Tsugaike Kogen ski resort may still be the best-kept secret in the Hakuba Valley. Nicknamed ‘Powder Heaven’ but often overlooked by the more popular Happo One or Hakuba Cortina, Tsugaike Kogen is the place to go for uncontested powder turns.

One of 10 ski resorts on the Hakuba Valley Pass, Tsugaike Kogen ski resort is a Japanese ski resort that retains a local feel. Tsugaike receives an average of 12 metres of snow each winter season which makes it popular with snowboarders in search of fresh turns. Tsugaike Kogen lies along the same shuttle bus route as Hakuba Cortina and with most skiers opting to remain on the bus to its final destination, Tsugaike is the place to go to avoid lift lines on a powder day.

TSUGAIKE KOGEN FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Tsugaike has its own village with a number of hotels, pensions, restaurants and rental shops. As you approach you can tell that you are somewhere with a different feel to Happo. Tsugaike is pretty subdued in terms of its nightlife or apres scene and it’s clear that people are here for one reason and one reason alone… the powder.

Queuing for the bottom gondola at Tsugaike you see powder chasers with wide-waisted skis and fat snowboards adorning swallowtails. This sets the tone for what to expect. Taking the gondola from station one to the mid-station leaves little to get excited about for more advanced skiers and snowboarders. But from the mid-station to the top station, the gondola hovers over the famed DBD tree riding zone. It is from here that you can see why people flock in search of Tsugaike's famous well-spaced trees.

TSUGAIKE SKI AREA

Having spent more days snowboarding at Tsugaike ski resort than any other Hakuba resort on my trip, it’s hard to argue against it being my favourite as I kept going back. The Tsugaike Kogen tree access is the main draw with the DBD offering everything from quite mellow terrain at the top of gate 1 to steeper runs through gates 3, 4 and 5.

The terrain at Tsugaike Kogen is divided into two main zones, upper and lower Tsugaike. The total vertical drop of Tsugaike ski resort is over 900m which is great when considering the size of other local resorts. Tsugaike Kogens highest point is about 1700m.

TSUGAIKE LOWER MOUNTAIN

The lower mountain at Tugaike Kogen includes anything found beneath the mid-station of the gondola. The majority of this terrain is mellow beginner’s terrain with 5 short chairlifts and the gondola accessing beginner’s trails to the base. The lower mountain at Tsugaike Kogen would make an ideal place to learn with the mellow terrain feeling the opposite of intimidating.

TSUGAIKE UPPER MOUNTAIN

There are still entry-level green pistes on the upper mountain and this is one of the reasons why Tsugaike is so popular with beginners. If learners are feeling confident enough to take the gondola to the upper mountain then the winding green course through the forest makes an exciting edition for beginners.

The upper mountain however is mostly home to the intermediate and advanced terrain at Tsugaike Kogen ski resort. The pinnacle of this is the Tsugapow DBD courses. In this area, there are five separate gates that you can take to enter the designated tree-skiing zones. If the snow conditions are good then this area is unrivalled and is one of the best zones I have ever snowboarded in.

In addition to the DBD Tsugaike Kogens upper mountain has a number of red-graded terrain and one black (Horseback Course). The upper mountain is also home to TG Parks, Tsugaikes freestyle terrain. The terrain park at Tsugaike is well worth a visit and has the benefit of running underneath the No.3 Quad Lift.

BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

The lower mountain at Tsugaike Kogen is perfect for beginners. All of these runs are wide, mellow slopes that have suitable lift access.

On the upper mountain, there is an interesting green trail that winds its way along a Cat Track trough the Tsugaike trees.

INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

The upper mountain consists of mainly intermediate terrain. There are a couple of long red-graded pistes with the steeper Champion slope also of note.

ADVANCED TERRAIN AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

Advanced skiers and snowboarders will love the tree skiing found in the Tsugaike Double Black Diamond gates. To access this area you need to take a course (more info follows in this post).

Also of note is the run Uma no see which follows a narrow ridgeline.

FREESTYLE TERRAIN AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

Tsugaike Kogen has 2 terrain parks which is fantastic for a Japanese ski resort. The main Tsugaike Park is decent and is one of the longest in the Hakuba Valley. The parks consist of jumps, rails and lots of great side hits and banks.

TSUGAIKE DOUBLE BLACK DIAMOND GATES

To access the Double Black Diamond or DBD you will first need to attend a safety lecture, sign a disclaimer and then collect your armband. The courses run out of Jacky’s kitchen, a diner near the top lift station. It’s best to head to Jacky’s Kitchen early so that you can beat any rush on a powder day.

The DBD course provides you with information about local hazards within the designated tree-riding zone and although many skiers I spoke with found it pointless, I appreciated the extra safety precautions. The courses are run by local skiers who ride at Tsugaike Kogen regularly, their first-hand knowledge was useful.

In the Tsugaike DBD there are five gates. Gate 1 is closest to the chairlift and offers the easiest terrain. In fresh snow plenty of fun can be had in gate 1 without heading into the more challenging areas. The remaining 4 gates access terrain with more hazards such as cliffs. The DBD area is an incredible place on a powder day!

TSUGAIKE KOGEN PISTE MAP

TSUGAIKE KOGEN SKI PASSES

The Hakuba Valley lift pass is valid at Tsugaike Kogen and may represent your best option if you want to explore more than one Hakuba ski resort.

As a beginner, you can purchase a lower mountain lift pass at a discounted rate. This beginner’s lift pass will allow you access to the base area lifts and some very mellow green terrain.

Tsugaike and the Hakuba Valley is also valid on the somewhat controversial Epic Pass from Vail Resorts. Personally, I love the Epic Pass and have made many videos about it in the past.

If you just want to pay as your play then a 1 day lift pass at Tsugaike will cost around 5000 Yen.

LIFTS AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

The main lift you will use at Tsugaike Kogen is the gondola which links the base area with the top of the resort. The gondola journey takes a while but it is travelling a fair distance in the process. Actually, after the leg-burning tree runs a long rest in the gondola was quite welcoming.

Tsugaike has a further 9 high-speed chairs and some that are much slower… 19 lifts in total service the resort although only the lower mountain is open for night skiing.

SEASON DATES TSUGAIKE KOGEN

Tsugaike Kogen has a long season opening the resort in mid December and remaining open until the beginning of May.

TSUGAIKE KOGEN SNOW RECORD

Tsugaike Kogen is located in Northern Hakuba at the snowiest end of the valley. The resorts in this region get absolutely pounded with snow and Tsugaike Kogen averages 12m of snowfall every winter. This means the top of the resort and tree skiing gets ample amount of snowfall for any powder skier.

VILLAGE AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

Despite Tsugaike having a quieter village than Happo, it is fair to say that it has been commercialised. You will find a high ropes course on the slopes and fast food restaurants surrounding the mid-gondola station. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but won’t be to everybody’s taste. A popular stop at the end of a day on snow is the bar near the base gondola station. You will recognise it from its uniquely Japanese foot spa, the perfect way to rejuvenate your feet at the end of a day on snow.

TSUGAIKE KOGEN PROS

• Tsugaike Kogen receives an abundance of snow! 12m on average per season.

• Tsugaike tree skiing is fantastic and although you have to take a course to enter this isn’t too much hassle.

• Despite the combination of a great snow record and incredible tree skiing, Tsugaike is much less crowded than the nearby Hakuba Cortina resort.

• Getting to Tsugaike ski resort is really simple using the Hakuba Valley shuttle buses that are provided free with your lift pass.

• Tsugaike is great for beginners and provides English instruction through their snow sports school.

• Due to transport links, it is easy to ski at Tsugaike and the resorts of Iwatake, Norikura or Cortina on the same day.

TSUGAIKE KOGEN CONS

• On-piste skiing at Tsugaike is fairly mellow so may not suit a more able skier or snowboarder

• Night skiing at Tsugaike Kogen is available but only accesses the beginner terrain which is quite dull.

• Taking the course to enter the DBD area will take up some valuable on snow time and you will need to wear an armband each time you wish to enter the trees.

TRAVEL TO TSUGAIKE KOGEN SKI RESORT

Tsugaike is easily reachable from all main transport hubs in Hakuba with regular shuttle buses running throughout the day. Tsugaike ski resort is further out of Hakuba than some of the other resorts with the journey taking between 20-30 minutes depending on conditions.

The resort of Tsugaike Kogen is located between Iwatake and Norikura ski resorts. This makes it perfectly placed to be able to ski at more than one Hakuba resort on the same day. The resorts are linked by shuttles and this makes navigating the area fairly straightforward.

ACCOMMODATION AT TSUGAIKE

Tsugaike Village is an option for accommodation close to the slopes in Hakuba. Staying in the village would represent a more laid-back option where you can get away from the more western restaurants and bar scene. Be aware that around Tsugaike it is likely that you will encounter less spoken English and not every shop or restaurant will accept credit cards.

Alternatively, you can stay closer to the main hubs and commute to Tsugaike on the days that you would like to ski or snowboard there. I stayed at Nori’s sharehouse, which is a no-frills share home in the Hakuba Village. The location was good and I had no complaints about my stay. The house even had a workstation to tune your gear. There are plenty of other accommodation options in and around Hakuba

TSUGAIGE KOGEN VIDEOS

ACTIVITIES AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN

In addition to skiing and snowboarding at Tsugaike Kogen there are many other ways to stay entertained. The high ropes course at mid-mountain will be popular with families and children, as will the tubing area.

A Japanese ski holiday wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a local Onsen. At Tsugaike there are a coupe of Onsens in the village that you can visit after your day on snow.

NEARBY SKI RESORTS

FINAL THOUGHTS ON TSUGAIKE KOGEN SKI RESORT

Tsugaike featured regularly in my discussions when choosing which resort I wanted to ride at during my trip. I really enjoyed the DBD trees area but sadly on a couple of occasions, this area was closed. For me when the DBD was closed there wasn’t enough to keep me entertained so I would normally take a bus to another resort. When the DBD was open Tsugaike represents one of the best tree skiing zones in the Hakuba Valley.