Myoko City

Myoko City is a mountain city in southwestern Niigata Prefecture, spread beneath the volcanic cone of Mount Myoko in one of Japan's snowiest belts. Ski resorts circle the mountain, and onsen villages steam at its feet on the edge of a wild national park.

The slopes at Akakura run right into an onsen village, and Suginohara claims one of the country's longest ski runs, dropping through birch forest toward the valley floor. Green months open the Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park for hiking, with Naena Falls thundering after snowmelt.

The hot springs stay good all year, from the milky outdoor baths of Tsubame Onsen to big resort bathhouses lower down the mountain. The Hokuriku Shinkansen stops at Joetsumyoko, with local trains and buses continuing toward the slopes. Deep winter is the headline season; September ridgelines are the sleeper pick.