By: Vaun Mcaleer - evoTrip Japan Specialist & Zack Sklar - Travel Writer | Last Updated: November 26th, 2024
Hakuba is renowned for its world-class snow, extensive terrain with multiple interconnected ski resorts, and breathtaking views of the Japanese Alps. In this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to ski and snowboard in Hakuba.

If you’d rather leave the spreadsheets and logistics to us so you can focus on the powder and ramen, check out our full-service Japan ski and snowboard travel packages.

Intro to Hakuba

Situated in a long valley at the north end of the Japanese Alps, the mountains of Hakuba have a distinctly rougher texture than what you’ll find anywhere else in the Land of the Rising Sun.

While much of Japanese skiing and snowboarding terrain is centered around long, flowing, playful powder laps down volcanic cones, the truly steep and technical terrain can be a bit harder to come by. In Hakuba, backcountry enthusiasts and freeriders alike will find themselves drooling at the fluted ridgelines of gnarly alpine terrain hanging above every resort in the valley. Meanwhile, intermediate riders will enjoy some of the longest powder laps in the country on enjoyably steep terrain.

Down below, the villages that line the valley floor are as exciting and varied as the ski terrain that sits above them. Hakuba is a gathering place for skiers and snowboarders from around the world, and the town is alive with the mutual stoke to be in such an incredible place. You’ll find shops, bars, restaurants, and enthusiasm around every corner.

Lay of the Land in Hakuba Valley

Hakuba is not a ski resort in itself, but rather a long valley dotted with them. Sitting in the northern reaches of the Japanese Alps, the mountains here have a very different feel than much of what you find in the rest of Japan. Rather than being set around a single volcano with small resorts on the subridges, like you’d find at Myoko or Niseko, the towns here are spread out beside a long jagged range of tectonic peaks.

Hakuba Valley is home to ten ski resorts and eight villages, each with their own unique character. For the most part, each resort has its own distinct village at the base, with the exception of Jigatake, Kashimayari, and Sanosaka, three beginner-friendly resorts that spill out the southern end of the valley.

Happo-One Snow Resort. Happo-One is the main focal point of Hakuba. This resort was home to the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and it's easy to see why. This is a well developed ski area with a lively base area. Happo Village offers a ton of lodging options, as well as a vibrant food scene and nightlife.

Just to either side of Happo Village are Wadano to the north and Echoland to the south. Together, these three villages make up the core zone of lively Hakuba energy that serves as the main base for most skiers and snowboarders exploring the valley.

Goryu Village - To the south, the conjoined ski resorts of Hakuba 47 and Goryu Ski Area make up the main lift-accessed offerings. Goryu Village sits at the mouth of the valley, offering a mellower alternative to the action at Happo. As you make your way up the valley from the main zone, you’ll find a smattering of other ski resorts including Iwatake, Tsugiake Kogen, and Norikura, each with its own little village at the base.

Generally speaking, these villages and resorts offer a fun mellow counterpoint to the central hub surrounding Happo, but the combined variety of terrain and vibes they offer is a main part of the draw of the Hakuba region.

Hakuba Cortina - Finally, at the top of the valley sits Hakuba Cortina. The furthest north of the Hakuba resorts, Cortina is definitely worth a visit. In addition to the excellent ski terrain, this is where you really see the “Alps” part of the Japanese Alps. Named after the famous Italian mountain town, Cortina is mostly just one massive European-influenced hotel that provides ski in-ski out access to six chair lifts and some great tree skiing, despite being a bit isolated from the rest of the valley.

Sidecountry
For sidecountry fiends, there’s a reason Cortina gets so crowded on powder days. It offers numerous lines that exit the resort boundaries, and with a bit of hiking, get you back in with little hassle. Also, in a rarity in Japanese resorts, they are very accommodating to off-piste and out of bounds riding.

Easy Backcountry
The best safe/mellow touring terrain in the area is hands down at Tsugaike-Kogen or Norikura. The top lift at Tsugaike drops you off on a flat bench that allows for easy skinning to some nice low-key backcountry terrain. However, since all of this mellow terrain is situated on top of a ridge, the hazard of taking a wrong turn remains very serious, as you can quickly find yourself in a gully dropping below the bench and into terrain that is going to be a real chore to get out of.

Expert Backcountry
For expert riders, the backcountry out of Happo One is an endless playground, kind of reminscent of Mount Baker. Take a look at the terrain that’s visible from any point of the mountain looming over the mellow groomers and you can see that the backcountry here is no joke. There’s a huge ridge that opens from the top of the Happo-One lift, and you can hike as far out as you dare to access some all-time high alpine lines.

But again, this is not the place to be exploring blindly without a guide. Even if you opt for what you think is more conservative terrain here, you can still find yourself in a lot of trouble very quickly. The Hakuba area gets a ton of snow, and unwary riders are caught in slides on leeward slopes and seemingly mellow bowls every year.
 

Hakuba's Legendary Snow

For many skiers and snowboarders, the name Japan is synonymous with powder. And for good reason too. Surrounded by ocean, far north of the equator, the island nation has both moisture and cold in abundance. Coincidentally, those are the two main ingredients of powder!

In particular, the main island of Honshu is blessed with large, tectonic mountains that rise steeply from the Sea of Japan on the west coast, resulting in a quick transformation of moisture rich sea breeze into cold uplift and massive snowfall. In general, the resorts on Honshu get some of the deepest consistently skiable snowpacks in the world. Sitting just back from where the island's biggest mountains butt up against the ocean, Hakuba averages somewhere in the realm of 400-500 inches of snow a year. So yeah, it’s still pretty darn deep.

The Japow hype is real, and skiers and snowboarders in Hakuba can reasonably expect a few dumps and consistent refills throughout their visit. To get an idea of current snow conditions, check out the Hakuba Snow Report.

Best Time to Ski & Snowboard in Hakuba

When is the best time to ski and snowboard in Hakuba? This is an easy one for North American skiers and snowboarders. The ski season in Japan is more or less the same as it is over on this side of the puddle. Snow starts falling in December, piles up in January and February, and starts to taper off mid March.

The term “Japanuary” has started to pick up almost as much steam as the infamous “Japow,” and for good reason. By the time January rolls around, the base has built up and the powder faucet is open, and you can usually count on a consistent resupply of powdery goodness.

However, even though it doesn’t have as catchy of a nickname, February in Hakuba is just as good. It has similar temps and precipitation totals, but there is an even deeper base and often slightly less crowds. Either of these months tend to give you the peak powder experience most people are looking for.

If avoiding crowds is more of your goal, the months on either side of the peak powder season are still pretty spectacular. Early December is a bit riskier snow-wise in Hakuba, as the season may not have fully kicked off yet, but if it’s good, it’s great. By late March, you can count on there being far fewer other tourists, and, while you may not get quite as many powder days as in the thick of winter, you might even get a few sunny days in exchange.

Getting to Hakuba

One benefit of skiing and snowboarding on Honshu as opposed to Hokkaido is that you’re never too far away from Tokyo. This makes transport to the ski areas much easier.

Bullet Train
The first option for getting to Hakuba is a fun cultural adventure all in itself. Catch a ride on the local train into the heart of Tokyo, then transfer to one of Japan's famous “shinkansen” bullet trains. This high speed train will take you to the city of Nagano, where you can catch a bus, taxi, or another local train into Hakuba.

With the aid of Google Maps and the helpfully color-coded train lines, this journey is not too bad, and you get a scenic bullet train ride out of it to boot. The most adventurous part of this route is definitely navigating commuter train traffic into Tokyo with a ski or snowboard bag. Hot tip: get a travel bag with wheels.

Nagano Snow Shuttle
Alternatively, it’s possible to arrange a shuttle right from the airport to Hakuba, which is by far the simplest method. The Nagano Snow Shuttle offers a schedule of direct trips from both Narita and Haneda airports right to Hakuba, and there are a few other services that let you book private shuttles for not too much more if your landing time doesn’t work with the schedule. This option may be a little bit pricier and slower than the bullet train method, but it’s much more straightforward.

Drive
The final option is to rent a car at the airport and drive out to Hakuba. This one has a number of distinct advantages, as well as some drawbacks. You will have to get an international driving permit ahead of time, and once you’re there, be prepared to navigate snowy roads where everything is backwards (unless you're from the UK or Oceania, in which case, carry on). But we find the whole right-hand drive thing doesn’t take too long to get used to, and is a fun novelty if you go into it with the right mindset.

Overall, the drive out to Hakuba is pretty straightforward and easy. And once you’re there, you will be glad to have the car. Getting around Hakuba without a car is not too bad, as there is a reliable bus line that runs up and down the valley, connecting all of the various towns and ski resorts, but being free to operate on your own schedule really opens things up in terms of flexibility.

Plus, if you are planning on venturing onto nearby destinations like Myoko Kogen, Nozawa Onsen, or even heading south to non-ski destinations like Kyoto or Osaka, having a car can be a good move.

A final bit of food for thought: in our Hakuba evoTrip, we offer private transport not just from the airport to town, but also from town to the various mountains every day of the trip. Just sayin’.

Happo
Just like with the accommodations, you’ll find the majority of the action here in the central villages. Up in Happo, the restaurant scene is a bit more resort-and western focused. There are plenty of great options to grab a burger and a beer after a day on the slopes, and a handful of ramen houses and izakayas (Japanese pubs with low-key local grub).

Some favorites are Recovery Bar, right across the street from the gondola, and Cafe & Bar Lion, right across the street from evo Hotel Hakuba.

Echoland
While there are plenty of good restaurants right up near the base of Happo One, we find it's worth making the trip down the hill to Echoland to really open up the options. Echoland is the heart of the Hakuba food scene, with a great concentration of bars and restaurants on a lively main strip. Take your pick from any of the wonderful izakayas and enjoy some great Japanese food, or dig into any of the excellent international options.

You also find a plethora of excellent pubs to enjoy a night out. With Echoland favorites like Mocking Bird and Cherry Pub standing shoulder to shoulder with countless night spots that keep the live music and sake flowing until the wee hours of the morning, a good night out is within easy reach.

A bit further east from the main drag of Echoland, we’ve had a lot of good luck finding authentic eats in the neighborhoods near the freeway. The vibe is much mellower out here, as it tends to be a spot more for locals than for tourists, and as a result, you might have to do a bit more work if you’re operating in English, but there are some excellent gems out there. A personal favorite is Ramen Tottsuan, which has some of the best ramen in the area (and an English menu)!

If you’ve opted to stay at one of the further flung villages, your options tend to get less numerous, but we’ve found that you can get pretty good food all throughout the valley.