Kagura
Also known as: Kagura-Mitsumata-Tashiro, Mt Naeba (with Naeba), Dragondola
Mt Naeba; Dragondola (Japan's longest gondola)
Can the whole group come?
Who in your group gets a good week at Kagura - the terrain split, the ski school, and what the people not skiing do.
approx Beg 40 / Int 40 / Adv 20 (est)
Mitsumata & Tashiro beginner/family; wide gentle trails; regroup at Mitsumata base
Ropeway/gondola sightseeing; limited otherwise
- (kids <=12 ski free; no documented nursery)
Lessons + English backcountry guides (Triforce); rentals incl. avalanche gear (Kagura Powder Station)
Broad range; strong learner base plus expert backcountry ceiling
Snow & season
Very high - high altitude, light dry powder, longest season in Japan
Typically late Nov to late May - one of Japan's longest
Dec-May (renowned spring skiing)
Peak late Dec-Feb + holidays; long quiet spring season
Gentle groomers + tree runs + summit backcountry
Whiteout; backcountry avalanche off summit
The mountain
~30 courses; longest ~6 km
World-class spring lift-accessed backcountry from summit; accessible tree runs (signed permission form)
Busy holidays; spring quieter
Getting there & lift pass
Mt Naeba joint ~JPY 9,800; Kagura-only ~7,500 (kids <=12 free)
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Echigo-Yuzawa Shinkansen (~70-80 min from Tokyo) + local bus ~20 min
Bus to Mitsumata; airports Haneda/Narita
Restaurant Alm, Buna Kitchen, Wada Goya; Cafe Snowman (Mitsumata)
Base facilities at Mitsumata/Tashiro
Yuzawa hub (Prince Snow Resorts)
Patrol & safety
Resort patrol; backcountry requires signed English permission form (self-managed avalanche risk)
Backcountry avalanche; season dates vary
Machiritsu Yuzawa Hospital (~30 min)
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand ski resort report. Coordinates are approximate.