Yomase Onsen

The most convenient stay is the Yomase Onsen hotel hamlet itself, which sits right at the bottom of the lifts. Hotel Meiko is the main base hotel: its Faro base centre houses the ticket window, rental shop, lockers and a small convenience store, so you can walk from breakfast to the chair in a few minutes. Around it is a cluster of family-run hotels and pensions, such as Hotel Kaiwa, Hotel Cascade, Petit Hotel Paddington House and Lodge Takayuki. They are simple and friendly rather than stylish, usually with dinner and an onsen bath included. If you have never stayed in one, our guide to what a pension in Japan is explains what to expect. Nightlife is basically non-existent, which is the point.

For more atmosphere, stay down the hill in Shibu Onsen or Yudanaka Onsen and take a taxi up each morning. Shibu Onsen Kokuya is a classic ryokan with proper baths and a traditional dinner, and Shibu's narrow lantern-lit street with its nine public baths is one of the nicest places in Nagano to spend a winter evening. Aburaya Tosen in Yudanaka is a comfortable alternative with good facilities.

The valley base also makes the most sense if you want to mix and match: the Jigokudani snow monkeys, Ryuoo and Shiga Kogen are all within easy reach of Yudanaka, so you can follow the weather without packing your bags.

The best skiing is off the summit pair, which climbs from about 850 m to 1,215 m and accesses the Champion course, the steepest pitch on the hill at 33 degrees. Link Champion into the Main Bahn and the Otome slope and you get the longest run of about 2 km, almost the full vertical of the mountain. The quad is the workhorse in the middle of the mountain, running from 800 m to 1,050 m over the wider intermediate runs, and that is where most of the people end up. The snow is reliably cold and dry from mid-winter on, and because few people hike up here the edges of the top runs and the tree lines along them hold soft snow well into the morning after a storm. The lower mountain warms first, so on mild days ride high and only come down for lunch. There is no gate system, the rope lines are taken seriously, and patrol can take your pass if you duck them. When you have done the upper runs a few times, ride over to X-JAM Takaifuji on the connecting course for a change of scenery on the same ticket.

From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano (about 80 to 100 minutes), then the Nagano Electric Railway to Yudanaka, the end of the line, in about 45 minutes on the limited express or around 70 on the local. From Yudanaka station it is 5.8 km to Yomase Onsen, about twelve minutes by taxi. There is no regular ski shuttle, so call a taxi from the station or ask your hotel if it offers a pickup. Our guide to getting around on a Japan ski trip covers the train and taxi connections in more detail.

By car, take the Joshinetsu Expressway to Shinshu-Nakano IC, then follow local roads east for around 20 minutes. You will need winter tyres, and chains in the boot are a sensible addition. The road up from the valley is short but steep in places, and it gets icy in the late afternoon once the sun drops behind Mt. Kosha. If you have not driven on snow in Japan before, read our winter car hire and driving guide first.

Yomase Onsen suits skiers and riders who want a calm, uncomplicated day on snow. Intermediates get the most out of it: half the terrain is pitched for them, the main runs are wide and well groomed and the summit gives you one properly steep run to test your legs on. Families do well too, with a gentle base area, ski school on site and hotels right next to the slopes, so younger kids can go in for a hot chocolate without a bus ride.

It also works well as a storm day option for anyone staying in the Yudanaka valley. When wind closes the high lifts at bigger resorts, a low, tree-lined hill like this keeps running and the visibility stays reasonable. There are more like it among our Japan ski resorts with less crowds.

Experienced riders chasing steep faces, big vertical or legal off-piste should be realistic. You can have a fun half-day here, especially combined with X-JAM Takaifuji, but for a powder trip you are better basing yourself at Nozawa Onsen, Madarao or the Hakuba Valley and treating Yomase Onsen as a side quest.

Lunch on the mountain is functional. Restaurant Apple near the base serves the usual curry rice, ramen and katsudon, and Hotel Meiko's La Mule restaurant opens for lunch on some days. Warm, fast, cheap, forgettable. If you ski over to X-JAM Takaifuji, the kebabs and homemade burgers at the Borders Bar there are a welcome change.

The better eating is down in the valley. Yudanaka and Shibu have a handful of small izakaya, soba shops and ramen counters, and a pleasant evening is a public bath followed by gyoza, a bowl of noodles and a cold beer. Most places close early, so book dinner at your accommodation or arrive before eight. Our izakaya guide helps if the menus look intimidating. Après is quiet and steamy rather than loud.

• Lift hours: 8:15 to 16:20, varying with weather and daylight. There is no night skiing.
• One ticket, two hills: The day pass covers both Yomase Onsen and X-JAM Takaifuji. Cheaper pair-only tickets for the short base chairs are good for beginners who do not need the summit.
• Off-piste: There is no gate system. Anything beyond the ropes is closed, and patrol enforces it.
• Weather: January and February bring the coldest, driest snow. The lower runs soften quickly in spring and on warm days, so head for the summit chair early.
• Language: English is limited. Basic Japanese phrases, a translation app and patience go a long way.
• Ski school: Two local schools teach here, mostly in Japanese.

Nearby resorts worth pairing

X-JAM Takaifuji is already on your ticket, so do both in one day. Ryuoo is the obvious upgrade for a day with a ropeway and over 1,000 m of vertical. Shiga Kogen is the big one when you want serious mileage at altitude, and Nozawa Onsen is worth a day for its steeper terrain and village atmosphere. Madarao is the pick if your crew wants marked tree runs.