The Southern Japanese Alps is a vast mountain range that spans over the prefectures of Nagano, Yamanashi and Shizuoka, including 13 peaks that are over 3,000 meters in altitude, and 10 of Japan’s 100 most famous mountains being interspersed from north to south.

The range is also selected as Minami Alps National Park and UNESCO’s Eco Park (Biosphere Reserve), and is characterized with less-eroded, gentle slopes of massive mountains, compared to the sharp ridges of the mountains of the Northern Japanese Alps.

This is not a lift-served powder destination. The Southern Alps are high, remote and avalanche-exposed, and their icefall, ravines and long high ridges reward experienced winter mountaineers rather than resort skiers. What the region excels at is winter alpinism and ski touring: summit-to-summit routes through snow ravines and ridgelines such as the Shirane Sanzan traverse, reached from trailheads such as Hirogawara, about two hours’ drive from Kofu. Only attempt these with avalanche training, proper snow-season gear and a partner who knows Japanese alpine conditions. Start with the official park information on Minami Alps National Park’s Japan Travel page.

The Southern Alps are a breathtaking place to stand beneath, but they are not where Japan’s famous Japow lives. If you are after deep, reliable, easy-to-reach powder – fresh lines minutes from your door, with daily guiding and no avalanche planning – that is our backyard in Madarao-Myoko, in the Powder Belt of Northern Nagano. More than twenty resorts sit within an hour’s drive, with front-door access at Madarao-Tangram.

Different winters, different mountains. When you decide which kind you want, we will build it around you.