Shuhei and Kohei are brothers who grew up in the area. They are our local guides for the Manza backcountry. At an altitude of 1,994 meters, Manza Onsen Ski Resort offers the lightest and driest powder snow in Japan's Northern Alps.
If you’d like to go backcountry skiing, you’ll need several things including backcountry skis with backcountry bindings as well as climbing skins. Our guides carry avalanche transceivers (beacons), avalanche shovels and avalanche probes.
Check this link to learn more about backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
If you’re geared up and fit enough, the day trip involves about 7 km of uphill/flat walking on snow with four splendid ski runs.
You’ll eventually reach Route 292 which is closed to cars in winter from Shiga Kogen to Kusatsu Onsen is the highest road in Japan, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,172 meters near Shibu Toge Ski Resort. The views (and the altitude) make this drive truly breathtaking. The Northern Alps are spectacular from this angle and is one of the few places in Japan where both the Sea of Japan and Mt. Fuji are visible at the same time, only on an especially clear day.
