The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Iwatake spreads across 539 vertical metres between 750 and 1,289 metres elevation in Hakuba Valley, offering 50 kilometres of terrain across 26 runs. The resort divides terrain as 30 per cent beginner, 50 per cent intermediate and 20 per cent advanced, with 125 hectares of skiable area. Hakuba Valley receives 11 metres of annual snowfall, and Iwatake's stand-alone mountain position provides reliable coverage throughout the season. Epic Pass holders receive five consecutive days of access to Iwatake and nine other Hakuba Valley resorts.
The Mountain Side area radiates runs in all directions from the 1,289-metre summit, featuring named zones including Hikage Powder Zone, Iwatake Back Bowl and Five Side Powder Zone. The longest run stretches 3.3 kilometres, though most descents are shorter and varied in character. View A offers a natural gully for powder, whilst the South course delivers wide groomed terrain. Intermediate cruisers dominate the upper mountain, with steeper green runs and tree skiing adding variety.
The resort maintains a terrain park serviced by a dedicated chairlift, featuring kickers, rails, boxes and tables without a halfpipe. The summit's Hakuba Mountain Harbor terrace provides 360-degree panoramas of the Northern Alps and Hakuba Valley, paired with The City Bakery. Weekdays see light crowds compared to neighbouring Happo One, though weekends and holidays draw more visitors from Tokyo. The villages of Kirikubo and Shinden sit near the base, offering budget accommodation and the slope-side Hakuba Brew Pub.
Iwatake joined the Epic Pass network in 2018, giving pass holders unrestricted winter access alongside Hakuba's other major resorts. The 2025-26 season ran from 5 December to 29 March, typical of the valley's mid-elevation areas. Lower summit elevation than Happo One or Cortina means occasional warm spells affect snow quality, making Iwatake ideal for intermediate skiers seeking uncrowded terrain with exceptional views when conditions align.
539m
Vertical
26
Runs
309 acres
Skiable
10m
Annual snow
Epic Pass
Pass
The Terrain
26 runs across 309 acres skiable
Iwatake spreads 26 runs across 309 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
26
runs
26 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 30%
Intermediate13 runs · 50%
Advanced5 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Iwatake
The 2025-26 season operated from 5 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, spanning 115 days and typical of Hakuba Valley's mid-elevation resorts. Iwatake typically opens mid-December, later than early-season areas like Goryu and Happo One which benefit from higher elevation and snowmaking. Historical opening dates have ranged from late November to late December depending on natural snowfall. The resort closes in late March, whilst higher resorts extend into early May during strong seasons.
Hakuba Valley averages 11 metres of annual snowfall, with Iwatake receiving consistent accumulation despite its 1,289-metre summit being the lowest in the valley. Cold Siberian air masses crossing the Sea of Japan deliver light, dry powder from December through February. The 2024-25 season recorded 782 centimetres at nearby Happo One base, the heaviest in 60 years, though Iwatake's lower elevation can experience rain during warmer storms. No snowmaking infrastructure supplements natural snow.
January and February deliver peak powder conditions, with late January through mid-February offering the most reliable deep snow and cold temperatures. Early December sees limited terrain open whilst the snowpack builds, and March brings spring conditions with potential for slush on sun-exposed slopes. The resort's protected position on a stand-alone mountain provides shelter during storms, when higher resorts may close lifts due to wind. Quieter periods occur in early December and throughout March outside Japanese holidays.
Night skiing operates on a seasonal basis depending on demand, with the Noah Gondola occasionally running for evening access. Chinese New Year in late January or early February brings peak crowds, alongside Japanese national holidays and weekends when Tokyo visitors arrive. The resort has hosted no major competitive events, focusing instead on recreational skiing and the Mountain Harbor all-season attraction. Cross-country skiing operates on a five-kilometre course at the base area throughout winter.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
10 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Iwatake, and where to stay
Iwatake sits in Hakuba Village within Nagano Prefecture's Kitaazumi district, three kilometres northwest of Happo One and part of the 30-kilometre Hakuba Valley chain beneath the 3,000-metre Northern Alps. The base village of Kirikubo sits at 750 metres elevation, with the neighbouring hamlet of Shinden located minutes away on foot. Hakuba Valley comprises ten separate ski areas spread across Hakuba Village, Otari Village and Omachi City. The Japan Sea lies 60 kilometres northwest, whilst the Northern Alps form an immediate eastern backdrop.
The Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal sits 3.5 kilometres south, serving as the valley's main transport hub with connections to all resorts. Hakuba Station on the JR Oito Line lies five kilometres south in Hakuba Village centre, surrounded by the Echoland and Wadano accommodation zones. Nagano city sits 50 kilometres southeast, serving as the regional capital. Tokyo lies 250 kilometres east, accessible in three to four hours via Nagano. The valley hosted alpine skiing events for the 1998 Winter Olympics centred on Happo One.
From Tokyo, travellers take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station in 90 minutes, then transfer to Alpico Express buses running hourly to Hakuba in 60 minutes. The Azusa Limited Express runs once daily from Shinjuku directly to Hakuba Station in 3.5 to 4 hours without transfers. By car from Tokyo, Route 19 connects to the Hakuba-Nagano Olympic Road via the Chuo Expressway and Nagano Interchange, a 4.5-hour drive. Snow chains are mandatory in winter, with Route 148 running the length of Hakuba Valley connecting all resorts.
Narita and Haneda airports serve Tokyo, 270 and 290 kilometres from Hakuba respectively, with direct shuttle buses operating in winter requiring five hours travel time. Chubu Centrair Airport near Nagoya lies 200 kilometres south, connected via the Shinano Limited Express through the Kiso Valley to Matsumoto then local trains to Hakuba. Free shuttle buses link Iwatake to other Hakuba resorts throughout the day, departing from Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. Private transfers and rental cars provide flexibility, though most international visitors rely on the Nagano Shinkansen connection and valley shuttle network.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Iwatake, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Iwatake Webcams
2 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Iwatake's live webcams
Check live conditions across Iwatake with 2 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Summit - Mountain Harbor1289m
- This Iwatake webcam streams live from the summit of Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort at 1,289 metres, delivering the panoramic view of the Northern Alps and Hakuba Valley that makes Iwatake one of the most scenic resorts in Japan. Use this Iwatake live cam to check snow conditions and visibility before taking Gondola Noah up to the summit ski terrain. An essential Hakuba Iwatake live snow cam for planning your approach to one of Hakuba Valley's most distinctive and rewarding ski destinations.
- Green Park - 360° Panorama1289m
- A 360-degree Panomax interactive panorama cam at the Iwatake Green Park summit at 1,289 metres, capturing a full sweep of the Northern Alps, Hakuba Village, and the Hokushin mountain ranges. This Iwatake webcam lets you rotate through the full panorama to check conditions in every direction - from incoming weather systems over the Alps to valley visibility below. The most comprehensive Hakuba Iwatake live snow cam available, operated by PANOMAX.
Iwatake snow cams FAQ
How often do Iwatake snow cams update?
All Iwatake snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Iwatake.
Which Iwatake webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Summit - Mountain Harbor webcam at 1,289m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Iwatake webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Iwatake lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Iwatake snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Iwatake snow cams?
Check Iwatake webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Iwatake lift tickets?
Use our Iwatake webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Iwatake webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Iwatake snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Iwatake intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.