Straddles Niigata and Nagano; among Japan's snowiest · Updated 10 Nov 2026
Myoko and Joetsu Snow Cams & Snow Report
Hot-spring villages such as Akakura, Ikenotaira, Suginohara and Seki are scattered across the lower slopes of Mount Myoko, with the ski runs rising just above their streets. Seven hot-spring villages here, each with water of a different colour and character, are known together as the Myoko Kogen onsen district. Buses climb to the main lodging villages from Myoko-Kogen Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway. To the north, below Mount Ogenashi and Mount Hiuchi, most of the terrain at Arai and Charmant Hiuchi is unpisted. Sources: mlit.go.jp, niigata-kankou.or.jp, princehotels.co.jp, lottehotel.com, charmant-hiuchi.jp (sources read 2026-10-13; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
No new snow has fallen at Myoko and Joetsu's ski areas in the last 48 hours.
Live cameras
5 of the 11 ski areas have official live cameras (5 in all). Each link opens the operator's own page or YouTube stream.
- Myoko Suginohara
- Gondola top and Mitahara No.2 lift top ↗princehotels.co.jp
- Akakura Kanko Ski Resort
- Live camera on the official home page ↗akr-ski.com
- Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort
- Centre house ↗charmant-hiuchi.jp
- Madarao Kogen Mountain Resort
- Madarao Kogen slopes ↗madarao.jp
- Tangram Madarao Ski Circus
- Tangram slopes ↗tangram.jp
No slope camera found yet: Seki Onsen Ski Area, Akakura Onsen Ski Area, Arai Mountain Resort, Kurohime Kogen, Kyukamura Myoko, Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Ski Resort
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seki Onsen Ski Area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2 cm | 0 cm | 1°C | 14 |
| Myoko Suginohara | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0°C | 14 |
| Akakura Kanko Ski Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2°C | 10 |
| Akakura Onsen Ski Area | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2°C | 10 |
| Arai Mountain Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 4°C | 10 |
| Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 4°C | 10 |
| Kurohime Kogen | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2°C | 10 |
| Kyukamura Myoko | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 3°C | 10 |
| Madarao Kogen Mountain Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2°C | 10 |
| Tangram Madarao Ski Circus | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 2°C | 10 |
| Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Ski Resort | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 1°C | 10 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort | 690 cm | 388–816 cm | 151 | — |
| Seki Onsen Ski Area | 689 cm | 273–867 cm | 30 | — |
| Arai Mountain Resort | 663 cm | 273–816 cm | 130 | — |
| Akakura Kanko Ski Resortsame grid cell | 445 cm | 273–560 cm | 60 | ¥7,000 |
| Akakura Onsen Ski Areasame grid cell | 445 cm | 273–560 cm | 89 | — |
| Kyukamura Myokosame grid cell | 445 cm | 273–560 cm | 104 | — |
| Kurohime Kogensame grid cell | 432 cm | 230–560 cm | 78 | — |
| Madarao Kogen Mountain Resortsame grid cell | 432 cm | 230–560 cm | 57 | ¥9,000 |
| Tangram Madarao Ski Circussame grid cell | 432 cm | 230–560 cm | 68 | ¥7,000 |
| Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Ski Resortsame grid cell | 432 cm | 230–560 cm | 75 | — |
| Myoko Suginohara | 357 cm | 230–435 cm | 34 | ¥9,000 |
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 Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort, Seki Onsen Ski Area, Arai Mountain Resort →
When the snow falls
In Myoko and Joetsu, the most snow falls in January. March brings 41% of January's, or about 71 cm. The one that keeps snowing latest is Myoko Suginohara, where March still brings 49% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seki Onsen Ski Area | 914–1,195 m | 281 m | 1.2 km |
| Myoko Suginohara | 739–1,857 m | 1,118 m | — |
| Akakura Kanko Ski Resort | 728–1,490 m | 762 m | 3.7 km |
| Akakura Onsen Ski Area | 685–1,149 m | 464 m | 3.0 km |
| Arai Mountain Resort | 369–1,278 m | 909 m | 4.8 km |
| Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort | 518–1,009 m | 491 m | 2.1 km |
| Kurohime Kogen | 782–1,176 m | 394 m | 2.4 km |
| Kyukamura Myoko | 722–878 m | 156 m | 1.5 km |
| Madarao Kogen Mountain Resort | 918–1,339 m | 421 m | 2.4 km |
| Tangram Madarao Ski Circus | 799–1,308 m | 509 m | 2.3 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 Myoko and Joetsu get in a typical winter?
From December to March, the most falls at Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort: about 690 cm. The least in the same area is at Myoko Suginohara, about 357 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 Myoko and Joetsu in a bad winter?
Over the last 12 winters, Charmant Hiuchi Snow Resort ranged from 388 cm in its leanest winter to 816 cm in its deepest, against a typical 690 cm, so a poor winter brought 56% of the usual amount.