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Skiers descend Tsugaike Kogen’s open piste toward Otari, framed by layers of snowy Japanese Alps.
Explore / Tsugaike / Lessons & Rentals

TSUGAIKE

📍Otari, Nagano, Japan

❄️ Powder Haven🏞️ Scenic Cruiser👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Cruiser🌲 Tree Skiing5 Days on Epic☀️ Year-round destination

Photo: Tetsuji Sakakibara · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo details

⬇️
Vertical drop
2,966 ft
🗻
Skiable terrain
484 acres
❄️
Avg snowfall
430 in*
🚡
Lifts
14

Tsugaike Ski School

Tsugaike Mountain Resort

Ski LessonsSnowboard LessonsPrivate Lessons

Tsugaike Ski School offers Japanese-language ski and snowboard instruction in group and private formats.

Why we like it

If you are comfortable learning in Japanese, choose a group for shared practice or a private lesson for a particular skill. Confirm the meeting point with the school when booking.

Best for:

Japanese-language instructionGroup lessonsPrivate coaching
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, location, description, recommendation details, website, ski lessons, snowboard lessons, private lessons.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Visit Website

Evergreen International Ski School – Tsugaike

Tsugaike Mountain Resort, meeting point by booking

Ski LessonsSnowboard LessonsPrivate Lessons

Evergreen offers English-language ski and snowboard instruction at Tsugaike. Choose Tsugaike when arranging a private lesson with this valley-wide school.

Why we like it

Select the mountain as well as the lesson format. Use the meeting point on your confirmation rather than traveling to another Evergreen base.

Best for:

English-language lessonsPrivate coachingTsugaike meeting arrangements
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, location, description, recommendation details, website, ski lessons, snowboard lessons, private lessons.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-30

Visit Website

Spicy Rental – Village Tsugaike

Village Tsugaike, second floor

Rentals

Spicy Rental is on the second floor of Village Tsugaike. Its range includes children’s and beginner equipment as well as performance models.

Why we like it

Use the Village Tsugaike building as your pickup landmark. Families can ask for beginner gear and a performance setup at the same counter.

Best for:

Village Tsugaike pickupChildren’s rentalsPerformance options
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, location, description, recommendation details, website, rentals.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Visit Website

Arai Sports

Near the Tsugaike gondola base

RentalsDemos

Arai Sports rents skis and snowboards near the Tsugaike gondola. Its performance ski range includes demo and powder models.

Why we like it

Contact the shop before your trip if you want a particular ski width or size. You can reserve a setup ahead and collect it near the gondola.

Best for:

Performance ski rentalsPowder skisAdvance reservations
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, location, description, recommendation details, website, rentals, demos.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Visit Website
💡

Pro Tip: Book Early

Lessons and rentals at popular resorts often book up quickly, especially during peak season and holidays. We recommend booking at least 1–2 weeks in advance to secure your preferred times.

Sources & planning context

Historical planning figures · Figures marked * come from earlier references and may differ from current resort figures.

Other names · Tsugaike Mountain Resort, Tsugaike Kogen, Tsugaike Highland

Compare the kind of instruction or equipment you need. The provider can match your ability, age and dates to a current program.

Typically early December to early April

A broad planning range from the historical guide, conditions permitting. Use the operator’s schedule for your travel dates.

Official schedules & conditions ↗
Schedule source ↗Official resort ↗
Official website
https://www.tsugaike.gr.jp/
Source ↗ · Oct 27, 2026
Skiable area (acres)
484
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Lifts
14
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Summit elevation (ft)
5591
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Base elevation (ft)
2625
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Vertical drop (ft)
2966
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Runs
11
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
terrain · beginner
50
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
terrain · intermediate
30
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
terrain · advanced
20
Source ↗ · Oct 21, 2026
Summer and winter destination
Yes
Source ↗ · Oct 25, 2026
Beyond winter
Gondola and ropeway sightseeing, alpine wetland hiking and Tsugaike WOW adventure activities.
Source ↗ · Oct 25, 2026
Night skiing
Not offered · 2026–27 · The operator explicitly cancelled night operations for the 2026–27 season.
Source ↗ · Oct 27, 2026

Historical mountain figures awaiting field-level confirmation: Reported average snowfall (in).

Individual listings retain their own sources and check dates. A source check covers only the named details; it does not confirm availability. Snowfall averages describe climate, not a forecast.

The sourced lift count includes the gondola and chairlifts. The snowfall figure remains a historical climate reference.

The T3 replacement lift is planned for late December 2026, subject to construction and approvals.

Gondola and ropeway ↗The Eve gondola runs to Tsuga no Mori. The separate upper ropeway links Tsuga Daimon and the Nature Park. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Tsugaike course guide ↗Karamatsu beginner, Tsuganomori intermediate and Champion advanced. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Rules for DBD and backcountry ↗Article 12 requires season-first video, agreement, armband and entry only at open designated gates. Separate conditions apply to backcountry departures. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Tsugaike parking information ↗Lot 2 marked for camper vehicles and overnight parking; other named day lots prohibit overnight parking; clearing can require moving vehicles. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Tsugaike FAQ ↗Shuttles toward Hakuba Station, Happo and Goryu stop below the gondola at Village Tsugaike. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Hakuba Valley area profile ↗Reviewed ski elevations about 800 m at base and 1,704 m at summit. · Checked Oct 27, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Hotel Eve Plaza | Hakuba Tsugaike Hotel, 150 m to the Slopes ↗Hotel Eve Plaza is 150 metres from the slopes and two minutes from Gondola Eve, with Western and Japanese-style rooms and free parking. · Checked Oct 27, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Hotel Hakuba Berghaus · facilities and access ↗The operator identifies the hotel in Tsugaike Kogen in Otari and describes its cypress open-air bath with views of the Northern Alps. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Hotel Sierra Resort Hakuba · access ↗The hotel is at 14863-6 Hokujo in the northern Hakuba Valley, with access to Tsugaike and Iwatake by road. The operator identifies a hotel transfer or taxi from Hakuba Station. · Checked Oct 30, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Ski Inn Hakuba · winter access ↗The inn is next to the ski slope, a short walk with gear, and within walking distance of Tsugaike Gondola Eve. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

UNPLAN Village Hakuba · about the hostel ↗The operator locates its hostel in Tsugaike Kogen and describes the second lodge-style building as a family-oriented option. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Hakuba Valley – Tsugaike partner schools ↗The Tsugaike-specific directory lists Japanese-language group and private ski and snowboard lessons at Tsugaike Ski School and English-language instruction with Evergreen. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Evergreen private ski and snowboard lessons ↗Evergreen explicitly lists Tsugaike among its private lesson resorts. · Checked Oct 30, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Tsugaike Mountain Resort rental directory ↗The resort places Spicy Rental on the second floor of Village Tsugaike and describes equipment options from children’s and beginner models through performance gear. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Tsugaike tourism – Arai Sports ↗The tourism association identifies Arai Sports near the gondola, taking advance reservations for ski and board rentals. The inventory includes performance skis, including powder and demo models. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Kitchen Tsuga no Mori ↗Kitchen Tsuga no Mori is at the gondola summit station. The renewed restaurant centers its menu on bowl meals. Each bowl can be paired with one of three soups. · Checked Oct 27, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Eat — official Otari tourism ↗Otari Meisankan is a roadside dining place near the village hall, known for soba. The directory also lists Hakuba Beer Garage in Tsugaike as a brewery restaurant serving craft beer and food using Shinshu ingredients. · Checked Oct 30, 2026. This check covers these details only.

  • Tsugaike Mountain Resort official resort information ↗

    Official resort pages checked; exact 2026–27 operating bounds were not verified.

  • Official Hakuba Valley resort directory ↗

    Mountain facts and resort link.

  • Hakuba Tsugaike — 2026-27 Lift Prices ↗

    Tsugaike explicitly says night operations are cancelled for the 2026–27 season.

  • Tsugaike October 16 opening announcement ↗

    December 1 opening, weather dependent; new six-seat T3 replacement lift planned for late December.

  • Every Season Brings a Different Charm on Tsugaike Mountain | JNTO ↗

    Gondola and ropeway sightseeing, alpine wetland hiking and Tsugaike WOW adventure activities.

SEE YOU UP THERE.

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