Shiga Kogen makes a very family-friendly impression. There are several small kids’ parks scattered throughout the valley and scores of small Japanese children learning the ropes from local instructors. The easy runs here are extremely wide and mellow, and the lifts are generally quite child-friendly (compared to other Japanese resorts). There is also a decent range of child-care facilities on offer.
Plenty of easy and accessible terrain for youngsters
The aptly named Ichinose Family resort and neighbouring Tanne are a great place to find some gentle and wide groomers for young skiers. The Ichinose Family Front Gelaende (no. 21) and Tanne no Mori Okojo Gelaende (no. 20) were two runs that particularly stuck out in this respect. Youngsters looking for more adventure should head up the mountain to take on the gentle but winding Tengu Course. As mentioned in the beginners category, Hasuike/Maruike/Sun Valley all have some good entry-level terrain too, and we saw plenty of kids on the slopes here. The wide Yokoteyama 1st Gelaende in Yokoteyama is also incredibly wide and mellow, and thus ideal for families with little ones.
A few kids parks to discover
Though none of the kids parks in Shiga Kogen are huge, the ski area makes up for this with the volume of children’s areas available. Most of the individual resorts have so-called “Little Kids’ Squares”, while there are proper parks in Maruike, Ichinose, Yakebitaiyama and Okushigakogen. Although compact in size, these areas were immaculately maintained. The Ichinose rabbit activity & kids park was our favourite spot for youngsters, and it features an obstacle course, magic carpet lift and sledging run. Please be advised though – there isn’t much English speaking staff at hand here.
Child-care available
Takamagahara T-Kids Room in the Takamagahara Mammoth resort offers day care for kids aged 6 years and under. Please note that the service doesn’t come cheap (around €45 for the day) and that a prior reservation is required. Exclusive babysitting is also available here and in the hotels too, though you should expect to pay something around € 90 for the day.