Tangram Ski Circus is a ski area located on the northern slopes of Mt Madarao in Shinano Town in Nagano Prefecture. It is on the border with Myoko City in Niigata Prefecture.
This ski area has two quad lifts and four pair lifts. One of the pair lifts connects the ski area with the nearby Pension Village.
There are a few ungroomed tree-run areas at Tangram Ski Circus, as well as features and activities more suited for children and families.
On a clear day from the top, spectacular views of Mt Myoko and Lake Nojiri can be enjoyed. A sightseeing return ticket on the Number 5 quad lift to the Nojirko Terrace is available.
The Madarao highland area is home to two ski areas. The other is Madarao Mountain Resort (traditionally known as Madarao Kogen). The two ski areas are connected, and a joint shared Mountain Pass lift ticket is available during the main peak season.
Mountain
statistics
Top/peak (m)
1320
Vertical (m)
520
Bottom/base (m)
800
Beginner runs (%)
30
Intermediate runs (%)
40
Advanced runs (%)
30
Longest course (m)
2500
Steepest slope (°)
35
Number of courses
14
Ski lifts
5
Ropeway cable car
0
Gondola
0
Quad lift (4-person)
2
Triple lift (3-person)
0
Pair lift (2-person)
3
Single lift (1-person)
0
Surface lift
0
Information
Normal season dates
Tangram Ski Circus usually plans to be open from mid-December until late March or early April. See below for the actual opening and closing dates in recent seasons.
Normal opening times
Tangram Ski Circus is normally open from 8:30am until 4:30pm during the daytime.
Night skiing
Night skiing is from 4:30pm until 8:00pm on 10th and 11th January and also over the New Year period (27th December 2025 until 3rd January 2026). The Number 3 quad lift operates during night skiing operations.
Off-piste
There are five official Tree Run courses and four Powder Zones at TangrFamilies & children
The Kids Park is located at the base of the ski area and has a variety of child friendly activities and items to play with. Entry is 1,200 yen for adults and 1,600 yen for children. Open from 12th December 2025 until 29th March 2026.
There is also a snow escalator by the Number 5 quad lift that services a small beginners area. That area is free to use.
Other activities
Various other activities are available at Tangram including snowmobiles, snow rafting, and an on-the-snow Dog Run.
Lessons
Ski and snowboard lessons are available at Tangram Ski Circus.
Rental
Ski and snowboard equipment & wear rental is available.
Lift ticket prices
2025-2026 season
Information for the upcoming 2026-2027 season will be added by December 2026
1 day
Adult: 6,500 yen
Child: 4,200 yen
Senior: 6,000 yen
4 hours
Adult: 5,500 yen
Child: 3,700 yen
Senior: 5,000 yen
1 lift coupon
Adult: 700 yen
Child: 700 yen
Senior: 700 yen
11 lift coupons
Adult: 7,000 yen
Child: 7,000 yen
Senior: 7,000 yen
Night skiing
Adult: 3,000 yen
Season ticket
Adult: 60,000 yen
Child: 30,000 yen
Senior: 50,000 yen
Mountain Pass 1 day
Adult: 8,500 yen
Child: 5,500 yen
Senior: 8,000 yen
The Mountain Pass is valid at Tangram Ski Circus and the connecting Madarao Mountain Resort. Other tickets above are valid just at Tangram Ski Circus.
A sightseeing lift for people just wanting enjoy the views of Nojiriko (Lake Nojiri) from the top is available. That lift costs 1,500 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children (return).
Historical snow depth data
The following ski season and official snow depth data have been independently compiled by SnowJapan for publication on this website. Where available, the data is updated annually after each ski season.
First and last dates of recent seasons
2025-2026 season: 20th December - 29th March (100 days)
2024-2025 season: 14th December - 6th April (114 days)
2023-2024 season: 23rd December - 31st March (100 days)
2022-2023 season: 19th December - 2nd April (105 days)
2021-2022 season: 18th December - 3rd April (107 days)
Deepest recorded snow depth
2025-2026 season: 180cm on 30th January
2024-2025 season: 265cm on 20th February
2023-2024 season: 175cm on 13th March
2022-2023 season: 220cm on 22nd-23rd February
2021-2022 season: 330cm on 22nd-24th February
2020-2021 season: 200cm on 9th-11th February
2019-2020 season: 170cm on 11th February
2018-2019 season: 280cm on 15th February
2017-2018 season: 240cm on 18th-27th February
2016-2017 season: 275cm on 21st-22nd January
2015-2016 season: 165cm on 10th-12th February
2014-2015 season: 300cm on 16th February
Resources
Daily weather & snow reporting on SnowJapan
Weather & snowfall (Japan Meteorological Agency) [open in new window]
SnowJapan Directory: accommodation listings in the region
SnowJapan Directory: ski school listing in the region
Introduction to the region
Nagano Prefecture is located in the Chubu region of the main island of Honshu. It is one of only eight landlocked prefectures in Japan, bordered by Niigata, Gunma, Saitama, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, and Toyama.
Nagano Prefecture is sometimes referred to as 'the roof of Japan' because of the steep, rugged terrain of the many 2,000-3,000m mountains that comprise the Japan Alps. The Northern Alps are located along the northwestern region bordering Gifu and Toyama. The Central Alps are in the southwestern region, and the Southern Alps are along the southeastern border.
After Hokkaido, Nagano Prefecture is home to the second-largest number of ski areas in Japan. It has multiple world-class winter sports resorts within its boundaries, and some were venues for the main events of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. There are ski areas throughout the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, but the majority are in the northern and central regions.
Tangram Ski Circus is one of 2 ski areas currently operating in Shinano Town. The other is Kurohime Kogen Snow Park.
About the information on this page
SnowJapan independently researches, checks and updates the information on this page at least once each year, in the lead-up to every ski season. We also update it whenever we become aware of other changes. The information published on SnowJapan is based on independent research using official Japanese-language sources and is not supplied by ski areas. If you are planning to visit a ski area, we recommend checking the official ski area website for the latest operational information. We take great care to keep the information on SnowJapan accurate and up to date. However, SnowJapan accepts no responsibility for decisions made based on information published on this website.
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