One of the most common questions we get from first-time visitors is a simple one: can you ski the major resorts of Northern Nagano without renting a car? The answer…
Winter Experiences Around Madarao, Myoko & Togakushi
Your ski-obsessed friend or partner has booked a winter trip to Nagano, or perhaps you’re adding a couple of days in the mountains to your wider Japan itinerary, and you…
How to Combine Tokyo with a Nagano Ski Trip
Tokyo and the snow of Northern Nagano are one of the easiest city plus mountain combinations in the world to pull off. Cities such as Denver, Vancouver, Calgary and Salt…
How Much Snow Does Madarao & Myoko Really Get? Inside the Snow Season, Month by Month
Ask anyone who skis Japan where the deepest, most reliable powder falls and the answer is almost always Hokkaido. But there is a second, quieter powder kingdom on the main…
Kijimadaira’s Snow Resort Romance no Kamisama
When a small resort earns a spot in the Nagano7 powder pass – joining Shiga Kogen, Nozawa Onsen, Togakushi, Ryuoo, Madarao and Tangram – it is the perfect occasion to…
Early-Season Ski Resorts in Japan: What Opens First in 2026-27
At La Colina, we can’t wait for the season to start, so we’ve compiled the list of ski resorts that look set to open early for the 2026–27 season —…
Why Location Matters on a Powder Day
If you are planning a ski trip to Northern Nagano and the Myoko area, you have almost certainly seen the ads: “just 20-30 minutes from the slopes,” “easy access to…
How to Get to Madarao-Tangram from Tokyo
If you are planning a trip to Madarao and Tangram, you have likely wondered how to get there. It is a good question — Japan’s transport network is excellent, but…
It Is Not Even Cold Yet: Why Your Best Powder Season Starts in August
It is the last week of August in Myoko and Madarao in Nagano. The pines are heavy with summer green, cicadas are doing their best to out-sing each other, and…
Weather Forecast for Japan’s 2026 – 2027 Snow Season
The 2025–2026 snow season in Japan was a bit irregular, with a very promising start in November, a warmer than usual december, and finally late La Niña conditions kicking in…