Niigata's high-altitude powder magnet — base elevation above 1,200m means season lasts into Golden Week, and gate-managed backcountry is easy to access from the top.
Runs
17
Vertical
1225m
Summit
1845m
Base 620m
Annual snow
12m+/season
Popular
Best season Late November to early May
Why Kagura Ski Resort
Niigata's high-altitude powder magnet — base elevation above 1,200m means season lasts into Golden Week, and gate-managed backcountry is easy to access from the top.
Open until May; high altitude
Plan your trip
Kagura is a three-section mountain (Kagura, Mitsumata, Tashiro) connected to Naeba by the Dragondola — Japan's longest gondola at 5.5 km. Same Echigo-Yuzawa rail access as Naeba, ~75 min from Tokyo.
Trains, shuttles, and rentals from the airport.
Local Minamiuonuma bus from Echigo-Yuzawa to Mitsumata Ropeway base — 20 min, ¥620 one-way.
Hand-picked stays across the resort's two zones.
Mitsumata village (cheaper pensions, ropeway access), or stay at the Naeba Prince and use the Dragondola.
Terrain in detail
SeriousPlenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
76
Plenty for advanced skiers — proper black runs, real consequence.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Highest lift-accessed terrain in Yuzawa — long season.
Heavier, frequent storm cycles — deep refills, denser snow.
12
m+
per season
Frequent deep days through midwinter
Expert runs
6 of 17
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
1225m
Big-mountain vertical.
Steepest pitch
36°
Stiff black-run pitch.
Backcountry gates
Open
Lift-accessed sidecountry — register at the gate.
Tree skiing
Limited
Mostly groomed terrain.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain & features
Photo: Ski Mania / Public domain · Source
Getting there
Nearest airport, train and bus options, and what the drive looks like in winter conditions.
From airport
Approximately 90 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Train / bus
Shinkansen + bus via Mitsumata ropeway Approximately 90 minutes by Shinkansen fr
Overview
Shinkansen + bus via Mitsumata ropeway
From airport
Approximately 90 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 11°C, wind 14 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 Niigata
destination resort
Home of the Dragondola — at 5.5km the world's longest gondola, linking Naeba to Kagura. The Prince Hotel anchors a full Niigata ski town.
day trip
The only resort in Japan with a Shinkansen station at the lift base — you can literally ski in a suit on your lunch break. Beginner-heavy, famously accessible.
day trip
Yuzawa's most walkable resort — the NASPA hotel sits on the slope, the Shinkansen station is a short shuttle away, and the runs are firmly beginner–intermediate.
family-focused
One of the Yuzawa cluster's more varied mountains — longer runs, a dedicated beginner zone, and direct Shinkansen access.
Trail map
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Stays, lift passes, rentals — everything you need in one place.
Book & plan
At the resort
Book accommodationOfficial resort siteGetting there
Domestic flights to NiigataNiigata airport transfers
