After my successful trip to Madarao Kogen Ski Resort, I decided to try something more ambitious. Shiga Kogen would be my largest ski resort so far (64 lifts, divided into 10 areas), as well as the highest. Access was via a winter-only express bus; as the last bus back was fairly early, I would only have five hours to explore this huge resort. I was wondering whether it would be worth it, but since the weather was supposed to be sunny all day, it made sense to go. For once, I could look forward to skiing many different slopes in one day in ideal conditions.

Looking down from the top of the Ichinose Family area

I arrived at Nagano station before 9am and headed directly to the bus stop outside the station. There was a small booth on the pavement where I could pay for my ticket (where do they sit in bad weather?) It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and as I waiting, the sun shining in my face, a long line formed behind me. During the 70-minute bus ride, I had fine views of the mountains of Togakushi Kogen on the left side, and Mt Kosha straight ahead (see video). We passed the entrance to the Jigokudani monkey snow park, and a little later, I saw a few monkeys enjoying the fine weather in the snow next to the road.

A beautiful day for skiing

Despite its high altitude, the resort is entirely below the tree line

I had reserved my skiing gear the day before with Alpina Sports inside Shiga Kogen Yama no Eki (志賀高原 山の駅); I got off there at 10:25, the bus continuing to Oku-Shiga at the top of the valley. The ski shop seemed brand new; the staff were super efficient: I had all my gear in less than 10 minutes. I could also buy my ski pass there, and I chose one for the entire area, 600 yen more than for the central area. It was impossible to visit the whole resort in 5 hours, but at least I could try. By 11am, I was ready to ski, and I headed towards the gondola next to the shop.

The northern half of the North Alps and Togakushi Kogen

View from the top of the Terakoya area

I was surprised that my first ride of the day was down instead of up. Apparently there was no way to ski down to the start of the central area. Luckily it was a short ride. From there, I decided to up the mountain to the higher areas, leaving the smaller and lower Sun Valley area for later. I was keen to see the views from the top of the resort before the afternoon haze set in. It me took one gondola and two chairlifts to reach the Terakoya (around 2100m) at noon. Incredibly, I had spent the first hour of my short skiing day just sitting on lifts!

Ichinose Diamond area on the other side of the valley

Looking north towards Niigata prefecture

There wasn’t a cloud in sight from the highest point of the central area (around 2100m). I could see the northern part of the North Alps, as well as Mt Iizuna, Mt Kurohime and Mt Myoko (also a ski resort). This was where I had ended my summer hike in Shiga Kogen last July but I could barely recognise it. I did a couple of short runs and then decided to stop for a quick lunch at Terakoya, a restaurant serving Japanese and Western dishes. I then skied along a blue connecting slope through the forest to the top of the Ichinose Family area.

Ski lift and ski slope at right angles

Matching ski wear on a chairlift to Higashi-Tateyama

From there, I had the most impressive view of the day: I could see most of the vast resort, spread over both sides of the valley. Since it was already past 1pm, I thought it would be better to continue to the opposite side (called Ichinose Diamond). Once there, I realised that I couldn’t just take a lift to the top, and then ski diagonally across the mountain; I had to follow the various lifts as they zigzagged across the mountain side. I found that Shiga Kogen was a hard resort to understand (and probably to explain); it made no difference whether I was looking at the map or looking around with my eyes.

In the center back, Mt Myoko

Mt Iwasuge, a mountain I hope to climb this summer

After making one such zig-zag, I reached the top of the Yakebitai area (around 2000m) at the end of a gondola lift. I was now outside the central area, and I was glad I had bought the all area pass. To my right, I could see the Oku-Shiga area, at the northern end of the resort. It was now 2pm – could I continue all the way there, and still make it back to the ski rental shop and bus stop by 4pm? after estimating that it would take at most one hour and a half to get back, I set off, skating at a brisk pace along the short connecting slope between the two areas.

Waiting to get on the gondola in the Yakebitai area

View from the top of the Oku-Shiga Kogen area

I was enjoying the amazing views of the mountains of the Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park from the top of the Oku-Shiga Kogen Gondola, when I realised that it was already past 3pm. I quickly crossed back to the Yakebitai area and immediately skied down the Panorama course, stopping at several viewpoints on the way for some quick photos. Doing the zigzag in reverse, I eventually arrived at the road separating the Ichinose Diamond and Ichinose Family areas, halfway back to my starting point.

Top of the Oku-Shiga gondola

Few people on the slopes on this side of the mountain

This was where things suddenly went horribly wrong. I was unable to find the middle part of my next zigzag and had to ask a ski lift operator for directions. At the top of the lift, I discovered that I had dropped a glove while we were talking, and I had to ski back down to get it. I was starting to seriously fall behind schedule; there seemed to be no end to the zigzags. At 4pm, I was at the top of the Higashi-Tateyama area (2000m), mournfully looking down towards Yama no Eki five hundred meters below, where the last bus back to Nagano station was leaving in less than half an hour.

Riding the Ichinose quad lift

The classic Shiga Kogen view

Determined not to give up, I raced down the mountain, following a long winding blue slope. Ironically, this was the longest run of the entire day. I arrived at the final gondola with about 10 minutes to spare, only to see that it was stopped. It was an agonizing wait while it slowly started up again. I arrived at the rental shop with only 5 minutes to spare. I returned my gear in record time, thanks again to to the efficient staff, and collected my belongings from the coin locker at the back. The bus was waiting patiently outside – it was the starting point for the return – so I hopped aboard and settled in for the ride, relieved that I had made it back on time. Less than 2 hours later, I was seated comfortably on the shinkansen for the 90 minute ride back to Tokyo.

Check out the skiing conditions at Shiga Kogen Ski Resort

Over the years, I’ve done relatively little skiing in Japan. The resorts are quite small compared to Europe, and although the snow quality is great, the weather is usually horrible. So I decided to apply the same system I use for hiking: go by shinkansen on one day trips when the weather forecast is favourable. Thanks to the Tokyo Wide Pass, and the JR East Welcome Japan Pass, many resorts in Nagano, Niigata and the Tohoku region became easily accessible. One year ago, I had a great time skiing on Hunter Mountain in Tochigi. This year, I decided to return to a mountain I had climbed a few weeks ago. Getting to the Madarao Kogen Ski Resort seemed fairly straightforward: I would ride the shinkansen to Iiyama station in Nagano, and from there catch a shuttle bus to the resort. The weather forecast wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either; I could even expect a little sunshine in the afternoon. Finally, the ski resort covered two sides of the mountain, so I was hoping that would be enough ski slopes to keep me busy the whole day.

View of the slopes from Madarao Kogen

I left Tokyo under clear blue skies. I had fantastic views of the mountains of northern Kanto, tipped in white. In Nagano, however, I was greeted by snow, mist and clouds. The weather seemed to be improving, but not quite fast enough. At least there seemed to be enough snow for skiing. After getting off at the new and compact Iiyama station (built in 2015), I headed straight for the bus stop. A nice lady came over and redirected me to a ticket vending machine inside the station which I had missed. My ticket bought, I went back to wait for the bus. As the snow flakes floated down before me, I wondered what the conditions were like up on the mountain.

View of Madarao Kogen from the slopes

I was amazed to see how much the landscape had changed in just two months, during the thirty minute bus ride to Madarao Kogen hotel. It was still snowing when I got off the bus, but it wasn’t windy and it didn’t feel too cold. This was good news since there were no gondolas here, only chairlifts. Visibility was good, except for the top of the mountain, hidden in the clouds. I was glad it wasn’t whiteout conditions, and I was optimistic about the weather improving later in the day.

Good conditions for skiing lower down

I wandered into the hotel to get cover from the snow, and stumbled upon their ski rental shop. Originally, I had planned to go to the rental shop next to the ski slopes just a little further away. However, seeing that this shop was deserted, I decided to save some time and get my gear here instead. The staff was helpful and efficient, and I had all my gear in a matter of minutes. They also allowed me to use the hotel’s changing room downstairs. Once I was ready, I headed to the ticket center, next to the Shirakaba restaurant.

Less good conditions for skiing higher up

I decided to buy the Mountain Pass, valid for the Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram (on the other side of the mountain), since it was only 500 yen more. If I returned it at the end of the day, I could get 500 yen back. At 11am, I was finally ready to start skiing. I put on my skis and skated towards the ski lift, and I was surprised that the slope went down instead of up. I then realised that Shirakaba (and Madarao Kogen Hotel next to it) was on a rise separated from Mt Madarao by a small valley. I had to ski down a short slope to reach the main chairlifts.

In the afternoon, the weather improved

I started with the Superquad lift which took me two thirds up the mountain. It was fast, and had a cover that shielded me from the cold. I used it a couple of times, and found that I preferred the right side slope for going down. Then, I headed to the Tangram side, where I had been hiking last November. I could either ride to the highest point of the the mountain and take a black down. I wasn’t too keen, as the top was still in the mist. Instead, I took lift #15 halfway up, and used a gentler blue (marked green on the maps) through the forest . I remembered walking along it, and it felt funny to be zipping by on skis.

Sunny conditions on the Tangram side

At 1h30, the sun suddenly came out and blue skies appeared overhead. I enjoyed nearly an hour of sunny skiing before the clouds charged back. Even though there were only four chairlifts (Madarao Kogen had 9), only one of them had a bar for resting the skis on. This is a curious thing about Japanese ski chairlifts: they almost never have that bar, so your legs are dangling in the air for the whole ride, which I find uncomfortable and dangerous. At 2h30, I made my way back to Madarao Kogen to have lunch. To avoid skiing a black in whiteout conditions, I used a blue to ski to the base of the resort. Oddly enough, it ended at the parking, and I had to skate a hundred meters over flat terrain to reach the lifts.

Mushroom & bacon Pizza at Aki’s Pub and Cafe

I had an excellent pizza at Aki’s Pub & Cafe. I had to use Google Maps to locate it, since it stood apart from other buildings halfway down the small slope between Shirakaba restaurant and Mt Madarao. At 3h30, I was back on the slopes. The clouds were still in although it wasn’t snowing anymore. I had one hour of skiing left, but it didn’t seem that the sun would return. I chose to stick to the Superquad for my last runs. At 4pm, as I stood at the top of the lift before the final run of the day, the clouds suddenly parted and I had a glorious view of the valley below, including Shiga Kogen opposite.

Great views at the end of the day

I now had the slopes entirely to myself as most people had already finished for the day. I took my time even though the ski patrol was on my heels, stopping here and there to take photos. I returned my rental gear at 4h30 after five hours of satisfactory skiing. I’ve always had problems with ski shoes, but, these ones were quite comfortable. I had a quick hot spring bath inside Madarao Kogen Hotel before catching the 17:20 bus back to Iiyama station, where I hopped on the shinkansen for the under two-hour trip back to Tokyo.

A little unusual – finishing the day going up

Check out the conditions at Madarao Kogen Ski Resort

Madarao Kogen Ski Resort at closing time

I had been to Shikoku twice, but I had never walked its famous pilgrimage trail, nor visited any of the 88 temples along the way. In January, I went on a short trip to Kamiyama. Since the Shikoku Pilgrimage went through this town, I decided to hike one section of it. Although mostly on the coast, a few sections went inland. Looking at the map, I could see that the Kamiyama section was the deepest inland the trail ever went; so deep that I wouldn’t be able to see the ocean. I knew that more than half of the pilgrimage was on paved roads. However, the section between temples 11 and 12, just before Kamiyama, followed a hiking trail through forested mountains. The walking distance between them was about 13 kilometers, perfect for a one-day hike. 

My enthusiasm wasn’t dampened after reading that this was one of the toughest parts of the pilgrimage due to its many ups and downs. Apparently, a lot of pilgrims give up on this section, known as “henro-korogashi”, an ominous phrase meaning “knocking down pilgrims”. However, since my purpose was to hike, I was looking forward to breaking a sweat on the trail, especially since I would be able to relax at the Kamiyama hot spring afterwards.  I was concerned about the weather, since it was supposed to rain during my visit. However, on the day of my hike, the forecast was cloudy with some sun in the morning. I had brought all my waterproof gear, and although I didn’t mind a punishing trail, I preferred doing it in dry conditions. I kept my fingers crossed that the forecast would be accurate.

Hiking the Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail 四国遍路

Blue skies at the start of the hike

Since it was my first time to hike the Shikoku pilgrimage, I decided to do some reading beforehand. I learned that it connected places visited by Kobo Daishi (774–835), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. The pilgrimage itself only became popular during the Edo era, 1000 years later. Nowadays, the Shikoku Pilgrimage, or “Shikoku Henro” (“henro” is the Japanese word for pilgrim) is 1200 km long, passes by 88 temples, and takes one to two months to complete on foot.  Although he’s one of the most famous historical figures from Shikoku, I had never heard of Kobo Daishi, also known as Kukai in his lifetime, but I had heard of the temple town of Koya-san, which he founded in 819. Some people believe he’s still alive on Mt Koya, in a state of meditative consciousness awaiting the appearance of the future Buddha. He also is said to have invented the Hiragana and Katakana writing systems, two things I am very familiar with. 

Statue of Kobo Daishi between temples 11 and 12

It’s important to note that it’s not necessary to be a Buddhist to appreciate the trail. It’s also a way to find yourself, and immerse yourself in nature. Pilgrims usually wear a pilgrim’s outfit consisting of a conical hat, white vest, and a wooden staff. Anyone walking the trail is free to dress this way, the same way one wears a yukata or a jimbe to a fireworks festival. However, I felt more comfortable in my hiking clothes, including a cap, backpack and sturdy hiking boots.

Statue of a pilgrim dressed in his pilgrim outfit

I had an acquaintance living in Kamiyama Town, and after telling him that I planned to hike the Shikoku Pilgrimage between temples 11 and 12, he offered to pick me up at Tokushima station, and drop me off at temple 11, officially known as Fujii-dera Temple (藤井寺) . I gladly accepted his offer, since the temple was nearly one hour on foot from Kamojima station (about 30 minutes by train from Tokushima station). I wasn’t afraid of some extra walking, but I wanted to save my energy for the trials ahead. At 9h30, we reached the small parking area below the temple and above a wide valley. At the entrance gate was an illustrated signboard showing the different landmarks along the trail, before and after Fujii-dera. It included distances and walking times, of great interest to pilgrims (and hikers). Since I hadn’t been able to get my hands on a paper map, I studied it religiously.

The main hall of Fujii-dera, built in 1860

The temple’s name includes the character for the Wisteria flower, and beautiful blue Wisteria can be seen inside the temple grounds every year in May. Unfortunately there weren’t any colours in the middle of January. It is said that it was founded by Kobo Daishi in the ninth century. It was converted into a Zen temple during the Edo period, and is one of the three Zen temples along the pilgrimage (the other 85 remained Shingon). As is often the case, the wooden buildings burned down several times throughout history, and the present ones date from the 19th century. However, a statue carved by Kobo Daishi survived each time, and is said to offer protection from disaster. Behind the temple were 88 small statues representing the 88 temples along the pilgrimage (I was in a hurry to immerse myself in nature, so I missed it). 

Great views along the first part

From the start, the path climbed steadily, slowly winding up the mountain side. Close to the temple, there were many reminders of the spiritual aspect of this journey: statuettes and mini-shrines could be seen on both sides of the path. The stone railing on the left was covered in green spongy moss. Small signs saying “henro-michi” (へんろ道) meaning “pilgrimage trail”, were periodically attached to tree branches, preventing all but the most absent-minded of pilgrims from straying from the path.

Helpful signs showing the way

At exactly 10 o’clock, I reached the first viewpoint after crossing a small road. I could see the valley created by the Yoshino River, the second largest river in Shikoku (194 km), and one of the 3 great rivers of Japan. Beyond was a range of low mountains stretching East to West across Tokushima Prefecture. It seemed like an excellent spot for a late breakfast. A man in full pilgrim attire walked by. His pace was so slow that I thought I could easily overtake him later on, but I never saw him again, as if he had vanished into thin air. 

Great view of the Yoshino river basin

After setting off again, I soon reached a rest spot with another view and a small sheltered sitting area. Looking up, I could see large patches of blue sky, but the sun was still lurking behind the clouds. Here and there, attached to tree branches, were short Buddhist sayings. I didn’t stop to decipher them but I imagined that they were meant to encourage the weary traveler. The trail was covered in a layer of dead leaves, and alternated steep and gently sloped sections. This year’s winter was relatively mild throughout Japan, and so I felt lucky not to have any snow on the trail. 

A typical section of the hike

I eventually reached a pleasant flat section. Initially I thought I had reached the pass, but I was only moving around the side of the mountain into the fold of a deep valley. Around this time, the sun finally came out. I had seen no one else apart from the phantom pilgrim from earlier. The noises from the valley below had become muffled. This was probably the most enjoyable section of the hike, and the tough ups and downs that lay ahead were, for now, completely forgotten. 

A pleasant stroll in the sun

At the end of the valley the path started to climb steeply again. A few minutes later, I reached Chodo-an (長戸庵), a tiny Buddhist temple surrounded by trees at the top of the ridge. It was just past 11 o’clock and I was 3.2 km from Fujii-dera. According to the legend, Kobo Daishi was taking a break here, when an old man came by with pain in his leg. Kobo Daishi healed the pain by chanting a Buddhist mantra. Afterwards, the old man built the temple as a token of thanks. The characters in the temple’s name stand for “long” and “entrance”, and it’s said that the name refers to a place to take a break and recover. However, I wasn’t feeling tired yet, so I decided to push on. 

Chodo-an, a tiny temple at the first stop on the trail

The path now followed a mostly flat forested ridge, with some short up and down sections. There were occasional glimpses of the mountains on the Kamiyama side. The sun had retreated behind the clouds; it felt cold, and a bit lonely. I suddenly emerged from the trees, and had an outstanding view of the Yoshino river valley. A sheltered bench beckoned me to sit down for an early lunch, but I wasn’t hungry yet. The path turned south, away from the Yoshino valley, and towards the Kamiyama area, and I soon re-entered the forest. There were frequent signs, including the distance and walking time to the next small temple on the way. I never had to wonder where I was, and the lack of a map didn’t seem to be a disadvantage after all.

View from just after Chodo-an, from an altitude of 500m

After reaching an elevation of 600 meters, the path descended quickly, and I soon arrived at another, larger, Buddhist temple called Ryusui-an (柳水庵), 6.6km from my starting point. The first two characters meant “willow” and “water”. When Kobo Daishi arrived here, he wanted to drink some water but there was none. So he used a mantra on a willow branch, which led him to an underground spring. Nowadays, the spring is called “yanagi no mizu”, meaning the willow’s water. I had my own supply of water, so I had a good long drink from my water bottle and moved on. 

Trail just before the descent to Ryusui-an

I finally came across another person as I was walking past the temple buildings. I asked him if he was hiking the trail, or maybe a monk looking after the temple. He replied that he was doing some sightseeing, and pointed at his car, parked on a road behind. I had arrived at the first of the escape routes along the trail. I had been walking for two hours and a half, and was halfway to temple 12. There was a small rest house a few minutes away on a bend on the road, but I still wasn’t tired or hungry, so I crossed the road and continued along what was now a wide forest road. 

Interesting statuette seen along the trail

From this point, I saw fewer signposts and religious symbols along the way. The forest road went straight through the forest, and it soon joined up with another forest road. While I was trying to figure out whether I had to go left or right, I noticed that the hiking path had reappeared on the other side, marked by a small sign. I started to climb up the side of the mountain through a dark forest of tall cedar trees. Above, I could see some rocky cliffs, and I was hoping the path wouldn’t take me there. Just after 1pm, I reached a staircase at the top of which was a statue of Kobo Daishi.

The statue of Kobo Daishi at the top of the staircase

I was amazed to see a massive thirty-meter high cedar tree, called “Souchi-no-ipponsugi” (左右内の一本杉) or “ipponsugi” for short. Although at the base it was just one tree, it quickly formed several trunks that spread out in all directions, and could be better appreciated by walking past and seeing it from the other side. At 745 meters, this was the highest point of the section between temples 11 and 12. There was a bench, so I finally sat down for a quick lunch. According to the legend, Kobo Daishi took a nap using the roots of the tree as a pillow, and as he slept he saw the Buddha in his dreams. Although I felt tired from the steep climb, it was really cold, so I thought it would be better to skip the post-lunch nap, and hurry along my way.

The many branches of Ipponsugi

The path down was less steep than on the way up, so I started to run down. I wasn’t behind schedule, but it was an excellent way to warm myself up. I soon popped out of the forest into a cultivated area near a small village. There was a wide view of a valley to the north, at the end of which was Kamiyama Town. However, before I could get there, I needed to climb one more mountain.

In the distance, my final destination, Kamiyama

I noticed a house with a pointed metallic roof, like a pyramid, just outside the pyramid. Afterwards, I found out that it was a protective aluminium cover and underneath was a thatched roof, also known as “kayabuki”. In the past the roof was uncovered and exposed to the elements, but as the number of roof-thatchers dwindled, it became very difficult and expensive to repair these types of roofs, so these metal tops were introduced. 

A short detour through a village

I was now walking along a road, but I picked up the hiking trail again shortly after crossing bridge over a rushing river. The final climb took me from the bottom of the valley up to a temple on the side of Mt Shosan. At 700m, it was the second highest temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The path was steep and a bit rocky at times. At 3pm I reached the temple parking lot, where I was rewarded with a good view, looking back across the valley at the ridge with the spreading cedar tree.

Final approach to Shosan-ji Temple

I walked another ten minutes along a wide flat gravel path round the side of the mountain to reach the main temple area, at the top of a staircase and past the entrance gate. I observed many interesting-looking statues along the way and within Shosan-ji, but my limited knowledge of Buddhism meant that I couldn’t really appreciate their significance. Within the temple grounds, there were many tall cedar trees; apparently, some of them were over 500 years old.

Mischievous child behind the purification basin

Shosan Temple was founded over a thousand years ago, and its name can be translated as “Burnt Mountain”. According to the legend, a dragon used to live there occasionally setting the mountain on fire, till Kobo Daishi came along and imprisoned it in a cave. I found out afterwards that there was a trail leading to this cave, which then continued to the top of the mountain (938m). Since I completely missed it, I have a burning desire to return and complete this part of the hike.

The main temple building at Shosan-ji

Since it was still early afternoon, I decided to walk down, adding a couple of kilometers to the hike. The main road descended through a series of switchbacks, but the trail went straight, and cut across it several times. Just before 4pm, I reached the small Buddhist temple of Joshin-an (杖杉庵). The legend associated with this place is more heart-wrenching than the previous ones. Emon Saburo was once the richest man in Shikoku. One day, he chased a pilgrim away from his house. Unbeknownst to him, the pilgrim was Kobo Daishi. After Emon’s eight sons all fell sick and died, he realised his terrible mistake. He walked the Shikoku pilgrimage 20 times looking for Kobo Daishi to ask for forgiveness. In the end he collapsed with exhaustion. However, he was visited by Kobo Daishi before he died and was forgiven. The statue next to the temple shows this last scene, and one can’t help but feel a bit moved after knowing the story. 

Cheeky monkey stealing offerings

This last temple on my pilgrimage hike was also my rendez-vous point with my Kamiyama acquaintance, and he turned up with his car just a few minutes later. I was looking forward to getting to my hotel at Kamiyama Onsen and enjoying a relaxing hot spring bath, to wash away the weariness of the pilgrim’s trail. The path hadn’t knocked me down but my muscles felt knocked about! 

The road goes on…