Akakura Kanko
760m vertical, 14m annual snowfall, 1937 heritage. Myoko Kogen's premium powder destination with onsen access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
19 Dec 2026
Closes
5 May 2027
Days open
137
Annual snow
12.9m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Akakura Kanko sits between 740 and 1,500 metres on the eastern flank of Mount Myoko in Niigata Prefecture, delivering 760 metres of vertical drop across 10 named runs. Established in 1937 as Japan's first internationally designated ski resort, the area receives 14 metres of annual snowfall from Siberian weather systems crossing the Sea of Japan. The resort covers 50 hectares with a longest run stretching 4.5 kilometres from summit to base, accessed by six lifts including the recently renovated Myoko Kogen Sky Cable gondola.
Terrain splits 40 per cent beginner, 30 per cent intermediate and 30 per cent advanced across the compact trail network. Champion B Course offers competition-standard pitch with views extending to Lake Nojiri and the Sea of Japan, whilst Hotel B Course delivers moderate gradients with noticeable terrain variation. The upper mountain holds steeper pitches and gated backcountry access to Maeyama peak at 1,932 metres, whilst lower slopes provide wide cruising runs through the base area.
The mid-mountain Akakura Kanko Hotel anchors the resort with ski-in access and an onsen featuring outdoor baths at 1,200 metres elevation. Weekdays see minimal crowds across the terrain, though the compact layout means most visitors ski the entire mountain within a day. The resort connects at the summit with neighbouring Akakura Onsen, creating interconnected terrain popular with English-speaking ski schools and international families seeking traditional Japanese mountain culture.
A combined Akakura Kanko and Onsen lift pass costs approximately 1,500 yen more than single-resort access and unlocks 27 courses across 20 lifts between the two areas. The resort operates from mid-December through early May, longer than most Japanese areas. Akakura Kanko suits intermediate skiers seeking long groomers, powder enthusiasts chasing Japan's deepest snowpack outside Hokkaido, and backcountry tourers accessing Maeyama's mellow ridge terrain.
760m
Vertical
10
Runs
124 acres
Skiable
12.9m
Annual snow
The Terrain
10 runs across 124 acres skiable
Akakura Kanko is a compact 50-hectare Myoko ski area in Niigata, Japan, running from 740 metres at the base up to 1,500 metres for a 760-metre vertical. Ten runs are graded 40% beginner, 30% intermediate and 30% advanced, with nothing rated expert, so the mountain steepens noticeably as you climb. Heavy Sea of Japan snow, around 14 metres a year, keeps the upper pitches soft through midwinter. For skiers searching for Myoko, this is the higher and more demanding half of the Akakura pairing, with a gondola and quad chairs doing the lifting.
The Champion B Course is the standout, a full-length competition run with views across to Lake Nojiri and the Sea of Japan. Lower down, the slopes widen into easy cruising above the hotel strip, while glades beside the upper runs collect powder after storms. A single lift ticket also covers neighbouring Akakura Onsen, which adds lower, gentler terrain to the day. Akakura Kanko suits intermediates ready for a few steeper turns, families who want a short, simple mountain, and powder skiers happy to stay on the area's tree lines. Those wanting kilometres of variety will need to venture further afield in Myoko.
Terrain split
10
runs
10 runs across 4 grades
Beginner4 runs · 40%
Intermediate3 runs · 30%
Advanced3 runs · 30%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Akakura Kanko
The 2025-26 season runs from 13 December 2025 through 29 March 2026, with lifts operating 8:30am to 4:00pm daily. This four-month window represents a typical season length for the resort, though operations have historically extended into early May depending on snowpack. Akakura Kanko typically opens earlier than many Honshu resorts due to its elevation advantage and north-facing terrain holding base depths reliably.
The Myoko region receives 14 metres of average annual snowfall, among the heaviest totals in mainland Japan. January's second week historically delivers the deepest accumulations, with 71 centimetres falling across 5.4 snowy days in an average week. Maritime moisture from the Sea of Japan creates frequent powder days with moderate temperatures, though the snow remains dry enough for quality riding compared to coastal resorts further north.
Early January through late February represents peak powder season, when Siberian storm systems deliver consistent snowfall and temperatures remain below freezing at all elevations. Mid-winter weekdays offer the strongest combination of fresh snow and minimal crowds, with weekday skier visits dropping to 40 per cent of weekend levels. March brings spring conditions with corn snow developing on sun-exposed slopes, whilst north-facing terrain retains powder into April during high-snow years.
The resort operates a New Year's Day sunrise gondola service starting at 6:30am, with the Sky Cable turning before dawn for first tracks and sunrise viewing from the summit restaurant. Two terrain parks operate through the season, rebuilt as the Freeride Park for 2024-25. Night skiing is not available at Akakura Kanko, though the connected Akakura Onsen area offers night operations on select terrain.
Season 2026 - 2027
19 Dec 2026
Opens
5 May 2027
Closes
137
Days open
12.9 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Akakura Kanko
Daily snow reports at Akakura Kanko go back to 2012, 14 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
120 cm
Snowiest day
25 Jan 2026
1090 cm
This winter · 2025-26
so far
1293 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Akakura Kanko, and where to stay
Akakura Kanko occupies the lower eastern slopes of Maeyama, an outer rim peak of the Mount Myoko volcanic complex in Myoko city, Niigata Prefecture. The resort sits within the Myoko Kogen region, a collection of ski areas spread across the foothills of 2,454-metre Mount Myoko. The base village sits at 740 metres elevation, with the Takada Plain extending east toward the Sea of Japan 30 kilometres distant.
Akakura Onsen village lies 900 metres uphill from the resort base and serves as the main accommodation hub for the Myoko region, offering the area's largest concentration of restaurants, bars and guesthouses. Myoko city centre sits 10 kilometres northeast, whilst Nagano city lies 31 kilometres south across the prefectural border. The resort sits 4.3 kilometres from Myoko-Kogen Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myoko Haneuma Line.
Road access follows the Joshinetsu Expressway to Myoko Kogen interchange, then eight minutes via local roads to the resort base. Tokyo lies 270 kilometres and four hours' drive via the Kanetsu and Joshinetsu expressways. Niigata city sits two hours north via the Hokuriku Expressway. Free shuttles operate between Myoko-Kogen Station and the resort, though advance reservation two days prior is required with valid lift pass for return journeys.
Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports both sit approximately 3.5 to 4 hours from the resort via the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The fastest route takes the shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Joetsu-Myoko Station in under two hours, then transfers to the Myoko Haneuma local line to Myoko-Kogen Station, followed by taxi or shuttle. Toyama Airport offers an alternative gateway 156 kilometres southwest, connecting via bus to Toyama Station then shinkansen to Joetsu-Myoko.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Akakura Kanko, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
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31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Wolf Creek Opens on Halloween Weekend as Colorado’s Early Season Gathers Pace
Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Resort Opens for 2026/27 With More Than Two Miles of Skiing
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
29 Oct 2026
Beaver Creek Installs 16 Automated Snow Guns on Birds of Prey Ahead of Record World Cup
Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
29 Oct 2026
Arapahoe Basin Opens First for North America’s 2026/27 Ski Season
Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
28 Oct 2026
Akakura Kanko Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 24 Oct 2026
1500m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Partly Cloudy3°C / 9°C · W 8km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
1090cm
Typical winter 1293cm
Total lifts6
Live open status isn’t available right now.
19 Dec 2026 - 5 May 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 34 hours· Updated Nov 1, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,348 mUpdated Nov 1, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
6.3cm
Days 8–14
6.7cm
Sun, Nov 1
Light Drizzle
Temp9° / 3°°C
Snow0.0cm(63%)
Wind8 km/h W
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Akakura Kanko snow report
Track current conditions at Akakura Kanko in Chubu. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 10 runs.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Akakura Kanko, summit conditions (1500m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Akakura Kanko's base and summit.
Data sources
Akakura Kanko snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 6 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and a gondola.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.