Blue Resort Norikura is a ski area in Nagano, Japan, on slopes between roughly 1,475 and 1,973 m. Its mapped area is about 3.0 km across, with 20 marked runs and 8 lifts (about 13 km of piste in all).
Over the last twelve winters the ERA5 weather model gives it 317 cm of snowfall a season, 142nd of the 397 ski areas we measure in Japan. It swings a lot from year to year: the biggest winter, 2021/22 (399 cm), brought more than twice as much as the leanest, 2015/16 (134 cm). January is usually the snowiest month, with about 93 cm. Snowfall days are cold, averaging −7.7 °C at mid-mountain, and its snow-quality score ranks 36th of 397 in Japan.
The nearest city of any size is Matsumoto, about 36 km away. Below are links to 2 official live cameras.
Snow depth and the seven-day outlook appear here once snow starts to fall. Until then, the long-run record comes first.
Elevation range is estimated by sampling points across the ski area.
How much snow it gets
Measured by us across 3,069 ski areas by one identical method. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
The tick marks the median across every Japanese ski area we measure. All four bars run the same way — longer is better.
The quality score deliberately excludes how much snow falls — it uses temperature, frequency, rain and wind. Snowing a lot and snowing well are different things.
Compared with what is nearby
Within 50 km straight line. Measured the same way, so the ranks compare directly. Ski areas a few kilometres apart share a weather grid cell and can return the same figure.
| Ski area | Distance | Seasonal snowfall | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hirayu Onsen Ski Area | 8.6 km | 384 cm | 201 |
| Honokidaira Ski Area | 12 km | 354 cm | 277 |
| Shinshu-Matsumoto Nomugitoge Ski Resort | 13 km | 318 cm | 408 |
| Hida Takayama Municipal Ski Resort | 16 km | 354 cm | 277 |
| Kisofukushima Ski Resort | 20 km | 231 cm | 865 |
When it falls, and how winters differ
Month by month
Month by month, the most snow falls in January. March brings 76% of January’s snowfall. That is a gentler fall than the median for ski areas in Japan (52%). In amount, March brings 71 cm, more than the median of 46 cm.
Winter by winter
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 317 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 134 cm; the biggest was 2021/22 with 399 cm (3.0 times as much). For 63% of the 397 ski areas in Japan, the leanest winter was the same 2015/16: bad winters tend to hit a whole region at once.
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
Runs and lifts
Counted from the runs and lifts drawn on OpenStreetMap, within the boundary of the ski area. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
Run map
The shape of the mountain
Which way the slopes face
97% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. Those slopes get the least sun, so the snow lasts longer.
By difficulty
Lift types
- Chairlift8
See past trail maps on Skimap.org ↗
Source: OpenSkiMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0). How finely ski areas are drawn varies by region, so treat the counts as indicative. Vertical is the difference between the highest and lowest points of the mapped runs and lifts.
Live Cameras
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Norikura and Hida webcams & snow report — all 9 ski areas →
Hot springs nearby, as analysed
16 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 49.8 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH | Type | Analysed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 白骨温泉新泡の湯 | 3.6 km | 39.3℃ warm | — | — | 1961 |
| 白骨温泉泡の湯 | 3.7 km | 37.1℃ warm | 6.6 neutral | sulphur | 1951 |
| 白骨温泉奥田 | 4.5 km | 46.6℃ hot | 6.8 neutral | — | 1973 |
| 白骨温泉蛇穴 | 4.5 km | 44.9℃ hot | 6.4 neutral | — | 1968 |
| 白骨温泉新宅旧 | 4.5 km | 44.8℃ hot | 6.3 neutral | — | 1966 |
| 白骨温泉新宅新源泉1号 | 4.6 km | 49.8℃ hot | 6.5 neutral | sulphur, bicarbonate | 2004 |
These are analyses of hot spring sources, not a list of baths you can visit. They date from 1910 to 2005, many from decades ago, so today’s temperature and chemistry may differ. Names are as recorded in Japanese. Temperature and pH bands follow Japan’s standard for analysing hot springs.
Source: processed from the hot spring analysis data in the Geothermal Information Database (GRES-DB), Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
Worth seeing nearby
Places within 20 km of this ski area, for a day off the slopes or an evening. Chosen from those most read about on Wikipedia, favouring places with an English Wikipedia article, and listed nearest first.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Shirahone Onsen白骨温泉 | Hot spring town | 4.4 km |
| Mount Norikura乗鞍岳 | Mountain | 4.7 km |
| Nomugi Pass野麦峠 | Mountain | 7.2 km |
| Mount Yake焼岳 | Mountain | 12.4 km |
| Kamikōchi上高地 | Mountain | 14.7 km |
| Hida Mountains飛騨山脈 | Mountain | 19.6 km |
Based on the Japanese Wikipedia lists of sights in each prefecture, as compiled in travel-log-data (CC BY-SA 4.0). English names from Wikidata (CC0). The content of this section is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map
Where it sits relative to nearby resorts. For a piste map, see the official site.
Official piste map ↗Places to stay nearby
27 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within 3 km of this ski area, listed cheapest first.
| Property | From | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 白い温泉の宿 しろがね | ¥6,600 | 4.00 31 reviews | 1.2 km | 新島々駅～バス鈴蘭上(旧スキー場前)下車徒歩約１２分／長野道・松本ＩＣ～約１時間１０分／上高地沢渡駐車場まで車で約30分 |
| ノーススター ロフト | ¥6,760 | — | 2.0 km | 【公共交通機関】新島々駅よりバス「乗鞍観光センター」下車徒歩5分 【車】松本ICから約1時間／高山ICから約1時間30分 |
| 信州乗鞍高原温泉 濁り湯・掛け流し 温泉宿けやき山荘 | ¥6,800 | 4.55 164 reviews | 1.7 km | 高速長野道松本ＩＣより４０km(約６０分) |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 ペンション グリンデルワルト | ¥7,600 | 4.10 177 reviews | 1.2 km | 松本電鉄上高地線 新島々駅より乗鞍高原バスで60分 鈴蘭上バス停下車徒歩7分／松本ＩＣより42キロ、車で50分。 |
| 四季彩の宿 やまぶき | ¥9,500 | 4.00 85 reviews | 1.3 km | 松本電鉄上高地線新島々駅よりバスでスキー場前下車、徒歩５分／松本ＩＣよりＲ１５８，県道乗鞍岳線経由で６０分 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 こまくさホテル | ¥9,900 | 3.93 16 reviews | 1.4 km | アルピコ交通上高地線・新島々駅：車で約35分、長野自動車道・松本IC：上高地方面へ、車で約60分 |
| 信州乗鞍温泉 ヴィラのりくら | ¥11,000 | 4.65 291 reviews | 1.5 km | 松本電鉄 上高地線「新島々駅」よりバス乗車、「スキー場前」下車後、徒歩約５分。 |
| 山沿いの天然温泉露天風呂 温泉イン３６ＳＯ | ¥11,050 | 3.00 44 reviews | 1.1 km | 松本〜新島々駅〜乗鞍高原行きバスで５０分「乗鞍高原スキー場前」下車〜徒歩１０分 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 旅館 仙山乗鞍 | ¥11,300 | 4.61 527 reviews | 2.2 km | 新島々駅よりバスで６０分、松本ＩＣより５０分 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 ペンション カムス | ¥11,500 | 4.44 59 reviews | 1.4 km | ＪＲ 松本駅下車→松本電鉄 新島々駅下車→松本電鉄バス バス停鈴蘭上で下車（旧スキー場前バス停） |
| ペンション ポエティカル | ¥13,200 | 4.83 43 reviews | 1.8 km | 中央道松本Ｉ．Ｃより車で１時間・新島々駅下車乗鞍高原行きバススキー場前下車徒歩５分。 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 ピーポロ乗鞍 | ¥13,530 | 4.67 130 reviews | 1.9 km | 松本電鉄上高地線 新島々駅よりバスにて１時間で観光センター前到着、徒歩１０分 |
Show the other 15
| Property | From | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 乳白色の天然温泉 貸切露天風呂の洋風湯宿 カントリーハウス渓山荘 | ¥14,250 | 4.53 64 reviews | 1.8 km | 松本電鉄新島々駅より乗鞍高原行バス鈴蘭小屋前下車 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 休暇村 乗鞍高原 | ¥14,700 | 4.25 264 reviews | 0.8 km | 松本電鉄上高地線 新島々駅よりバスにて６０分 |
| 乗鞍岳山懐の湯宿 山水館信濃 | ¥14,850 | 4.49 358 reviews | 1.2 km | 上高地線 新島々駅下車、乗鞍高原行き「スキー場前」バス停より徒歩８分、上高地行き さわんどバスターミナルまで車で約25分 |
| 牧水苑 | ¥15,180 | 4.94 61 reviews | 1.8 km | 松本電鉄 新島々駅より乗鞍高原行きバス（６０分）、観光センター前バス停下車 |
| 信州乗鞍高原温泉 御宿 こだま | ¥21,960 | 4.58 356 reviews | 2.1 km | 松本ICから上高地方面へ約６０分、高山ICから飛騨方面へ約７０分／乗鞍観光センター車で１分 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 わさび沢の湯 しろいこや | — | — | 0.9 km | 中央道 松本下車。Ｒ１５８上高地方面 前川渡左接２０分位。 |
| 登攀小屋・岩雪沢 | — | — | 1.2 km | 新島々駅よりお車で約３０分、新島々駅よりバスで約４０分、長野自動車道松本ＩＣより約６０分 |
| 乗鞍高原 ベルグハウス | — | — | 1.3 km | 長野道松本ICより車にて約50分/高山西ICより90分 |
| 乗鞍ホテル山百合 | — | 4.20 134 reviews | 1.4 km | JR新島々駅より車で約35分、長野自動車道・松本ICより車で約60分 |
| 乗鞍高原温泉 なごみ湯 白樺 | — | 4.75 103 reviews | 1.6 km | ＪＲ松本駅→新島々駅よりバスで１時間、スキー場前下車／中央道松本ＩＣより６０分／東海北陸自動車道清見ＩＣより９０分 |
| 旅館 滝見館 | — | — | 1.8 km | 長野道松本ＩＣより車で６０分、JR松本駅より上高地線で終点新島々駅よりバスに乗り換え観光センター前下車 |
| プチホテルアルム | — | — | 1.9 km | 新島々駅よりお車にて約１時間 |
| ＮＯＲＴＨＳＴＡＲ Ａｌｐｉｎｅ Ｌｏｄｇｅ ＾ | — | — | 2.0 km | 新島々駅から車で約３５分 |
| 乗鞍高原 アルパイン ミズシロ | — | 5.00 193 reviews | 2.8 km | 中央道松本ICよりR158を上高地方面へ車で50分 |
| １日１組限定天然温泉掛け流し 自然体験の宿 佐の屋 | — | — | 2.9 km | 新島々からお車で約５０分。 |
Contains advertising · Property data by Rakuten Travel (Supported by Rakuten Developers)
Stay nearby
53 places within 12 km of the slopes. Most of them do not take online bookings — open the map for contact details.
Nearest: 0.8 km
Nearest first
- 泡の湯 Hotel 3.7 km
- かつらの湯 丸永旅館 Hotel 3.7 km
- ペンション マドンナ Hotel 4.3 km
- 青葉荘 Hotel 4.3 km
- 白骨ゑびすや Hotel 4.6 km
- 湯元斎藤本館 Hotel 4.7 km
Accommodation data: OpenStreetMap
More places to look
Guides covering Nagano
- A Historic El Niño Is Forecast. Here Is What the Last Big One Did to Japan's Snow. NOAA gives a very strong El Niño better than a 90% chance this winter. We measured every Japanese ski area across the last 12 winters: El Niño winters ran 88% of normal, and the strongest of the twelve left Japan at 63%. But Hakuba held 92% of its average that winter while Niseko fell to 57%.
- Which Famous Ski Resorts Actually Get the Most Snow? 24 Names, Measured Niseko is 526th in the world for snowfall. Zermatt is 554th, Jackson Hole 924th, Aspen 1,201st. Measured identically across 3,069 ski areas, the names everyone books and the places it actually snows turn out to be two different lists.
- How Japan's Early-Bird Lift Tickets Work: At Hakuba Happo-One, Eight of the Nine Need a Japanese ID Card Hakuba Happo-One opened early-bird sales at 10:00 on 1 October. A day costs ¥6,400 against ¥9,800 at the window, 35% off. But every ticket on the list except one needs a My Number Card and a Japanese phone app. A visitor from abroad can buy exactly one of them, at 15% off.
Updated: 8 Oct 2026, 00:52