Snow Resort God of Romance, Kijimadaira: What Snowboarders and Families Need to Know
There's a ski resort in northern Nagano that most international visitors have never heard of.
The Snow Resort God of Romance - スノーリゾート ロマンスの神様 - has Japan's steepest ungroomed slope and some of the widest beginner runs in the prefecture. A resort built with families in mind - enjoy a free kids' park, lots of space, and an 800-metre sled course. Passes run up to ¥2,600 cheaper per day than at the major resorts, with a much smaller crowd, much more space, and nearly zero lift queues.
The resort sits in Kijimadaira village — about 20 minutes from Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, roughly two hours from Tokyo.
The Basics
Season Mid-December to early April
Hours 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM daily
Runs 9 courses
Elevation Base 600m / Summit 1,350m
Website: kijimadaira-ski.com
Free shuttle times:
Iiyama Station → Resort: 08:40 / 10:05
Resort → Iiyama Station: 08:00 / 09:00 / 15:30 / 16:30 / 17:30
From the KIJIMA lodges: KIJIMA House and KIJIMA Apartment are ski-in ski-out. KIJIMA Cottage and KIJIMA Base are a short drive ( ~3-5 mins)
Free parking: 1,500 spaces, adjacent to the slopes.
A Resort Built for Snowboarders
Kijimadaira's snow resort is thought to be one of the first ski resorts in Japan to welcome snowboarders - where many resorts built narrow runs designed for skiers in single file, Kijimadaira built wide, open pistes with room to carve, fall, and try again.
Terrain park riders will appreciate the table tops, rails, boxes, and kickers that run parallel to one of the chairlifts, so you can plan your approach before you drop in. With fewer visitors than at larger parks, you get more than enough space to hone your tricks without worrying about holding up the line.
The Sky Course: Wide, Forgiving, Built for Learning
1,200m | 8–20° | Max width: 250m | Beginner/Intermediate
The Sky Course is the main run and the best place to start if you're still building confidence. The top section has enough pitch to get your heart pumping; the bottom softens enough to practise without anxiety. Because it's 250 metres wide, there's room to make big turns, fall without ending up in someone's way, and really enjoy a low-stress day.
For snowboarders working on switch and fakie, the wide lower section is ideal, and more advanced riders are often seen practicing groundtricks and working on their carving technique.
A Resort Built with Families in Mind
Children Under School Age Ski Free
Children who haven't started elementary school — broadly, children not yet aged 6 — ride the lifts for free. Collect a complimentary ticket at the counter on arrival. A ¥500 IC card deposit applies to all tickets, refunded when you return the card at the ski centre.
KIDSWEET Kids Park: Free to Use
The resort's kids' area is free to enter and use, and sits directly adjacent to the central carpark. Outside, there are panda and penguin-themed inflatable air domes and snow play equipment. Just next to the kids’ area, the KIDSWEET Lounge is a warm indoor space where young children can rest and play while adults take turns on the slopes.
There is also a dedicated 800-metre sled course — a full run marked on the resort map — open to both adults and children. Sleds can be rented from the office, or you can bring your own. Note that the chairlift ride back up will require a valid lift ticket.
The main restaurant — Happy Romance — runs from 10:00 to 16:00, seats 220, and includes sofa booths, semi-private curtained sections, and a terrace. On most weekdays, finding a table is no problem at all. The facility building also has a nursing room as well as nappy-changing stations.
The Pioneer Course: One of Japan's Steepest Slopes
870m | Avg. gradient 35° | Max 46° | Expert only
At the top of the mountain, north-facing and ungroomed, sits the Pioneer Course. At a maximum of 46 degrees, this course draws many advanced riders who come just for the chance to say they’ve conquered it. The north-facing aspect keeps the snow in better condition longer than most slopes on the mountain.
Avalanche beacon required. To board the chairlift serving the Pioneer Course, you must carry a functioning beacon. Rentals are available at the resort if you don't bring your own. This is a self-responsibility area with no patrol grooming.
As with most summit chairlifts, operational safety depends on the weather. To stay updated on whether the chairlift is running on any given day, follow the resort's Instagram stories (@romance_ski) and check before you head up.
Low Traffic: The Holy Grail
Speaking from experience - big resorts are fun with long trails and crowded vibes but we (and our guests) agree: the best place to experience a fresh (deep) powder day, is right here at the Snow Resort God of Romance.
With relatively fewer visitors, fresh powder stays fluffy and deep throughout the day, instead of getting compacted and tracked out by 10am. In this region, a dump the night before usually means blocked roads the morning after (that’s how much we get) so we love that the KIJIMA Lodges are all able to access the mountain by foot. KIJIMA House and Apartment both offer ski-in ski-out access, while KIJIMA Base and Cottage are only a short walk away from the lowest chairlift (make sure you’ve got your ski pass the day before!).
Lift queues are rare - on weekdays, you may ride practically alone for an entire morning. When’s the last time you got to stretch your arms out and simply enjoy the sense of floating down the mountain, without worrying about knocking into someone (or getting knocked into)?
Getting the Most Out of a Local Resort
The Snow Resort God of Romance is the quintessential Japanese ski resort. Most of the people on a given weekday are from Kijimadaira, Iiyama, and the surrounding towns. That's what makes it so special to us — and a few small things will help you fit right in.
Cash goes a long way here. The smaller food counters and rental shops don't always take cards, so have yen on you. The eateries don't have English menus, but Google Translate's camera mode reads them instantly. If in doubt, order what the table next to you is having — the rice dishes and ramen are usually the right call.
Beyond that: shoes off where others take theirs off, wait your turn patiently, match the volume of the room, and sort your rubbish at the restaurant (there are separate bins, labelled). These are small things that locals notice, and the regulars here are welcoming to visitors who make the effort. You're likely to get unsolicited help finding the right run, friendly conversation and local tips that will help you enjoy your visit as much as possible.
Lift Pass Prices (2025/26 Season)
Current season pricing will be announced ahead of the December opening, click here to check. ¥500 IC card deposit charged separately; refunded on return. Adult = age 13+.
| Ticket | Adult weekday | Adult weekend | Senior (60+) | Primary school | Pre-school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM from 12:00 | ¥4,500 | ¥4,500 | ¥4,000 | ¥2,500 | Free |
| 1-day | ¥4,900 | ¥5,700 | ¥4,500 | ¥2,500 | Free |
| 2-day (weekday×2) | ¥9,300 | — | ¥8,500 | ¥3,500 | — |
| 2-day (mixed) | ¥10,100 | — | ¥9,200 | — | — |
| 2-day (weekend×2) | — | ¥10,900 | — | — | — |
Equipment Hire (2025/26 Season)
Current season pricing will be announced ahead of the December opening, click here to check. Half-day rates from 12:00 available across all categories.
| Item | Adult (1 day) | Children (1 day) |
|---|---|---|
| Full set (jacket, trousers, board/skis, boots, poles) | ¥6,000 | ¥4,000 |
| Board/skis + boots | ¥4,000 | ¥3,000 |
| Board or skis only | ¥3,000 | ¥2,500 |
| Boots only | ¥2,000 | ¥1,500 |
| Helmet | ¥500 | ¥500 |
After the Slopes: Onsen
The real attraction of every snowboarding trip in Japan: an amazing hot soak to get your core temperature back up and relax those frozen muscles! SBC Resort Kijimadaira, the hotel at the base of the mountain, has a large public bath facility with two floors of bathing, an outdoor hot spring, and a sauna. Day-use is open to non-guests.
Day-use pricing: ¥800 per person (middle school and above); ¥300 per person (primary school age). Lift ticket holders receive a discount — visitors in recent seasons report the effective price around ¥500 after the offset. Check at the ticket counter or hotel front desk for current terms.
Beyond Kijimadaira
Kijimadaira is truly the perfect base - with the Snow Resort God of Romance providing doorstep access to great powder days without the hassle of travel, yet within an hour’s reach of world-renown resorts such as Myoko Kogen, Madarao and Nozawa Onsen, as well as smaller local resorts for the curious traveller.
For those of us thinking of enjoying the multi-resort experience that Japan is beloved for, we’ve put together a couple of guides for you, so you can plan your stay before you arrive.
Day trips from Kijimadaira: Famous Ski Resorts within an hour →
Day trips from Kijimadaira: Local Ski Resorts within an hour →