No snow on the ground or falling right now. Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. Snow depth and the seven-day outlook appear once snow is on the ground or forecast.
A weather-model figure, worked out the same way for every ski area, and lower than what actually falls. Use it to compare ski areas, not against the resort’s own totals. How we measure →
This season so far (1 Nov to 9 Nov): 3 cm. The average for these dates is under 10 cm, so we do not give a percentage yet. The average is over twelve winters on the same weather model. Across Japan →
Only a ropeway from the valley reaches this area high on Mount Tanigawa. In December 2024, under Hoshino Resorts, it was renamed Mt.T and the ropeway became Tanigawadake Joch. It is also a gateway to the backcountry, and beacon checkers stand around Tenjindaira station. Sources: tanigawadake-joch.com, hoshinoresorts.com, tanigawadake-rw.com (sources read 13 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
Modelled from weather data the same way at all 3,069 ski areas we cover. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
The tick marks the median across every Japanese ski area we measure. All four bars run the same way — longer is better.
The quality score leaves out how much snow falls (it uses temperature, frequency, rain and wind).
Within 50 km in a straight line. Ski areas in the same weather-model cell (about 30 km across) get the same figure.
| Ski area | Distance | Seasonal snowfall | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okutone | 5.9 km | 198 cm | 1164 |
| Norn Minakami | 9.6 km | 368 cmsame grid cell | 233 |
| Fujiwara Snow&Spa Resort | 11.0 km | 291 cm | 514 |
| Hodaigi Ski Resort | 12.0 km | 291 cm | 514 |
| Minakami Kogen Ski Resort | 12.0 km | 291 cm | 514 |
Counted from the runs and lifts drawn on OpenStreetMap, within the boundary of the ski area. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
89% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. Those slopes get the least sun, so the snow lasts longer.
See past trail maps on Skimap.org ↗
Source: OpenSkiMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0). How finely ski areas are drawn varies by region, so treat the counts as indicative. Vertical is the difference between the highest and lowest points of the mapped runs and lifts.
The most snow falls in January. March brings 52% of January’s snowfall. That is in line with the median for ski areas in Japan (52%). In amount, March brings 64 cm, more than the median of 46 cm.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 368 cm, and 7 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 183 cm; the biggest was 2024/25 with 483 cm (2.6 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
This ski area does not put a camera on its own slopes. The nearest live view is the road below.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Minakami webcams & snow report — all 8 ski areas →
3 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 61.5 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 湯桧曽貞任の湯 | 3.4 km | 53.5℃ hot | 8.4 mildly alkaline | simple |
| 谷川孤峰の湯 | 4 km | 61.5℃ hot | 8.2 mildly alkaline | simple |
| 大穴1号泉 | 4.6 km | 41.6℃ warm | 8.4 mildly alkaline | simple |
These are analyses of hot spring sources, not a list of baths you can visit. They date from 1910 to 2005, many from decades ago, so today’s temperature and chemistry may differ. Names are as recorded in Japanese. Temperature and pH bands follow Japan’s standard for analysing hot springs.
Source: processed from the hot spring analysis data in the Geothermal Information Database (GRES-DB), Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
Within 20 km in a straight line, nearest first. Some lie over a pass that is closed in winter.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Doai Station土合駅 | Landmark | 1.4 km |
| Tanigawadake Ropeway谷川岳ロープウェイ | Nature | 1.4 km |
| Mount Tanigawa谷川岳 | Mountain | 2.5 km |
| Naramata Dam奈良俣ダム | Landmark | 12.9 km |
| Yagisawa Dam矢木沢ダム | Nature | 13.2 km |
| Nagurumi Castle名胡桃城 | Historic site | 17.6 km |
Chosen from the places most read about on Wikipedia, favouring those with an English article. Based on the Japanese Wikipedia lists of sights in each prefecture, as compiled in travel-log-data (CC BY-SA 4.0). English names from Wikidata (CC0). The content of this section is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Getting there
Source: tanigawadake-rw.com · checked 1 Nov 2026. Shuttle days and times change with the season; check the official site before you go.
We have not yet checked the family facilities (kids’ area, childcare, parking, rental) on the official site. See the official site ↗
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese.
8 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within about 3 km of this ski area. The table shows the nearest 8 with a listed price.
| Property (links to Rakuten Travel) | Lowest listed (per person, tax incl.) | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 水上温泉郷 ゆびそ温泉 ホテル湯の陣(伊東園ホテルズ) | ¥6,248 | 3.90／5 1033 reviews | 3.2 km | JR 湯桧曽駅から徒歩15分 |
| 湯檜曾(ゆびそ)温泉 清風かおる湯宿 林屋旅館 | ¥7,150 | 4.48／5 151 reviews | 3.6 km | JR上越線 湯檜曽駅下車徒歩5分/関越水上ICより15分/上越新幹線 上毛高原駅よりバス45分 |
| 福の屋 | ¥7,700 | 3.78／5 45 reviews | 3.7 km | 湯檜曽駅より徒歩で約5分 |
Prices are the lowest Rakuten Travel lists; a property name, or “Pick dates and guests” above, shows prices and rooms for your dates.
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese. · Property data by Rakuten Travel (Supported by Rakuten Developers)
We have no facility list for the 12 km around here yet — search the booking sites below.
Accommodation data: OpenStreetMap
Other booking sites: Booking.com ↗ · Agoda ↗ · Rakuten Travelad ↗
“ad” marks links that pay us a commission if you book. Links without it are not affiliated.
Snow and daily life · 29 Aug 2026
Which of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains Have a Ski Area?We matched Fukada's 1964 list against 397 Japanese ski areas. Above 2,500 m, 88% of the volcanoes have a ski area within 10 km and only 19% of everything else does — and no lift on the list reaches a summit but one.