If you go …

Where to stay

Morino Lodge Myoko

585-23 Akakura, Myoko

morinolodge.com/lodges-chalets/morino-lodge-myoko

This bright, three-storey hotel features a ski-snowboard room, separate gear-drying room and spa-like onsen. Double rooms from about US$155.

Kougakuro

115 Akakura, Myoko

myoko-kougakuro.jp/english

A delightful, Japanese-style hotel with English-speaking staff, spacious rooms, indoor-outdoor onsen, buffet breakfast and small bar. Rooms from US$88.

Where to eat

Takasago Sushi

721-1 Sekikawa, Myoko

A small, family-run restaurant in a residential neighbourhood. Full sushi meals, with a range of fish, from around US$20.

Syokudo Shibata

549-83 Akakura, Myoko

Specializing in Japanese barbecue, plus excellent ramen and lighter fare in a fun atmosphere. Entrees from US$8. Cash only.

Udon No Fu

585-83 Akakura, Myoko

Famous for udon noodles in black squid ink, this small place also has top-tier tempura. Entrees from US$8. Cash only.

What to do

Skiing

Akakura Onsen and Akakura Kanko rise right from the village, and Suginohara and Ikenotaira are short bus or shuttle rides away. Seki Onsen, for example, is a 25-minute drive from Akakura village.

Of these, Suginohara offers the greatest vertical drop — 3,600 feet (1,097 metres) — and the longest run in Japan, a five-mile (eight-kilometre) serpentine descent.

A one-day lift ticket to access both Akakura Onsen and Kanko

costs US$44 and single-day tickets to the other resorts are similarly priced. Free shuttle buses run between Akakura Onsen/Kanko, Ikenotaira and Suginohara. For more information, visit myoko-nagano.com/access/myoko_transport.

Madarao Mountain Ski Resort

Route 117, Madarao-kogen, Iiyama, Nagano

A fair-sized mountain with 15 lifts, 30 marked runs and a vertical drop of 1,443 feet (440 metres). Limited on-mountain dining and après-ski options. Lift tickets cost US$44.

Backcountry skiing through Evergreen Tours

4377 Hokujo, Hakuba

evergreen-hakuba.com/en

English-speaking guides for mountain adventures, especially backcountry ski tours that cost about US$150 per person per day, with group discounts available. Gear rental is extra.

Information

myokokogen.net/myoko-tourism-information