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Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan NP, Nagano
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The ski field’s native kaya grass connects winter sports with Togakushi’s historic thatched inns: it is hand-cut for roofing, and local grass is also used to build features in the children’s Ninja Slope snow park.
The lodge’s “Togakushi Ant’s Tower Crossing Katsu Curry” takes its name from a real Mount Togakushi ridge, so narrow that just one person can cross at a time. It’s a dramatic mountain landmark reimagined as lunch.
Former Togakushi Village opened the ski field in December 1963 to address depopulation and provide winter jobs. It began with one lift, serving several runs on high, north-facing slopes chosen to hold snow.
Skiers can order freshly made Togakushi soba at the field. Local tradition links buckwheat to mountain ascetics who carried it as provisions; a 1709 record already mentions noodle-style soba served at a festival.
The slopes face Mount Togakushi’s jagged ridge—but the ski field is not on that mountain. From the sixth quad, a roughly 50-step walk reaches Menou summit, with views of the Northern Alps and Lake Nojiri; Fuji can appear on clear days.
The entire ski field lies inside Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan National Park. Its managers forgo loudspeaker music and night skiing to help preserve the mountain’s natural sounds, including wind and birdsong.
The beginner Ninja Slope turns practice into an obstacle quest: skiers can ring a bamboo bell, ride waves, cross a slick patch, duck through a tunnel and glide through a mini forest trail—all while building ski skills.
Togakushi also welcomes yukita, or “snow boards”: simple wooden boards without bindings or metal edges. Developed by Nagano City pro snowboarder Jun Gomy, they let riders glide with their feet free.
The ski field’s Yanagiran café won a slope-food battle in 2 consecutive seasons: “Heidi’s Raclette” took first in 2016–17, then venison tagliatelle won in 2017–18.
