Food & Nightlife
Shiga Kogen Nightlife & Restaurants
Shiga Kogen is one of those somewhat typical Japanese ski resorts whereby most visitors stay, eat and socialise at their hotel. The very limited transport options in the evening also put a dampener on night time activities.
Despite most people staying in for the night, Shiga Kogen does has a little bit of nightlife, albeit it very sedate. However you may have to look hard for some of the bars because many of them are hidden inside hotels.
Whilst there is an abundance of restaurants open for lunch at Shiga Kogen, there are very limited restaurants open for evening dining, with most hotel restaurants just catering for their overnight guests.
Ichinose Restaurants and Nightlife
Ichinose is the most “vibrant” area for après ski activity, but this is only in comparison to the rest of Shiga Kogen. Ichinose has several restaurants, izakayas and also a couple of bars.
A favourite for dinner and drinks is Izakaya Time. It’s larger than your average izakaya and there are plenty of western style seats so you don’t have to drag your sore and tired body onto the floor. In addition to a wide choice of beverages, they have a large food menu (thankfully in English) and lots of sashimi, including horse meat sashimi if you’re really game!
The Jalon Ski Bar in Chalet Shiga is more of a western style bar with a big screen that plays ski and snowboard videos.
Kamoshika is good for a big feed. This Indian restaurant has a range of curries, tandori items, naan bread, and huge banquets.
Yakebitaiyama Restaurants and Bars
The Prince Hotel provides evening shuttles (not late though) to and from the Ichinose village, so it’s possible for those staying in Ichinose to access the
Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel that offers a range of restaurants, all with English menus.
The main dining room in the East Wing is rather pricey, but the meals are delightful. Japanese set meals such as shabu shabu hot pots cost about ¥6,500. On the other side of the large restaurant is the western section where you can enjoy the gorgeous outlook across the partially illuminated slopes. They offer western cuisine set menus for about ¥6,500 or have a limited a la carte menu. If you’ve had enough sake and need some wine, it will set you back a steep ¥1,300 per glass, and child set menus are also rather expensive.
Also located in the East Wing is the Salt Lake Bar. It features Winter Olympic memorabilia and gorgeous views across the ski area. This bar is usually very quiet, so take your own crowd. The East Wing also a lobby lounge bar, or you can sit around the lobby with drinks from the shop or vending machine. Whilst this area can be rather social, the décor and general ambience is very drab.
Next door to the West Wing is Shishi, a Chinese restaurant with very cheery furnishings. They offer set menus or various inexpensive a la carte dishes.
Okushiga Kogen Restaurants
The Hotel Grand Phenix has some rather swish cuisine. The hotel has an Italian restaurant, a Japanese restaurant and a bar lounge.
The nearby Okushiga Kogen Hotel has a French restaurant, Japanese restaurant, and a café come bar lounge area.
Both hotels may provide evening transportation from other villages upon arrangement.