Hakuba

Japan’s Olympic valley

Hakuba is a village in Nagano Prefecture, in the eastern foothills of the Hida Mountains at the northern end of the Japanese Alps. It is home to around 9,000 people, spread across 189 square kilometres, but in winter it becomes the central hub for ten ski resorts with more than 200 runs between them. The village was the main event venue for the 1998 Winter Olympics, hosting the alpine, ski jumping and cross-country competitions, and that legacy is still the frame through which many visitors first encounter it.

Snow first, everything else second

The reason Hakuba matters to skiers is snowfall. The valley receives an average of 655 cm of snow each winter, and the 2024-25 season set a record with a total accumulation of 782 cm. Those figures explain the snow-sure rating better than altitude ever could: the lifts run between 760 m and 1,831 m, which is modest by Alpine standards, yet the sheer volume of snow makes elevation almost irrelevant.

Across the Hakuba Valley there are 137 km of pistes, graded 41 km easy, 69 km intermediate and 27 km expert, served by a remarkable 111 lifts and three terrain parks. That lift count is a product of the valley’s structure: ten separate resorts, each with its own network, rather than one integrated system. In practice it means very little waiting and plenty of choice, but also that a day’s skiing is usually spent within one or two resorts rather than touring the whole valley. The terrain mix is roughly half intermediate, a third beginner-friendly and a fifth expert, so mixed groups are well served, and the lifts are rated as modern.

Mountains beyond the pistes

Hakuba is also a summer destination. It is the starting point for trekking Mount Shirouma and Mount Goryu, both included among the One Hundred Mountains of Japan, and the same peaks provide the scenery in winter. Scenic views are one of the valley’s defining features, with the Hida Mountains rising directly behind the ski areas. The village itself, rather than a purpose-built resort, is the base, which gives visitors a taste of rural Japan alongside the skiing.

Getting there

Matsumoto is the nearest airport, roughly 59 km away as the crow flies. The season runs from December to April, with the record snowfalls suggesting midwinter is when the valley is at its deepest. Resort links, transport and village information are on the official website.