High on the flanks of an active volcano · Updated 10 Nov 2026
Kusatsu and Manza Snow Cams & Snow Report
Kusatsu and Manza on the Gunma side sit back to back with the southern end of Shiga Kogen on the Nagano side, with only the mountains between them. Route 292, the Shiga-Kusatsu road, is shut from around mid-November to late April, so in winter the short way over the pass is gone. In Kusatsu, a free shuttle bus runs between the hot-spring town and the slopes. Shiga Kogen is reached by express bus from the east exit of Nagano Station. Sources: pref.gunma.jp, vill.takayama.nagano.jp, kusatsu-onsen.ne.jp, shigakogen.gr.jp (sources read 2026-10-13; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
The most snow in the last 24 hours fell at Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area: 1 cm. 4 of the 5 ski areas have had snow in the last 48 hours.
Pictured: Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area
Live cameras
4 of the 5 ski areas have official live cameras (4 in all). Each link opens the operator's own page or YouTube stream.
- Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area
- Yokoteyama–Shibutoge summit, 2,307 m ↗yokoteyama2307.com
- Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Area
- Yokoteyama–Shibutoge summit, 2,307 m ↗yokoteyama2307.com
- Manza Onsen
- Slope live camera ↗princehotels.co.jp
- Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort
- Official live camera ↗932-onsen.com
No slope camera found yet: YAMABOKU Wild Snow Park
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it. Road cameras are listed on each resort’s page.
Today's snow
| Ski area | 24 h | 48 h | Base | Next 3 days | Temp | Powder Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area | 1 cm | 1 cm | 1 cm | 0 cm | −7°C | 30 |
| Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 1 cm | 0 cm | −5°C | 24 |
| Manza Onsen | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | −5°C | 24 |
| YAMABOKU Wild Snow Park | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | −3°C | 19 |
| Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | −1°C | 12 |
Snowfall and base are calculated from a weather model, not reported by the resorts. "Next 3 days" is Open-Meteo’s published forecast shown as-is; it is not a forecast made by JAPANSNOWLINE. Check the Japan Meteorological Agency and the resort before you travel.
The season at a glance
| Ski area | Typical winter | Worst–best of 12 | Snow quality (of 397) | Adult day ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Areasame grid cell | 333 cm | 214–434 cm | 3 | — |
| Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Areasame grid cell | 333 cm | 214–434 cm | 8 | — |
| Manza Onsensame grid cell | 255 cm | 197–337 cm | 45 | ¥6,300 |
| YAMABOKU Wild Snow Parksame grid cell | 255 cm | 197–337 cm | 65 | — |
| Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort | 252 cm | 186–337 cm | 85 | — |
Typical winter is the December–March average over the last 12 winters (calculated). “Worst–best” is the leanest and the deepest of those 12 winters, which is the range a trip booked a year out has to live with. Ticket prices are checked on each resort’s own site; “—” means we have not checked one yet.
Compare Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area, Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Area, Manza Onsen →
When the snow falls
In Kusatsu and Manza, the most snow falls in January. March brings 72% of January's, or about 63 cm. The one that keeps snowing latest is Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort, where March still brings 82% of January's snowfall.
Monthly averages over the last 12 winters, averaged across the ski areas in this area. This is what falls in each month, not how deep the base is.
The mountains themselves
| Ski area | Base to top | Vertical | Spread of the runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area | 2,156–2,291 m | 135 m | 1.2 km |
| Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Area | 1,705–2,303 m | 598 m | 3.0 km |
| Manza Onsen | 1,658–1,956 m | 298 m | 1.8 km |
| YAMABOKU Wild Snow Park | 1,497–1,764 m | 267 m | 2.3 km |
| Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort | 1,244–1,620 m | 376 m | 2.5 km |
Elevations come from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and OpenStreetMap. “Spread” is the width of the area the runs cover, not the total length of piste.
Questions people ask
How much snow does Kusatsu and Manza get in a typical winter?
From December to March, the most falls at Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area and Shiga Kogen Yokoteyama Ski Area: about 333 cm. The least in the same area is at Kusatsu Onsen Ski Resort, about 252 cm. The figures come from weather-model grid cells about 30 km across, so neighbouring ski areas in different cells can differ widely. Calculated from the last 12 winters.
What happens in Kusatsu and Manza in a bad winter?
Over the last 12 winters, Shiga Kogen Shibutoge Ski Area ranged from 214 cm in its leanest winter to 434 cm in its deepest, against a typical 333 cm, so a poor winter brought 64% of the usual amount.