Step onto the snow in Ichinose, and it makes a crisp, compact sound underfoot.
It is not heavy, wet snow loaded with moisture. It is light snow that squeaks softly beneath your boots — snow that lifts into the air like powder when the wind blows.
Located near the center of Shiga Kogen, the Ichinose area is home to Sports Hotel Silver Shiga, a hotel that welcomes skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter. With Ichinose Tannenomori Ski Area behind the hotel and Ichinose Family Ski Area about a five-minute walk away, the location is hard to beat for anyone who wants to enjoy the snow.
But winter is only one side of this hotel.
From summer into autumn, race walkers, cross-country athletes, and other endurance competitors come here to train. Although Ichinose sits at an elevation of about 1,650 meters, it also has relatively flat roads, making it well suited to endurance sports training.
A place to ski in winter. A place to train in summer. And throughout the year, a place that welcomes people while protecting the natural environment.
We spoke with the president of Silver Shiga about how the hotel thinks Ichinose can best be used and enjoyed.
A Hotel at the Heart of Ichinose, Welcoming Guests in Both Winter and Summer
About a Five-Minute Walk to Ichinose Family, with Tannenomori Just Behind the Hotel
Sports Hotel Silver Shiga is a family-run hotel located in the Ichinose area of Shiga Kogen, Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. Ichinose Tannenomori Ski Area lies just behind the hotel, while Ichinose Family Ski Area is about a five-minute walk away. There is also a bus stop right beside the hotel, making it easy to access by car or public transportation.
The hotel was originally known simply as “Silver Shiga.” About ten years ago, after the current president took over, the name was changed to Sports Hotel Silver Shiga.
“It used to be called Silver Shiga, but I wanted to focus more clearly on sports, so we changed it to Sports Hotel Silver Shiga.”
Keeping the name handed down from the previous generation while putting the hotel’s direction into clear words — that small decision marked the beginning of the Silver Shiga we see today.
Winter in Ichinose Is All About Light, Dry Snow
Enjoy Shiga Kogen’s Signature Powder Snow Just Steps from the Hotel
In winter, Silver Shiga functions as a straightforward mountain hotel for individual guests who come to enjoy skiing and snowboarding. Since guests can quickly reach Ichinose Family and Tannenomori, it is possible to take a relaxed breakfast in the morning and still head out to the slopes with ease.
When asked about the snow in Shiga Kogen, the president answered simply:
“The snow here is really dry and powdery.”
It is snow that does not cling heavily, but rises like fine powder around your feet. Step on it, and it gives that distinctive squeak. Visitors experiencing Shiga Kogen’s light snow for the first time are often surprised by the feel of it.
The cold is part of what preserves that snow quality. Because temperatures drop so low, the snow stays in good condition. In a way, the experience of thinking, “I didn’t realize it would be this cold,” may be the very beginning of winter in Ichinose.
Another Winter Role: A Training Ground for Cross-Country Skiing
Maintaining Snow Courses with Snowmobiles for On-Snow Training
In winter, Silver Shiga welcomes another kind of visitor alongside skiers and snowboarders: cross-country ski athletes.
Together with local volunteers, the president helps maintain cross-country courses using snowmobiles and snow groomers. It began when he heard that a former classmate and others were creating courses by packing down the snow with their own feet. “If we have a snow groomer, I’ll pack it down for you,” he offered. That was the start of the current course-maintenance system.
“We maintain the course with snowmobiles and cut tracks into the snow.”
The “cutter” he refers to is a tool that carves two parallel tracks into the snow surface for cross-country skis to glide through. Throughout the season, these steady, behind-the-scenes efforts keep the lines on the snow carefully maintained.
In years when other regions suffer from a lack of snow, some athletes travel from their accommodations elsewhere to Ichinose just to train.
“I think the high elevation is one of our strengths.”
Snow volume, snow quality, and elevation — the winter resources Ichinose offers are valuable not only to people who ski downhill, but also to those who train by moving across the snow.
In Summer, Ichinose Becomes a Place for Serious Training
At Around 1,650 Meters, a “Just Right” High-Altitude Setting with Flat Roads
In summer, the way Silver Shiga is used changes significantly. The main guests become sports teams and athletes coming for training camps, especially in endurance events such as race walking and cross-country running. It began when a track-and-field coach asked whether there might be a place suitable for a training camp. Since then, the relationship has continued for nearly 20 years.
The president explains why Ichinose is chosen as a sports training base:
“Ichinose has elevation, and it also has many flat areas. That makes it well suited to race walking.”
At approximately 1,650 meters above sea level, Ichinose offers a strong environment for altitude training. At the same time, it is not all steep slopes — there are also flat roads where athletes can train consistently. That “just right” balance is important for endurance athletes who need to build up steady, repeated training.
“Elevation is something you cannot buy, no matter how much money you spend. So it would be good to make good use of this altitude.”
Race walking was once centered on the 50-kilometer event, but today the 30-kilometer event has become more common, and the sport now demands more speed than before. Even so, Ichinose’s terrain continues to be chosen as a place where athletes can build the foundation of long-distance walking and running. The hotel has hosted nationally competitive athletic groups, corporate teams, and athletes affiliated with government and public-sector organizations.
Silver Shiga During Training Camp Season Starts Before Dawn
The Hotel’s Schedule Moves with the Athletes
Silver Shiga’s seriousness as a sports hotel is not expressed through flashy facilities, but through the small details of its daily operations.
Take, for example, a day when the athletes have a long race-walking session planned. They may start moving before dawn and keep walking until midday. During training camp season, the rhythm of the hotel is entirely different from that of a typical sightseeing inn.
The president explains:
“We make rice balls at three in the morning and leave them at the front desk. The athletes eat them and start around five.”
Rice balls lined up in a still-dark lobby. Athletes taking them in hand before heading out into the highlands. It is a scene rarely seen at an ordinary tourist hotel, but during training camp season at Silver Shiga, it is part of everyday life.
The hotel adjusts its own rhythm to match the athletes’ schedule. It sounds simple, but continuing to do so for nearly 20 years is what has built the hotel’s trust.
From Music Hall to Training Room
A Space Where Training Can Continue Even on Rainy Days
Silver Shiga has a simple training room inside the hotel. In fact, this space has a small history of its own.
It was originally a hall prepared for music camp groups. As Silver Shiga shifted its focus toward sports, the role of that space was rewritten — from a room for music to a room for building the body.
“We created a training room in the hall that used to be used by music groups. Athletes are free to use it as they need.”
In addition to weights such as barbells, the room also has space for indoor drills.
“On rainy days, athletes can do weight training upstairs or use the space for drills.”
Even when outdoor training is difficult, athletes can keep moving. Rather than building something new from scratch, Silver Shiga has changed how existing spaces are used. The hotel’s path has been built through these kinds of practical adaptations.
Ichinose’s Nature Is Not Only Something to Use, but Something to Protect
Protecting Water and the Habitat of Char, Rather Than Prioritizing Hot Springs
By this point, some readers may be wondering, “This is Shiga Kogen — why has there been no mention of hot springs?”
In fact, not having hot springs is, in a sense, a conscious choice for both Silver Shiga and the Ichinose area.
“Of course, ideally it would be nice to have hot springs. But depending on what you choose to protect, I think it is better to make a choice that, looking back in the future, you can feel glad you made.”
Hot springs are a major attraction for any accommodation facility. At the same time, the minerals in spring water and wastewater can potentially affect river life and nearby vegetation. In Ichinose, the idea of protecting the water environment where char can live has long been passed down through the community. Since the previous generation, people here have repeatedly reconsidered how they should face and care for their water.
“For the future, we really want to take care of the water. We want to take care of nature. That is something we must not lose sight of.”
Rather than prioritizing convenience or spectacle, Ichinose has chosen what should be protected over the long term. Behind Silver Shiga’s identity as a sports hotel lies a deep awareness of the land it belongs to.
The Future of Ichinose: A Place Where Each Hotel Shows Its Own Character
Silver Shiga’s Character Is Its Commitment to Sports
Ichinose is home to a range of hotels with different sizes, atmospheres, and areas of strength. The president shared this view of Ichinose’s future:
“Each hotel has its own character, so I think it would be good if those differences became clearer, making it easier for guests to choose.”
Some hotels are especially good with school trips. Others are strong with groups, or focused on welcoming international guests. And some hotels, like Silver Shiga, are built around supporting sports. If each hotel’s character becomes easier to see, visitors can more easily choose the place that best fits their purpose.
Ideas for Silver Shiga’s future include a second training room that could also be used by outside visitors, care and massage services provided by trainers, and a permanent protein bar. These are still in the planning stage, but they suggest the possibility of expanding the value of training and body care not only for competitive athletes, but also for everyday skiers.
“First, we want to provide that ease of choice for our guests, so they can see what we offer and choose accordingly.”
A hotel shows its own character, and guests choose based on that character. It sounds simple, but creating that kind of relationship across an entire area is not easy. Silver Shiga has taken its first step with the word “sports.”
Ski in Winter, Train in Summer, Protect Nature: A Hotel That Understands How to Use Ichinose
In winter, Silver Shiga serves as a base for skiing and snowboarding in light, dry snow. It also supports cross-country skiers training across the snow. In summer, it becomes a sports training camp destination that makes use of both elevation and flat roads. Underlying all of this is a long-held Ichinose belief: water and nature must be protected.
Sports Hotel Silver Shiga is not a flashy hotel. But it is one of the hotels that understands, perhaps better than most, the different faces Ichinose shows from season to season.
The next time you visit Shiga Kogen, try thinking a little about what you are going there to do. Are you going to step into the snow? To train your body? Or simply to breathe the quiet air of the highlands? Once your purpose becomes clearer, the outline of the hotel you should choose also becomes easier to see.
Silver Shiga is one hotel that offers a clear answer.
Sports Hotel Silver Shiga Facility Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Facility Name | Sports Hotel Silver Shiga |
| Address | 7149 Hirao, Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano 381-0401, Japan Ichinose, Shiga Kogen |
| Telephone | +81-269-34-2245 |
| Fax | +81-269-34-2804 |
| silver@shigakogen.jp | |
| Elevation | Approx. 1,650 m |
| Location | Behind Ichinose Tannenomori Ski Area; about a five-minute walk to Ichinose Family Ski Area; bus stop right beside the hotel |
| Recommended For | Winter: skiing and snowboarding Summer to autumn: trekking, hiking, altitude training, sports training camps |
| Facilities | Simple training room for weight training and indoor drills on rainy days |
| Official Website | https://www.silvershiga.com/ |
*For inquiries about sports training camps or the latest information on services currently being considered for outside visitors, please contact the hotel through the official website, by phone, or via social media direct message.