Lifts & Terrain
Kagura Ski and Snowboard Terrain
The combined Mt Naeba ski area is rather large in comparison to other Japanese ski resorts, and Kagura in its own right has a sizeable area.
The vertical drop is the longest in Japan at 1,225 metres, but only one small part of the ski area has continuous vertical, and most of the Tashiro and Kagura zones only have about 300 metres of vertical drop. The vertical is also somewhat misleading because it makes the assumption that the top lift is open and that there is adequate snow cover to be able to ski down to the base of the Mitsumata ropeway.
Kagura has three distinct zones: Mitsumata; Kagura; and Tashiro.
Mitsumata is just a small area with four lifts (as well as the ropeway up from the car park). The area has a few green and red (intermediate) runs, but it’s mainly used as a thoroughfare for Kagura.
Kagura is the middle part of the ski resort and also the highest. The zone includes 6 lifts and runs for all ability levels and has the best tree skiing and off-piste skiing. Kagura also features the thigh burning Kagura gondola beginner course.
Across to the south is
Tashiro, the largest of the ski areas with 10 lifts (as well as the ropeway up from the Tashiro station car park). The terrain consists mainly of beginner slopes as well as a couple of red and black runs. This area is the closest to Naeba and has the interconnecting Naeba-Tashiro Gondola (the Dragondola).
Off Piste Skiing Kagura
Kagura has a few roped off areas and warning signs to discourage off-piste activity, but the patrollers are very tolerant of off-piste riding albeit at the risk of the rider. The Kagura zone has the best off-piste skiing because it has sufficient pitch and adequately spaced trees, and the peak chair in particular provides access to great tree skiing and alpine areas. The peak chair is not open in inclement weather and unfortunately it’s not open until late February or early March, although this is advantageous for those willing to hike up to get some freshies.
Riders should only enter these off-piste and backcountry areas with a buddy or a guide, avalanche equipment, and appropriate backcountry know-how.
Interconnection with Naeba
Kagura and
Naeba are interconnected via a super long gondola that takes 20 minutes, the Dragondola. Unfortunately the Dragondola only runs from 9am to 3:30pm, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the time if travelling between the two ski resorts. If you need to head back to your Naeba accommodation, be aware that it can take an intermediate skier or boarder about 75 minutes to get from the top of the Mitsumata ropeway to the Dragondola on the other side of Kagura ski resort. Thankfully the routes are incredibly well sign-posted in English (and with dragon signs!).
Kagura Lifts
Kagura has some modern fast lifts. In addition to the Kagura gondola there are five speedy quads, four of which have hoods which are well appreciated on windy days. At the other end of the spectrum are lots of double chairs, some that run at snails pace.
Lift capacity on the upper slopes is usually never a problem and Kagura is largely uncrowded, but getting up from the car parks can be problematic. The Mitsumata station is the closest to Yuzawa so many Kagura and Naeba visitors park there. Even if they pack people into the ropeway (cable car) like sardines, the capacity is still somewhat limited. Long queues may develop, especially on weekends and in early and late season when other ski resorts are closed. Keen powderhounds may want to stay up at the mid-mountain Wada-goya lodge so they can avoid the congestion and be assured of fresh tracks.
Lift Tickets
You can buy a common lift ticket for Mt Naeba (ie Kagura and Naeba ski resort) for ¥5,000 for an adult and ¥2,500 for a child (2011 rates). An adult ticket for just Kagura is ¥800 cheaper. It’s also possible to purchase one time tickets for the ropeways, the gondola or the lifts.
Snow and Weather Conditions
Kagura has a rep for getting lots of snow yet the statistic for annual snowfall is not cited. It’s also well known that typical wind and storm patterns tend to dump more snow on Kagura than
Naeba. The moisture content of the falling snow may be a little greater at Kagura, but the top of Kagura sits a fraction higher than Naeba so the snow quality in the end is probably comparable.
Considering the significant vertical drop at Kagura, the snow conditions vary significantly. During warm spells it can get very sloppy down low, and commonly the ski out to the Mitsumata carpark is closed due to lack of snow cover.
Kagura has a tendency to be windy, but hey this seems to be a common pattern amongst Japanese ski resorts!
For the Beginner
Kagura is ideal for confident beginners with kilometres and kilometres of trails on which to cruise. Beginners can even head over to Naeba because the interconnecting trails are green. Subsequently Kagura scores 5 out of 5 from us for the beginner terrain. Nevertheless the beginner terrain is not absolutely perfect because many of the trails are dark green and there are limited runs that are really mellow. First timers are probably better off starting at Tashiro where there are an abundance of green trails including a few really easy ones.
Intermediate Skiing at Kagura
Low end intermediates will be happy cruising on many of the green runs. Otherwise intermediates may get bored very quickly and may prefer to head across to Naeba.
Terrain Parks
Kagura has two terrain parks: a small beginners’ park at Tashiro with a wave, small kickers and easy boxes. Over at Mitsumata is the Force Park which is more designed for advanced riders. It mainly consists of a line of jumps and that’s about it.
Advanced & Expert Skiing
Kagura only has a handful of black piste runs. These aren’t particularly steep (a maximum gradient of 32 degrees), so the main challenge becomes the size of the moguls. The best area for advanced riders is off the peak chair.
Like many Japanese ski resorts, there’s very limited terrain to get experts quivering in their boots and Kagura is definitely not couloir country. Hopefully the powder in amongst the trees will keep experienced riders very happy.
Kagura Ski Season
Kagura has a long ski season, in part due to the high elevation. The season typically lasts from late November to late May in the Kagura and Mitsumata areas, and from mid December to early May in the Tashiro area.