Yachiho Kogen

A small pension village sits near the base of the slopes, with family-run lodges serving home-cooked dinners, warm rooms and easy access to the lifts. It is the most convenient way to stay, especially for families. Expect simple, cosy places run by ski-loving owners rather than hotels.

The town of Sakuho, about 20 minutes down the road, has a few business hotels and inns, and the Yappo no Yu hot spring is a great place to soak after skiing. Hirao Onsen Miharashi no Yu, about 40 minutes away near Saku, has an outdoor bath with views of the Yatsugatake and Mt. Tateshina.

For more choice, stay in Saku-Daira or Komoro, about 40 to 50 minutes away. Both have plenty of business hotels near the station, easy expressway access and good restaurants, and they put you within reach of other ski areas too.

All four lifts are pair chairs, and every run funnels back to the same base, so it is impossible to get lost. The No.2 lift is the longest and reaches the top. From there, the Azalea run is the longest on the hill, about 1.3 km of easy cruising with a gentle mogul lane on one side for beginners learning to absorb bumps. The No.2 run is the best carving slope, a wide single sheet that maxes out around 30 degrees near the top. Bumps 8 (the No.1 run) is the dedicated mogul course, 300 m long, averaging 20 degrees and peaking at 27, and it is where the local mogul team trains. The short Trial run is the steepest on the hill at up to 28 degrees and is the spot everyone heads for after a fresh snowfall, since it holds soft snow longer than anything else. The No.3 lift is usually the quietest and serves a mix of intermediate runs, and the No.4 lift serves a beginner-friendly run with a permanent park. The forest around the runs is closed, and there is no off-piste, but for a small hill there's plenty of variety for a day.

By car: the easiest way. Take the Chubu-Odan Expressway to Yachiho Kogen interchange, about 17 minutes from the resort. From Tokyo, it is roughly two and a half hours via the Kan-Etsu and Joshinetsu expressways, or a similar time via the Chuo Expressway to Nagasaka. Winter tyres are essential. Parking is free, with space for about 660 cars.

By train: the JR Koumi line stops at Yachiho Station, about 30 minutes away by taxi, but there's no regular ski bus. Day-trip bus tours from Tokyo also run in winter. Our winter car hire and driving guide is useful if you're driving.

Mogul skiers are the obvious fans: the dedicated bump run and mogul school make Yachiho one of the best small hills in central Japan to work on your bumps. Beginners and families will appreciate the cheap tickets, family passes, kids land and simple layout. Intermediates who enjoy carving will have a good half-day. Advanced skiers who don't like moguls, powder hunters and tree skiers will find it limited.

Restaurant Mont Blanc, at the base, is the main lunch spot, with ski hill classics and takeaway food you can eat outside on sunny days. It is closed on Tuesdays. Joinus, near the bottom of the Azalea run, is a smaller restaurant with a homey feel, open in the main winter season.

For après, Yachiho Brewing Company makes natural craft beer just down the road, and the Yachiho Kogen roadside station near the interchange has a restaurant, a cafe and a mont-bell shop. Head to Saku-Daira for dinner, where there are plenty of izakaya, ramen shops and local sake. Saku is also known for its carp dishes, if you're feeling adventurous.

• Lift hours: around 8:30 to 16:30, with slightly shorter hours on weekdays. The season usually runs from late November to early April, with weekend-only extensions in mid-April if the snow holds.
• Cheap tickets: early-bird tickets go on sale in October, and there are family packs and an eight-day ticket set that work out very cheap.
• Moguls: the mogul school runs lessons on the Bumps 8 run. It's worth a lesson if you want to finally figure out bumps.
• Snow: low natural snowfall, so most runs depend on snowmaking. The Trial run is the place to be after fresh snow.
• Language: English is limited, but the layout is simple and staff are helpful.

Nearby resorts worth pairing

Chateraise Ski Valley Koumi is about 30 minutes south and has more terrain. Takamine Mountain Park and Saku Parada are both within about an hour. Shirakaba 2in1 and Blanche Takayama are on the far side of the Yatsugatake, a longer drive in winter.