Ski Resorts Near Tokyo 2026–27: Day Trips, Times & Prices

This guide is part of our Tokyo Travel Guide: Neighbourhoods, Food and Getting Around — start there for the overview, itineraries and costs.

The closest ski resort to Tokyo by train is GALA Yuzawa in Niigata, where direct Joetsu Shinkansen services reach the resort's own station in as little as 71 minutes and a gondola leaves from inside the station building, making it the easiest day trip. For a weekend, Hakuba Valley, Nozawa Onsen and Shiga Kogen in Nagano offer far bigger terrain about 2–2.5 hours from Tokyo Station by Shinkansen and bus.

Prices are adult one-day lift tickets, with US dollars at US$1 = ¥158 (5 October 2026). Where 2026–27 prices are not yet published, the 2025–26 price is shown and labelled.

Ski Resorts Near Tokyo Compared

Times are fastest typical connections from Tokyo Station, excluding waits for buses.

Day-Trip Resorts

GALA Yuzawa (Niigata)

GALA Yuzawa is operated by the JR East group and is the only resort near Tokyo with its own Shinkansen station. In winter, some Joetsu Shinkansen "Tanigawa" trains run through from Tokyo Station to Gala Yuzawa Station, and the resort quotes a fastest journey of about 71 minutes. Outside those direct trains, a free shuttle bus runs from Echigo-Yuzawa Station (about 10 minutes). The gondola up to the slopes departs from the station building, and ski and snowboard rental is available at the resort, so it is possible to arrive with nothing but warm clothes.

• 2026–27 season: slopes open 19 December 2026 to 5 May 2027. From 12 to 18 December the gondola runs for sightseeing only, and skiing is not allowed regardless of snow.
• Lift ticket: ¥8,000 at the window or ¥7,500 online for a full-day gondola and lift ticket; four-hour tickets are ¥7,500 / ¥7,000.
• Terrain: the resort has 16 courses, but on 15 September 2026 it announced that its South Area will not operate in 2026–27. That closes four courses, a pair lift and the ropeway that links to the Yuzawa Kogen ski area, leaving 12 courses in the Central and North areas.

This season GALA is best for beginners, intermediates and anyone who wants the most time on snow per hour of travel. Official prices and notices: GALA Yuzawa hours and pricing.

Ishiuchi Maruyama (Niigata)

Ishiuchi Maruyama, just north of Echigo-Yuzawa, is a large ski area with night skiing. It is about a three-minute walk from Ishiuchi Station, or roughly 10 minutes by free shuttle from Echigo-Yuzawa Station. The 2026–27 season is scheduled from 18 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with night skiing daily from late December to late February. The 2025–26 one-day ticket was ¥7,900; check the official site for 2026–27 pricing.

Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort (Nagano)

Karuizawa is the quickest Nagano option: Asama and Hakutaka trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen reach Karuizawa Station from Tokyo in about 64 minutes (around ¥5,490 unreserved), and the slopes are roughly a 10-minute walk from the station, next to the Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza outlet mall. It opens earlier than any other resort in Nagano Prefecture: the 2026–27 season is planned from 31 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

There are 14 courses, most of them beginner and intermediate. One-day tickets start at ¥8,000 in the early season. In 2025–26 the regular-season price was ¥10,000 at the counter or ¥9,000 online, rising to ¥11,000 on peak days, with ski or snowboard rental sets at ¥6,500–7,000.

Fujiten Snow Resort (Mt Fuji area)

Fujiten sits on the northern slope of Mt Fuji in Narusawa village and is the place to ski with Fuji as the backdrop. It is not on a Shinkansen line: the usual route is a Fujikyu or Keio highway bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station (just under two hours, ¥2,200 or ¥2,000 booked online), then a paid shuttle bus from Kawaguchiko Station to the resort. The season runs from mid-December 2026 to early April 2027, and the listed one-day ticket is ¥5,500 on weekdays and ¥6,500 at weekends and holidays. Rental, including children's sizes, is available on site. The terrain is small, so it suits families and beginners more than keen skiers.

Weekend Resorts

Naeba and Kagura (Niigata)

Naeba and Kagura are neighbouring Prince resorts west of Echigo-Yuzawa, linked by the Dragondola, which Prince Hotels describes as Japan's longest gondola. Naeba is about 50 minutes by bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station and Kagura about 25 minutes. Naeba Prince Hotel's free station shuttle is for reserved hotel guests only.

Kagura is higher and known for dry snow and the longest season in the area: in 2025–26 it ran from 22 November to 17 May. In 2025–26, a Naeba-only day ticket was ¥7,800, Kagura-only ¥7,500, and the joint Mt Naeba ticket covering both ¥9,800. Kagura rents equipment at its Mitsumata and Tashiro bases. Check the Prince Snow Resorts site for 2026–27 prices.

Hakuba Valley (Nagano)

Hakuba hosted alpine events at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Hakuba Valley is a group of 10 separate ski areas (Jigatake, Kashimayari, Sanosaka, Goryu, Hakuba47, Happo-one, Iwatake, Tsugaike, Norikura and Cortina) that share one lift pass but are not linked by lifts; moving between most of them means a shuttle bus or car. The 2026–27 Hakuba Valley all-mountain day pass is ¥11,100, with sales opening around November. Single-area tickets are cheaper, such as ¥10,000 (¥9,500 online) for Goryu & Hakuba47 in 2026–27. See the Hakuba Valley ticket page.

From Tokyo, take a Hokuriku Shinkansen "Kagayaki" to Nagano (about 80 minutes, around ¥8,340 reserved), then an express bus to Hakuba (about 60 minutes). Direct Alpico buses from Shinjuku take about 5 hours.

Nozawa Onsen (Nagano)

Nozawa Onsen combines a large ski area with a traditional hot-spring village. The resort has 20 lifts including two gondolas, with long gentle runs for beginners as well as steep terrain. The 2026–27 season runs from 28 November 2026 to 5 May 2027, and a regular-season adult day ticket is ¥7,800 (official prices). To get there, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama (100–120 minutes, around ¥8,500), then the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus (25 minutes, ¥600). Buses run every one to two hours and are not always timed to meet trains.

Shiga Kogen (Nagano)

Shiga Kogen is Japan's largest combined ski area: one common pass covers 45 lifts and gondolas across 18 ski areas. The 2026–27 season runs from 5 December 2026 to 5 May 2027, and the adult one-day all-area pass is ¥9,500 (official ticket page). Express buses leave from Nagano Station's east exit and take about 70 minutes to the Shiga Kogen Yamanoeki stop (¥3,000 one way in ski season, roughly hourly in winter).

Not Near Tokyo: Niseko and Kiroro

Niseko and Kiroro are in Hokkaido, not near Tokyo. Reaching them means a flight to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo and then a long road transfer, so they are not practical for a day trip or a two-day weekend from Tokyo.

How to Get There from Tokyo

• Niigata resorts (GALA Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama, Naeba, Kagura): Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Echigo-Yuzawa, about 80–90 minutes and around ¥6,500 one way. In winter, some trains continue to Gala Yuzawa Station in the morning and return in the evening. Check JR East's winter timetable to make sure direct trains are running on your date.
• Nagano resorts (Karuizawa, Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen): Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno. Kagayaki trains are the fastest to Nagano but do not stop at Karuizawa or Iiyama, so use Asama or Hakutaka trains for those stations.
• Mt Fuji area (Fujiten): highway bus from the Shinjuku Bus Terminal to Kawaguchiko, or the JR Chuo Line to Otsuki and the Fujikyu Railway, then the resort shuttle.

Rail Passes and Ski Packages

The JR Tokyo Wide Pass (¥16,000 for three consecutive days, non-Japanese passport holders only) covers the Shinkansen to Yuzawa and Karuizawa, and in ski season holders get discounts on lift tickets, rental and onsen entry at GALA Yuzawa. A single return trip to Yuzawa costs less than the pass, so it pays off only if you add more travel within the three days.

JR East also runs a seasonal ski campaign, JR SKISKI, which promotes ski trips by Shinkansen. The 2025–26 campaign ran from 15 December 2025 to 31 March 2026; the 2026–27 details had not been announced as of early October 2026.

Day Trip vs Weekend

A day trip works best at GALA Yuzawa, Karuizawa or Ishiuchi Maruyama. All three are within about 1.5 hours of Tokyo Station, have rental on site, and let you ski for five or six hours and be back in Tokyo for dinner. Expect to spend roughly ¥22,000–30,000 (about US$140–190) per person on Shinkansen fares, a lift ticket and rental, before food. Buy lift tickets online where cheaper and reserve weekend return seats.

A weekend suits Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen or Naeba. Bus transfers make these hard to do in a day, but the terrain is much larger. Book accommodation early for January and February weekends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the closest ski resort to Tokyo?

By travel time, GALA Yuzawa in Niigata is the closest. Direct Shinkansen trains reach the resort's own station in as little as 71 minutes from Tokyo Station, and the gondola starts in the station building. Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort is a close second at about 64 minutes by Shinkansen plus a 10-minute walk.

Can you go skiing as a day trip from Tokyo?

Yes. GALA Yuzawa, Karuizawa and the Yuzawa resorts near Echigo-Yuzawa Station are practical day trips by Shinkansen. Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen and Shiga Kogen are better as an overnight trip.

How much does a ski day trip from Tokyo cost?

Adult one-day lift tickets at the main resorts near Tokyo cost about ¥7,500–11,100 (US$47–70), with Fujiten cheaper at ¥5,500–6,500. Add around ¥6,500 each way on the Shinkansen to Yuzawa or about ¥5,500 each way to Karuizawa, plus roughly ¥4,000–7,000 for a rental set. A typical total is ¥22,000–30,000 per person before food.

Which ski resort near Tokyo is best for beginners?

Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort, whose 14 courses are mostly gentle, and GALA Yuzawa, with rental and a gondola straight from the station, are the easiest. Fujiten suits families who want Mt Fuji views.

When is ski season near Tokyo?

Most resorts open in mid-December and run until late March to early May. For 2026–27, Karuizawa opens first on 31 October 2026, Nozawa Onsen on 28 November, Shiga Kogen on 5 December and GALA Yuzawa on 19 December. Snow is usually deepest from January to February.