Karuizawa's flagship resort one minute from the Shinkansen station — seven courses and one of Japan's earliest openers.
Runs
7
Vertical
350m
Summit
1155m
Base 940m
Annual snow
~4.5m/season
Popular
Best season Early November to late March
Why Karuizawa Ski Area
Karuizawa's flagship resort one minute from the Shinkansen station — seven courses and one of Japan's earliest openers.
Karuizawa Prince Hotel area with seven courses in mountain resort town. Convenient access 1 minute from Karuizawa Station, popular for Tokyo day trips.
Plan your trip
Karuizawa Prince Snow Resort is the closest big ski resort to Tokyo — 70 min on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the gondola starts at the station. Beginner/intermediate-leaning, big snow-play setup, the easiest Tokyo day trip in Japan.
Hand-picked stays across the resort's two zones.
Karuizawa Prince Hotel is the slopeside flagship; Hoshinoya Karuizawa is the luxury onsen retreat; dozens of pensions for budget options.
Pass, lessons, gear, and guides for powder days.
Adult 1-day ¥5,500. The earliest-opening big resort each year (typically late October/early November) due to snowmaking on most runs.
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
Inland alpine — variable depending on storm direction.
Drier on cold storms, deeper when the Sea of Japan fires.
4.5
m~
per season
Frequent deep days through midwinter
Expert runs
1 of 7
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
Getting there
Nearest airport, train and bus options, and what the drive looks like in winter conditions.
From airport
Approx
Train / bus
1-minute walk from JR Karuizawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen
Overview
1-minute walk from JR Karuizawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
From airport
Approx. 1.5 hours from Tokyo Haneda via Shinkansen.
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 10°C, wind 12 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 Nagano
destination resort
Hakuba's crown jewel and 1998 Olympic venue, offering Japan's most challenging piste skiing with epic vertical.
resort town
Two interconnected Hakuba faces — 47's terrain park and Goryu's wide groomers under one lift ticket, plus the valley's best night-skiing.
powder-focused
The snowiest resort in Hakuba Valley and Japan's finest steep in-bounds tree skiing — the Hotel Green Plaza at the base makes it the most underrated ski-in option in the country.
family-focused
Japan's widest beginner piste, plus the Tsugaike DBD — lift-served backcountry zone on the top of the mountain. Rare resort that works for a first-timer AND a freerider.
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