Chubu, Japan
Kagura
1,225m vertical, 10m annual snowfall, November-May season. Three zones, 32 runs, backcountry gates. Niigata, Japan.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
5 Dec 2025
Closes
29 Mar 2026
Days open
114
Annual snow
10m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Kagura operates across three interconnected zones spanning 620 to 1,845 metres elevation with 1,225 metres vertical drop. The resort delivers 32 runs across 418 acres, divided 37% beginner, 40% intermediate, 19% advanced and 4% expert terrain. Annual snowfall averages 10 metres, making Kagura one of Niigata's most reliable powder destinations with a summit elevation that guarantees dry, light snow throughout the season. The longest run extends 6 kilometres from top to bottom.
The Kagura zone delivers the steepest terrain and best tree skiing, whilst Mitsumata and Tashiro offer gentler progression for developing skiers. Kagura Main Gerende runs 1,512 metres with a 27-degree maximum pitch, and the Kobu Kobu Course provides mogul challenges. Backcountry access via gated entry at the summit attracts experienced riders, with English-speaking guides and permit systems in place. Two terrain parks cater to freestyle progression.
The resort maintains a local Japanese atmosphere with limited international crowds, drawing Tokyo weekenders and serious powder hunters. Mid-mountain Wada Goya offers traditional mountain hut accommodation at 1,380 metres elevation with ski-in access. On-mountain facilities focus on function over luxury, with rental shops at both Mitsumata and Tashiro stations. Wind holds occasionally affect upper lifts during storms.
The 5.5-kilometre Dragondola connects Kagura to neighbouring Naeba, creating Japan's third-largest linked ski area under the Mt Naeba designation. Joint lift tickets cover both resorts plus shuttle buses between base areas. Kagura suits confident intermediates seeking uncrowded powder, backcountry enthusiasts, and skiers prioritising snow quality and season length over resort amenities. Children 12 and under ski free with parents.
1225m
Vertical
32
Runs
418 acres
Skiable
10m
Annual snow
The Terrain
32 runs across 418 acres skiable
Kagura spreads 32 runs across 418 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 12 beginner runs to find your feet and 7 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
32
runs
32 runs across 4 grades
Beginner12 runs · 37%
Intermediate13 runs · 40%
Advanced6 runs · 19%
Expert1 run · 4%
Time it right
When to visit Kagura
The 2025-2026 season sees Kagura and Mitsumata areas operating 22 November 2025 through 17 May 2026, with Tashiro running 20 December 2025 to 6 May 2026. This represents one of Japan's longest lift-served seasons, regularly extending nearly six months from late autumn through late spring. Early season relies partly on snowmaking to supplement natural accumulation at the 620-metre base elevation. May skiing attracts enthusiasts seeking late-season powder whilst cherry blossoms bloom in the valleys below.
Kagura receives 10 metres average annual snowfall concentrated between December and March, with the third week of December typically delivering 73 centimetres across 4.8 snowy days. The 1,845-metre summit elevation ensures cold temperatures preserve snow quality throughout winter. Base depths regularly exceed 3 metres mid-season, with the February 2025 event depositing 3 metres in 72 hours. High elevation provides more stable conditions than lower Yuzawa resorts, though warm spells can affect valley-level skiing.
January through March delivers peak powder frequency with consistent storms tracking from the Sea of Japan. December offers early-season value with lighter crowds, whilst April and May provide spring corn snow and extended daylight. Mid-week visits outside Japanese school holidays guarantee uncrowded slopes. The snowiest period concentrates in January and February when Pacific weather systems intensify.
Kagura-Mitsumata Sunrise Ski operates 2 April through 8 May, offering early-morning access from first light. The Kagura No. 5 Romance Lift provides touring course access 26 February through 8 May. No special events calendar operates beyond seasonal spring programmes. Lift tickets include elementary school children free with valid ticket. The extended season makes Kagura particularly attractive for northern hemisphere skiers seeking late spring conditions unavailable elsewhere in Japan.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
10 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Kagura, and where to stay
Kagura sits in Yuzawa Town, Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture on Honshu's west-facing slopes 8 kilometres southwest of Yuzawa centre. The resort occupies terrain between the Tanigawa mountain range and Route 17 corridor at Japan's geographic centre. Mitsumata base area sits 620 metres elevation, with Tashiro station located 6 kilometres further south along the valley floor. The surrounding Echigo mountains receive heavy snowfall from moisture-laden Sea of Japan weather systems.
Echigo-Yuzawa town 9 kilometres north serves as the primary service centre with onsen baths, restaurants and accommodation. The historic hot spring town dates to the Edo period and gained fame through Yasunari Kawabata's novel Snow Country. Yuzawa proper offers convenience stores, ski shops and sake breweries. Mitsumata and Tashiro villages provide limited lodging directly at lift bases. The area sits 175 kilometres northwest of Tokyo in the Jōshinetsu Kōgen highlands.
The Kan-etsu Expressway reaches Yuzawa Interchange 8 kilometres from Mitsumata, then Route 17 leads directly to resort base areas. Tokyo drivers cover the distance in approximately 2.5 hours under normal conditions. Winter tyres or chains are mandatory November through April. Shuttle buses connect Echigo-Yuzawa Station to both Mitsumata and Tashiro bases in 20 minutes, costing 300 yen. Free shuttles link base areas for ticket holders.
Tokyo Narita Airport sits 240 kilometres southeast, whilst Haneda Airport lies 220 kilometres away with more efficient Tokyo access. The Jōetsu Shinkansen reaches Echigo-Yuzawa Station from Tokyo in 70 to 90 minutes, making Kagura amongst Japan's most accessible major resorts via public transport. Local buses depart the station approximately every 30 minutes during operating season. Niigata Airport 150 kilometres north offers domestic connections from Osaka, Sapporo and limited international flights from Shanghai, Taipei and Seoul.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Kagura, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Awaiting live data
1845m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
-°C / -°C · - -
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
-
Season total
-
Total lifts19
Live open status isn’t available right now.
5 Dec 2025 - 29 Mar 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 38 hours· Updated Aug 15, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,845 mUpdated Aug 15, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Sat, Aug 15
Drizzle
Temp17° / 15°°C
Snow0.0cm(100%)
Wind10 km/h S
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Kagura snow report
Kagura snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this Chubu resort.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Kagura, summit conditions (1845m) 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 Kagura's base and summit.
Data sources
Kagura 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 19 lifts, including 2 aerial trams and 5 quad chairlifts.
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.