Where to stay · Checked 14 Oct 2026 for 2026–27
Where to stay in Myoko Kogen
The short version
Myoko Kogen is several separate ski areas spread along the side of Mt Myoko, not one village. Where you sleep decides whether you walk to dinner or drive to it. Personally I'd suggest Akakura Onsen for a first trip: 24 of the 39 places on our restaurant guide, 2 hire shops and 4 day baths are there, and the lifts are a walk away. Families with beginners should look hard at Ikenotaira.
| Area | Lifts | Kids | No car | Nights out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akakura Onsen | Walk | Good | Easiest | Most choice |
| Akakura Kanko | Slopeside | Good | Easy | Short trip down |
| Ikenotaira | At the base | Best | Shuttle by day | Eat at the lodge |
| Suginosawa | At the base | OK | Hard | Very few |
| Seki Onsen | At the base | No | Hard | Your inn |
| Lotte Arai | Resort hotel | OK | Airport shuttle | The resort |
Ratings are my summary of the facts below, not official grades.
Akakura Onsen village 赤倉温泉
The old hot-spring village on the slope below the Akakura Onsen ski area, and the biggest concentration of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and bars in Myoko Kogen. Many inns have their own onsen bath, and the Akakura Onsen ski area runs night skiing in its Kumado area (planned 17:00–21:00 for 2026–27).
Getting around: You walk to the Akakura Onsen lifts. The Mt Myoko Shuttle from the airports stops at the Akakura Onsen ski area and Hotel Windsor, and last season's local shuttle (¥1,000 one way, no booking) ran from Akakura to Ikenotaira and Suginohara from 20 December to 22 March.
On this site: 24 places to eat, 4 day baths and 2 hire shops. See the Akakura guide.
Best when
- It is your first Myoko trip and you want to walk to dinner
- You have no car
- Mixed groups: gentle runs above the village, Akakura Kanko next door
Skip when
- You want brand-new hotels: much of the village is older and family-run
- You want quiet nights above all else
Sources: Myoko Tourism winter buses (2025–26) · Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27 · Snow Monkey Resorts: places to stay in Myoko Kogen
Where to stay
Stays in Akakura Onsen village
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Akakura Kanko 赤倉観光
The slopes next to Akakura Onsen, with the Akakura Kanko Hotel sitting on the ski area itself and the Myoko Kogen Skycable gondola at the base. Fewer places to eat on foot than the village, but the longer, steeper Akakura runs start here.
Getting around: The airport shuttle and last season's local shuttle both stopped at Akakura Kanko. The village is close, but check whether your hotel runs a shuttle down for dinner.
On this site: 3 places to eat, 0 day baths and 0 hire shops. See the Akakura guide.
Best when
- Intermediate and advanced skiers who want Akakura Kanko's longer runs
- Couples who want a slopeside hotel
Skip when
- You want a dozen dinner choices on foot every night
- You want night skiing on your doorstep: that is at Akakura Onsen, not Kanko
Sources: Myoko Tourism winter buses (2025–26) · Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27
Where to stay
Stays in Akakura Kanko
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Ikenotaira Onsen 池の平温泉
A quieter onsen area under ten minutes' drive from Akakura, at the base of Ikenotaira Onsen Alpenblick with its wide learning slopes, Kids Garden and terrain park. Most places are family-run lodges and minshuku, with Hotel Alpenblick next to the slopes. There are few places to eat out at night, so book somewhere that serves dinner.
Getting around: The airport shuttle stops at Ikenotaira (Alpen Blick). Last season's local shuttle linked Ikenotaira with Akakura and Suginohara in both directions.
On this site: 3 places to eat, 3 day baths and 0 hire shops. See the Ikenotaira guide.
Best when
- Families with first-timers: the wide lower slope and the Kids Garden
- You want space and value over nightlife
Skip when
- You want to choose a different restaurant every night without a car
- Strong skiers who want Akakura Kanko or Suginohara every day
Sources: Snow Monkey Resorts: places to stay in Myoko Kogen · Myoko Tourism winter buses (2025–26) · Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27
Where to stay
Stays in Ikenotaira Onsen
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Suginosawa (Suginohara base) 杉野沢
The small village below Myoko Suginohara, the resort with the 8.5 km longest run and the biggest vertical in Myoko Kogen. A few lodges and small hotels, mostly budget to mid-range, about ten minutes' drive from Akakura. Very little is open at night.
Getting around: Last season's local shuttle ran from Suginohara to Akakura via Ikenotaira, the last one back down leaving Suginohara at 16:30 until 1 March and 16:00 after that. Otherwise you need a car or a lodge shuttle.
On this site: 2 places to eat, 1 day baths and 1 hire shops. See the Suginohara guide.
Best when
- Confident intermediates who want long top-to-bottom laps first thing
- Groups with a car who eat at the lodge
Skip when
- You have no car and want evenings out
- Small kids in lessons at Ikenotaira or Akakura
Sources: Snow Monkey Resorts: places to stay in Myoko Kogen · Myoko Tourism winter buses (2025–26)
Where to stay
Stays in Suginosawa (Suginohara base)
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Seki Onsen 関温泉
A tiny hot-spring hamlet with a handful of onsen inns right at the base of a two-lift ski area known for heavy snow and runs that are mostly left ungroomed. Quiet, old-school and about powder.
Getting around: Most people drive or come on a lodge shuttle; the Niigata tourism site puts it about 20 minutes by car from the Myoko Kogen or Nakago expressway exits. It is not on the Mt Myoko Shuttle routes.
On this site: 1 places to eat, 2 day baths and 0 hire shops. See the Seki Onsen guide.
Best when
- Confident powder skiers chasing storm days
- You want an inn with its own bath and nothing else to do
Skip when
- Beginners and young kids
- You have no car and want to ski the other resorts
Sources: Myoko Tourism: Seki Onsen
Where to stay
Stays in Seki Onsen
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Lotte Arai Resort ロッテアライリゾート
Not in Myoko Kogen at all: a single large hotel-resort (257 rooms, with pools, spa and restaurants) on its own mountain in the north of Myoko city, with the steepest terrain and the free-ride zones. There is no village around it, so you eat and drink at the resort.
Getting around: The Mt Myoko Shuttle goes to Lotte Arai for ¥1,500 extra. Last season Myoko Tourism listed a Lotte Arai–Akakura shuttle at ¥2,000 one way, but by the end of the season it was marked suspended, so check what runs before you plan to ski Akakura from here.
See the Lotte Arai guide.
Best when
- Strong skiers who want steep, patrolled off-piste
- You want everything under one roof
Skip when
- You want to try several Myoko resorts without a car
- You want a Japanese village feel
Sources: Myoko Tourism winter buses (2025–26) · Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27 · Myoko Tourism: Lotte Arai
Where to stay
Stays in Lotte Arai Resort
Live prices and availability on the booking sites.
Getting around once you are here
Last season (2025–26) the Mt Myoko local shuttle ran from 20 December to 22 March between Akakura, Ikenotaira and Suginohara, ¥1,000 one way with no booking. The first bus left Akakura Onsen at 8:00 and the last one back from Suginohara left at 16:30 (16:00 after 1 March). The 2026–27 timetable had not been published when I checked. Each one-way booking on the Mt Myoko airport shuttle comes with 3 local shuttle tickets per person (5 for a return booking).
Coming by train? See Tokyo to Myoko Kogen for each leg, and getting to Myoko Kogen for taxis and luggage.
Search the whole area
Not fussed about the area? Search all of Myoko and check the map before you book. Personally I'd suggest checking that a lodge is in the village you think it is, since an address in Myoko city can be anywhere from the station to Arai.
Where to stay
Lodges, hotels, and apartments
Pick your base: Akakura Onsen village for lifts, onsen and walk-to-dinner, or Ikenotaira for the wide learning slopes. Compare them on the resorts page.
Questions people actually ask
- What is the best area to stay in Myoko Kogen?
- Akakura Onsen for most first trips. It has the most places to stay and eat, you walk to the Akakura Onsen lifts, and Akakura Kanko is next door. Families with beginners often prefer Ikenotaira.
- Can I stay in Myoko without a car?
- Yes, if you stay in Akakura Onsen. Taxis and lodge pick-ups run from Myoko-Kōgen Station, the airport shuttle stops in Akakura, and last season a local shuttle (¥1,000 one way) linked Akakura, Ikenotaira and Suginohara.
- Is there ski-in ski-out accommodation in Myoko?
- A few places: the Akakura Kanko Hotel sits on its ski area, Hotel Alpenblick is next to the Ikenotaira slopes, and Lotte Arai is a single resort hotel on its own mountain. Most of Akakura Onsen village is a short walk from the lifts rather than true ski-in.
- Where should families stay in Myoko?
- Ikenotaira for first-timers, for the wide gentle slope and the netted Kids Garden, or Akakura Onsen if you want more choice for dinner. Akakura Onsen's primary-school day ticket is ¥2,500 for 2026–27.
- Is Lotte Arai part of Myoko Kogen?
- No. It is in Myoko city but on a separate mountain to the north, with no village around it. It suits a stay where you ski Arai most days.
Checked 14 Oct 2026 against: Myoko Tourism's winter bus page (2025–26), the Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27 timetable, Snow Monkey Resorts' area guide for drive times, and the operator sources on each resort guide. Restaurant, bath and hire-shop counts come from this site's own listings.