Shiga Kogen: Japan’s Largest Ski Resort with Robel Zemichael / Shiga International Ski School

Episode 13 of the podcast – and the first of Season 2 – brings us back to Nagano and Japan’s largest ski resort, Shiga Kogen. A host venue in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort is comprised of multiple ski areas, most of which are interconnected and all of which are covered by an all-mountain pass. As such, Shiga Kogen can lay claim to being Japan’s largest ski resort, offering visitors the greatest extent of interconnected terrain of any ski area in the country. It is also Japan’s highest ski resort and offers visitors the longest season of any resort in Nagano or Central Japan*. Despite this, Shiga Kogen doesn’t yet enjoy the popularity and profile of nearby resorts such as Nozawa Onsen and those of Hakuba Valley with international visitors. A true sleeping giant within easy access of Nagano City and Tokyo.

The ski resort is located to the northeast of Nagano City – a 70 minute drive to its lower ski fields – and within Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. Its many ski areas sit between 1330 to 2307 metres (4363 to 7569 feet) making it Japan’s highest ski resort – and notably higher than the resorts of Hakuba Valley, Nozawa Onsen or any resort on Hokkaido. Shiga Kogen’s higher elevation blesses it with a long season, with the higher ski fields open from mid to late-November and into May. The official season runs from mid-December until mid-March, with all ski areas typically operating during that time. The resort includes multiple peaks of 2000 metres and above with valleys in-between creating an expansive ski area, somewhat reminiscent of European resorts. Shiga’s inland location – further from the coast than resorts including Nozawa Onsen and those of Hakuba Valley – means it receives particularly dry powder and thanks to the overall topography and the resort’s higher elevation, that snow stays in good condition for longer. Basically, it has the most consistent snow of any resort in Nagano. If you haven’t yet been, you really need to.

In this episode I speak with Robel Zemichael, manager of Shiga International Ski School. Robel is a two-time Olympian who represented his birth country of Ethiopia at the 2006 Games in Torino and 2010 Games in Vancouver. He is long-term resident of Japan who has called Nagano his home for some time now, and as we wait the beginning of the ski school’s ninth season, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Robel for a chat about the ski resort and why he rates it so highly.

Shiga International Ski School (SISS) operates out of the Okushiga ski fields within the resort and provides group and private ski and snowboard lessons, along with guided tours including backcountry. Their services cater to international, English-speaking visitors with lessons and tours suitable to skiers and boarders of all levels. Group lessons take place in Okushiga while for private lessons and guided tours, their instructors will come to you anywhere in the resort. Shiga International Ski School operates all season long – which in Shiga Kogen, means November to May – so don’t hesitate to get in touch whether you be a newbie in need of a lesson or an advanced skier or boarder looking to book a guided tour.

Accommodation is spread throughout the resort offering visitor a huge range of options, with the greatest concentration of hotels in the Ichinose and Takamagahara areas. I discuss the best places to stay with Robel in the second half of the interview. In terms of getting to Shiga Kogen, express buses from Nagano Station all year round, taking between 70 minutes to 2 hours depending which part of the resort you wish to disembark at. In winter, express buses also run from Tokyo, its airport and other major cities - taking between 5 to 6 hours. Anyone planning to drive themselves must use winter tyres or chains as the resort access road will almost certainly be affected by snow and ice and is notorious for accidents.

Nestled within the beautiful landscape of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, Shiga Kogen is best-suited to skiers and snowboarders who want to enjoy an expansive area of interconnected ski fields on a multi-day visit, set within a pristine and ecological rich environment. While it certainly can’t match the more popular ski resorts of Niseko, Hakuba Valley and Nozawa Onsen in terms of high-end accommodation, dining and nightlife, Shiga Kogen offers what matters most – a long season, reliable snow, an unmatched extent of terrain and Japan’s highest ski fields. It’s flown under the radar for a long time with international visitors. Don’t expect that to be the case much longer. I hope this episode inspires you to visit.

 

*while Shiga Kogen is acknowledged as Japan’s highest ski resort, there is actually one higher chairlift than the highest lift at Shiga – and that’s at Chuo Alps Senjojiki in southern Nagano. However that ski area does not open until mid-April – as Japan’s main ski season is ending – and it’s small. It’s not a resort in the sense that anyone imagines so Shiga is assigned the title of Japan’s highest ski resort but yes, there is another, higher chairlift out there.

Previous

Episode 14 / Son of the Smith & The Science of Cider with Ikeuchi Takuro
Next

Announcement: Season 2 Begins Tuesday 19th September