A ropeway up from the shores of Lake Biwa to a surprisingly large mountain — views over the lake, intermediate-leaning terrain, weekend-only crowds.
Live conditions
Off-seasonThe mountain is resting.
Next season
Opens late November
Current temp 19°C, wind 3 km/h. We’ll resume the daily report once snowfall picks up.
Forecast data via Open-Meteo. Refreshes hourly. Always verify with the resort before driving up.
Why Biwako Valley Ski Resort
A ropeway up from the shores of Lake Biwa to a surprisingly large mountain — views over the lake, intermediate-leaning terrain, weekend-only crowds.
Biwako Valley Ski Resort is a ski resort in Shiga, Kansai, with 14 marked runs and 224m of vertical. The terrain suits beginners.
Terrain in detail
MellowCruisey terrain — fine for advanced skiers as a rest day, not a destination. Difficulty, powder character, and the stats that matter on the mountain itself.
Hardcore index
26
Cruisey terrain — fine for advanced skiers as a rest day, not a destination.
From terrain split, run profile, vertical drop, expert features.
Powder profile
Western Honshu — wetter, warmer storm cycles.
Wet, heavy maritime snow — sticky on warm days.
—
m
per season
Snowfall data not published — frequency is the regional baseline.
Expert runs
3 of 14
Estimated from advanced terrain split.
Vertical drop
224m
Compact mountain.
Steepest pitch
—
Pitch not published.
Backcountry gates
None
In-bounds skiing only.
Tree skiing
Limited
Mostly groomed terrain.
Moguls
Few
Mostly cord and powder.
Best for
Terrain
Getting there
From airport
90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Train / bus
Ropeway from JR Shiga Station 90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Ropeway from JR Shiga Station 90 minutes from Osaka Itami Airport
Curated guides covering Biwako Valley Ski Resort and the rest of Kansai.
More resorts in Kansai
family-focused
Kansai's biggest resort — a major investment by Mt Fuji Resort has turned this into the default weekend mountain for Osaka and Nagoya.
resort town
Kansai's second-largest mountain — linked with Hachi Kogen under one lift ticket for the region's most varied terrain.
family-focused
Linked with Hachi Kita — gentler pitches, a dedicated family zone, lift ticket interchange.
day trip
Northern Hyogo — uncrowded intermediate slopes in the Hyonosen area.