Destination · Japow
Myoko Kogen: three ski areas and one confirmed 2026-27 price
Suginohara costs $58 (¥9,000) a day in 2026-27. Ikon days at Suginohara and Lotte Arai, Tokyo routes from 2 h 11 and how the three areas compare.
Myoko Kogen groups three ski areas, and Suginohara costs $58 (¥9,000) for an adult day, 19 Dec 2026 to 28 Mar 2027. Suginohara and Lotte Arai are on Ikon at 7 days. Lotte Arai is the quickest from Tokyo, about 2 h 11 by Shinkansen and a free shuttle. Akakura and Lotte Arai have no confirmed 2026-27 price.
Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
Is Myoko right for you?
Best for
- Ikon holders: Suginohara and Lotte Arai are both listed at 7 days on the full pass, 5 on Base.
- Heavy snow: one guide quotes 13 to 15 m a year.
Not for
- A firm 2026-27 budget: only Suginohara has a confirmed price.
- Off-piste plans built on rules: none were found for Suginohara or Akakura, and Arai’s are not covered.
How do the three areas compare?
| Area | Adult day | 2026-27 price confirmed? | Vertical (database) | Ikon / Base days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suginohara | $58 (¥9,000) | Yes, official Prince Hotels page | 1,124 m | 7 / 5 |
| Akakura | $45 (¥7,000), database | No, season label unclear | 550 m (Onsen) | none found |
| Lotte Arai | $48 (¥7,500), last season's economy peak | No, 2025-26 price, official page not fetched | 951 m | 7 / 5 |
- Suginohara: 15 runs and a typical peak base of 215 cm, per a database. Run-length figures conflict (8.5 km top to bottom, 4.2 km longest run), so none is given.
- Akakura: a database says Akakura Onsen has the only night skiing in Myoko, 17:00 to 21:00 on one lift, and a typical peak base of 328 cm.
- Lotte Arai: a database lists 14 runs, a maximum gradient of 37.2 degrees and a typical peak base of 145 cm.
How do you get there from Tokyo?
Lotte Arai is the shortest: Shinkansen to Joetsu-Myoko, then a free 20-minute shuttle, about 2 h 11 and $64 (¥9,860). Akakura Onsen is about 2 h 20 and $64 (¥9,897): Shinkansen to Nagano (85 minutes), a local train (40) and a shuttle (15). Suginohara is about 3 h 23 and $74 (¥11,410): Shinkansen to Joetsu-Myoko (127), the Myoko Haneuma Line (31) and a Keinan bus (45). All are database estimates from Tokyo Station.
The totals do not line up: Arai’s 2 h 11 less its shuttle leaves about 111 minutes of train, against 127 for Suginohara’s Shinkansen leg. An earlier guide routes Suginohara via Nagano and a local train, as the database does for Akakura, so 3 h 23 may not be the fastest.
One operator guide says a Japan Rail Pass covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen. No pass details were found for the Haneuma Line, the Keinan bus or the local train. More in Tokyo to ski resorts.
What does a day cost in 2026-27?
The official Prince Hotels page gives these Suginohara figures; lifts run 8:30 to 16:00.
| Suginohara adult day | 2026-27 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $58 (¥9,000) | $52 (¥8,000) |
| Club member | $53 (¥8,200) | not found |
| Season | 19 Dec 2026 to 28 Mar 2027 | 13 Dec 2025 to 29 Mar 2026 |
Guides that show $52 (¥8,000) are quoting last season. One guide gives 12 Dec as the 2026 opening; the official page says 19 Dec. Child, multi-day, night and Seibu Prince Club joining details are not found.
On the official prices, $58 (¥9,000) is 15% above Nozawa Onsen’s $50 (¥7,800) and 19% under a Hakuba Valley one-day pass at $72 (¥11,100).
For the other two areas the figures are database-only, so budget them as unknown, not cheap:
- Akakura: Onsen lists a day ticket at $45 (¥7,000) and a night ticket at $23 (¥3,500), with no season stated. Kanko lists an adult day at $45 (¥7,000) to 22 Mar and $26 (¥4,000) in spring, and a combined Kanko and Onsen day at $65 (¥10,000). Kanko’s season dates and label disagree, so none of these are 2026-27 prices.
- Lotte Arai: last season’s economy adult day was $48 (¥7,500) at peak and $32 (¥5,000) in spring, and first-class $81 (¥12,500). The official page could not be fetched, and Suginohara rose $6 (¥1,000) this season, so these are a guide, not a quote.
Which passes cover Myoko?
The Ikon page lists Suginohara and Lotte Arai at 7 days on the full pass and 5 on Base. Arai has no Session days; Suginohara’s are not covered. One guide says Suginohara joined in 2025-26. Akakura is on no pass found, Epic covers only Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu, and the 2026-27 blackout dates are unclear right now (last known, 2025-26: no Japan blackout found outside Niseko). See Ikon and Epic in Japan and Passes & prices.
Riding a board?
A lift catalogue lists Suginohara’s five lifts as four chairs and one 8-seat gondola, with no T-bar or tow lift. JR East’s luggage guide, via a search summary, allows 250 cm total and 30 kg per item on the Hokuriku route, with no reservations. No rider-specific sources cover how Myoko rides. See Can you take a snowboard on the Shinkansen?.
What are the rules for leaving the piste?
No gate or backcountry rules were found for Suginohara or Akakura. For Lotte Arai, a database describes a large permitted off-piste, tree and free-ride area, including avalanche-controlled free-ride zones it names Zendana and Yakushi. That is a description, not the resort’s rules; what Lotte requires and what a rescue costs are not covered.
Safety Ask Lotte Arai’s patrol what is open and what it requires before you leave the groomed runs.
Not finding rules is not permission. Read Backcountry & safety and Can I ski off-piste in Japan without a guide?
Is the 2026-27 snow looking good?
The 2026-27 outlook leans warm. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s September outlook (unconfirmed figures) gives Honshu’s Sea of Japan side a 50% chance of below-normal snowfall. The reports do not say which zone covers Myoko. For scale, one guide quotes Myoko at 13 to 15 m a year, and a database lists typical peak bases of 145 cm at Lotte Arai, 215 cm at Suginohara and 328 cm at Akakura Onsen (indicative, not resort measurements).
A snow-report site puts the deepest stretch at mid-January to mid-February. More in Snow odds.
What is there to do off the snow?
A database names an Akakura onsen village; bath names, fees, hours, tattoo rules and restaurants for Myoko are not found. Onsen etiquette covers rules that apply across Japan.
Where next?
Compare Honshu ski resorts, a cheaper village in Nozawa Onsen or ten resorts on one valley pass in Hakuba Valley. Back to the Japow hub.
Quick answers
How much is a Myoko Suginohara lift ticket in 2026-27?
An adult day is $58 (¥9,000), or $53 (¥8,200) for Seibu Prince Club members, from 19 Dec 2026 to 28 Mar 2027, per the official Prince Hotels page. Last season it was $52 (¥8,000), so guides that still show $52 (¥8,000) are out of date.
Is Myoko on the Ikon Pass?
In part. The Ikon page lists Suginohara and Lotte Arai at 7 days on the full pass and 5 on Base. Akakura is on no pass found. The 2026-27 blackout dates are unclear right now; last known (2025-26), no Japan blackout was found outside Niseko.
How long does it take to get from Tokyo to Myoko?
Lotte Arai is about 2 h 11, Akakura Onsen about 2 h 20 and Suginohara about 3 h 23 from Tokyo Station by public transport. These are route-database estimates, and the Suginohara figure may not be the fastest route.
Are there backcountry gates at Myoko?
No gate or backcountry rules were found for Suginohara or Akakura. A database says Lotte Arai permits free-ride zones, but the resort's own rules are not covered. Ask the patrol before you leave the groomed runs.