Japan's most famous onsen town, with a working ski resort on the ridge above — 2,000m summit, expansive views of Mt Shirane, and 100 public baths in the village.
Runs
13
Vertical
350m
Summit
1600m
Base 1250m
Annual snow
3m/season
Popular
Best season Mid-December to early April
Why Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort
Japan's most famous onsen town, with a working ski resort on the ridge above — 2,000m summit, expansive views of Mt Shirane, and 100 public baths in the village.
World-famous hot spring village; direct buses from Tokyo
Plan your trip
Kusatsu Onsen is one of Japan's most famous hot-spring towns, with its own ski resort right above the village — soak after skiing in baths fed by Japan's largest natural-flow hot-spring source. Tokyo → Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi + 25-min bus.
Trains, shuttles, and rentals from the airport.
JR Bus Kanto runs a direct Shinjuku → Kusatsu Onsen express (~4 hrs, ~¥3,500) — cheaper than the train.
Hand-picked stays across the resort's two zones.
Heritage onsen ryokan around the central Yubatake, plus the modern Hotel Village. Kaiseki dinners standard.
Pass, lessons, gear, and guides for powder days.
Adult 1-day ¥4,800. Hot-spring ryokan often bundle lift tickets at a discount with multi-night stays.
Onsen soaks and rest-day excursions nearby.
Several public bathhouses (Otaki-no-yu, Sai-no-Kawara) sell day passes — soak after skiing without staying overnight.
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
39
Cruisey terrain — fine for advanced skiers as a rest day, not a destination.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Sea-of-Japan storm cycles — deep, heavier snow.
Heavier, frequent storm cycles — deep refills, denser snow.
3
m
per season
Frequent deep days through midwinter
Expert runs
4 of 13
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
350m
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
Photo: Cornellier / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Getting there
Nearest airport, train and bus options, and what the drive looks like in winter conditions.
From airport
Approximately 4 hours by direct bus from Tokyo
Train / bus
Direct bus from JR Tokyo Station; no transfer Approximately 4 hours by direct bu
Overview
Direct bus from JR Tokyo Station; no transfer
From airport
Approximately 4 hours by direct bus from Tokyo
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 12°C, wind 4 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 Gunma
powder-focused
A ropeway onto Mt Tanigawa — serious steep backcountry, gate-managed powder, genuine alpine terrain much closer to Tokyo than people think.
resort town
A high-elevation onsen resort next to an active volcano — one of Japan's highest ski bases, dry snow, and a very distinctive sulphur-scented village.
family-focused
Long groomed runs across the Agatsuma highlands — high enough to ski late into March reliably.
family-focused
Consistent Katashina powder and some of the best snow quality in Gunma — a growing Tokyo day-trip favourite.
Ready 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 Tokyo HanedaNagano airport transfers
