Madarao Kogen is a resort in Nagano - Niigata (Japan) skied between 950 and 1350 metres, with 15 km of pistes and 8 lifts.
Madarao Kogen is in Nagano - Niigata, Japan, with the base at 950 m and the top at 1350 m.
Madarao Kogen has not announced its opening date for the 2026/27 season yet. Our own estimate, based on the resort's altitude and its past seasons, puts it around December 13, 2026: that is a forecast, not an announcement. The resort confirms the date each autumn and we keep it up to date at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/madarao-kogen.
Madarao Kogen is expected to close for the 2026/27 season on April 5, 2027. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (1350 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/madarao-kogen.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Madarao Kogen daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/japon/madarao-kogen. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (1350 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 950 and 1350 metres, a vertical drop of 400 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 950 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Madarao Kogen report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/japon/madarao-kogen.
Madarao Kogen has 15 km of pistes and 8 lifts, between 950 and 1350 m of altitude.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Madarao Kogen — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranva.app/en/shop/esqui/madarao-kogen: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.
In the same valley or the next one: Myoko Kogen (40 km of pistes, up to 1517 m). Comparing their top altitudes helps when snowfall is scarce: the ones that top out higher tend to open earlier and hold on longer at the end of the season.