A ropeway up from the shores of Lake Biwa to a surprisingly large mountain — views over the lake, intermediate-leaning terrain, weekend-only crowds.
Runs
14
Vertical
224m
Summit
1174m
Base 950m
Region
Kansai
Shiga Prefecture
Popular
Best season Mid-January to late February
Why Biwako Valley Ski Resort
A ropeway up from the shores of Lake Biwa to a surprisingly large mountain — views over the lake, intermediate-leaning terrain, weekend-only crowds.
Lake Biwa panorama; ropeway from JR Nagahama area
Plan your trip
Biwako Valley is a small mountain ropeway resort overlooking Lake Biwa — the best lake view from any ski lift in Japan. ~70 min from Kyoto Station + ropeway.
Hand-picked stays across the resort's two zones.
Day-trip from Kyoto is the standard pattern; Otsu City near Lake Biwa offers lakeside hotels.
Pass, lessons, gear, and guides for powder days.
Adult 1-day ¥5,500 + ¥3,500 ropeway. Small mountain — but the views over Lake Biwa from the lifts are unmatched.
Terrain in detail
MellowCruisey terrain — fine for advanced skiers as a rest day, not a destination. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
26
Cruisey terrain — fine for advanced skiers as a rest day, not a destination.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Western Honshu — wetter, warmer storm cycles.
Wet, heavy maritime snow — sticky on warm days.
—
m
per season
Snowfall data not published — frequency is the regional baseline.
Expert runs
3 of 14
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
224m
Compact mountain.
Steepest pitch
—
Pitch not published.
Backcountry gates
None
In-bounds skiing only.
Tree skiing
Limited
Mostly groomed terrain.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain & features
Getting there
Nearest airport, train and bus options, and what the drive looks like in winter conditions.
From airport
90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Train / bus
Ropeway from JR Shiga Station 90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Overview
Ropeway from JR Shiga Station
From airport
90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 23°C, wind 9 km/h. We’ll resume the daily report once snowfall picks up.
Forecast data via Open-Meteo. Refreshes hourly. Always verify with the resort before driving up.
Nearby resorts
More resorts in Kansai
family-focused
Kansai's biggest resort — a major investment by Mt Fuji Resort has turned this into the default weekend mountain for Osaka and Nagoya.
resort town
Kansai's second-largest mountain — linked with Hachi Kogen under one lift ticket for the region's most varied terrain.
family-focused
Linked with Hachi Kita — gentler pitches, a dedicated family zone, lift ticket interchange.
day trip
Northern Hyogo — uncrowded intermediate slopes in the Hyonosen area.
Trail map
Open full sizeReady to book?
Stays, lift passes, rentals — everything you need in one place.
Book & plan
At the resort
Book accommodationOfficial resort siteGetting there
Domestic flights to KansaiKansai airport transfers