Northeast Nagano · YamanouchiNo.1230★★Open in map →

Shiga Kogen

— A highland of ponds and ski runs in a national park

natureOff the trail — and worth it

A broad highland in northern Nagano, held inside Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park. Ponds, birch woods and marshes sit between the ski runs, and a marked nature trail links several of them in a single half-day walk from the bus terminal.

FromNagano Station
~1 hr 10 minNagaden express bus, ~70 min
Get off atShiga Kogen Yama-no-Eki bus terminal (Nagaden Bus)
From there
Shiga Kogen

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is one of Japan's best known snow resorts, so it is not an undiscovered corner. What changes is the season. Between the end of the ski season and the first snow, most lifts stand still, the hotels thin out, and the paths around the ponds carry only a handful of walkers.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Shiga Kogen Yama-no-Ekithe bus terminal at Hasuike, holding a tourist information counter, shops and rental gear
Shiga Kogen Visitor Centera year-round nature centre a few minutes west, with exhibits and current trail conditions
Hasuikethe pond in front of the terminal, first of the lower ponds to turn colour each autumn
Tanohara marshan open highland wetland on the nature trail, with boardwalk and seasonal wildflowers
Kido Pondfar end of the 4.1 km nature trail, ringed by white birch, with a bus stop on the road above

How to actually get there

Nagano Station East Exit → Shiga Kogen Yama-no-Eki bus terminal (Nagaden express bus, about 70 minutes).
Yama-no-Eki → Shiga Kogen Visitor Center (walk a few minutes west) for the current trail map and conditions.
Hasuike → Kido Pond on the nature trail, then take the bus back down from the Kido Pond stop.

Nagaden express bus, direct from Nagano Station: Nagano Station East Exit →(Nagaden express bus bound for Shiga Kogen, about 70 minutes)→ Shiga Kogen Yama-no-Eki bus terminal. The express runs on a published seasonal calendar rather than all year, so confirm the current operating dates on the Shiga Kogen or Nagaden Bus site before fixing a day.
Back down to Nagano or Yudanaka: Buses leave the Yama-no-Eki terminal both for Nagano Station and for Yudanaka Station. Departures thin out through the late afternoon, and the section above the terminal closes earlier in the day than the valley section, so read the return times on the terminal board when you arrive rather than at the end of the walk.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The highland spreads across the town of Yamanouchi at the northern end of Nagano Prefecture. Eighteen ski areas of varying size share the same plateau, linked across roughly 1,000 metres of vertical between the lowest runs and the highest ridge. Outside the snow season most lifts stop and the area reverts to its water: Hasuike, Kido Pond, the Tanohara marsh and many smaller pools scattered through the birch woods. National Route 292 runs through the middle of it and climbs on over Shibu Pass toward Gunma. The bus terminal at Hasuike, called Yama-no-Eki, is the practical front door for anyone arriving without a car.

How to enjoy it

The nature trail from Hasuike to Kido Pond takes about two hours one way, and buses run back down from the Kido Pond stop, so it works as a one-way walk rather than a loop. Autumn colour starts in late September on the high ground around Yokoteyama and works down to the ponds near Hasuike through the first half of October. In winter the same terminal becomes the hub of the lift network, so one address serves two completely different trips.

Background & history

Shiga Kogen lies at almost the exact centre of Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park. Its core of old subalpine conifer forest around Mount Shiga was registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1980, one of the first generation of such sites approved in Japan, and the reserve now spans five municipalities across Nagano and Gunma. The highland also hosted part of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, on the Yakebitaiyama and Higashitateyama slopes. Strict protection and resort use have been managed side by side on the same ground ever since.

Before you go

Cash: Walking the nature trail and the pond paths costs nothing. For the buses inside the highland, the Shiga Kogen ALL DAY pass was priced at 1,000 yen for adults during a fixed green-season sales period at the time of checking. Fares and pass conditions shift between seasons, so confirm them on the day.
Good to know: This is snow country, and the season governs everything. The road on over Shibu Pass toward Gunma opens only for part of the year, and the bus section above the terminal follows the same seasonal window. Road surfaces freeze from late autumn, snow tyres are advised for drivers, and none of the trails are lit.
Another way: From the Tokyo side, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano, change to the Nagano Dentetsu line for Yudanaka Station (about 40 minutes on the fastest service), then ride the Nagaden Bus Shirane-Kazan line up to Yama-no-Eki, roughly 30 to 40 minutes depending on the service. That route also passes the Snow Monkey Park stop.
After you get off: The bus terminal is the Yama-no-Eki building itself, so there is no walk from the stop. The tourist information counter is inside, and the Shiga Kogen Visitor Center stands a few minutes further west along Route 292.