Pass — 5 days, no additional blackout
Getting there
Nearest airports
- Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport (MMJ) — 79.7 km straight-line
- Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY) — 87.6 km straight-line
- Noto Satoyama Airport (NTQ) — 114.4 km straight-line
Nearest cities
- Nagano, Nagano — 24.1 km straight-line
- Jōetsu, Niigata — 33 km straight-line
- Ueda, Nagano — 52.9 km straight-line
Also covered by
Where to stay
A dedicated lodging guide for Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort is not yet available.
Nearby resorts
- Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Ski Resort — 2 km straight-line, 648 m vertical
- Akakura Kanko Ski Resort — 4 km straight-line, 761.1 m vertical
- Kurohime Kogen — 5 km straight-line, 394.2 m vertical
- Akakura Onsen Ski Area — 5 km straight-line, 463.1 m vertical
- Seki Onsen Ski Area — 5 km straight-line, 281.3 m vertical
FAQ
- How big is Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort?
- Myoko Suginohara has 21.39 km of runs across 22 trails, served by 5 lifts (1 gondola and 4 chairlifts). Its vertical drop is 1,117.5 m, from a 739.1 m base to a 1,856.6 m top, one of the largest vertical drops among the Japanese resorts in this guide despite the small lift count.
- What is Myoko Suginohara known for?
- The resort's operator, Prince Hotels, markets it around its longest run, which stretches roughly 8.5 km down the mountain, one of the longest single ski runs in Japan. Skiers on that run also get a view over Lake Nojiri and the Northern Shinano mountains as they descend.
- Is Myoko Suginohara good for beginners?
- Yes, easy-rated terrain makes up the largest share of the mountain at 12.97 km out of 21.39 km total, well ahead of the 4.87 km of intermediate and 2.74 km of advanced runs. The resort also gives children up to elementary-school age free lift access, which helps with family trips.
- Which pass covers Myoko Suginohara?
- Myoko Suginohara joined the Ikon Pass roster for the 2025-26 winter season, with the full Ikon Pass covering 7 days at the resort with no blackout dates and the Ikon Base Pass covering 5 days with no additional blackouts. It is a relatively recent addition to that pass network compared with longer-standing Ikon destinations.
- What is the nearest airport to Myoko Suginohara?
- Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport (MMJ) is closest at 79.7 km, followed by Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY) at 87.6 km and Noto Satoyama Airport (NTQ) at 114.4 km. The designated gateway airport is Niigata Airport (KIJ), 148.9 km away, which has more domestic and some international connections than the closer regional fields.
- How many lifts does Myoko Suginohara have?
- The resort runs just 5 lifts in total, a single gondola and 4 chairlifts, which is a modest lift count relative to its 1,117.5 m vertical drop and long-run terrain. That combination of few lifts and a big mountain is part of why the resort is associated with long, continuous descents rather than lift-served lapping of short pitches.
- What town is Myoko Suginohara near?
- The resort sits in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture, with Nagano city (population 372,760) around 24.1 km away and Jōetsu, in Niigata itself with about 189,430 residents, roughly 33.0 km away. Ueda, another Nagano-area city of around 157,480 people, is a bit farther at 52.9 km. Its base elevation is 739.1 m and its summit reaches 1,856.6 m.
Data sources
Last verified: 2026-09-15
Base facts from OpenSkiMap (ODbL), OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata (CC0), OurAirports (public domain) and GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). See /data-sources/.