All good things must come to an end. We’ve loved being the owners of Kuma Lodge, both because it is an excellent business and because we love skiing ourselves, but we’re moving on to new opportunities, and so we present you with a leading Japanese ski lodge for sale, Scott Aggett told The Hotel Conversation. 

A Japanese ski lodge for sale, right in the heart of Madarao Ski Resort, Nagano

Kuma Lodge is located in the heart of one of Japan’s premium ski fields. The resort is famous for the ‘madapow’, a soft powder snow for both skiing and snowboarding, that makes it a perfect destination for snow enthusiasts, young and old. With over 40 ski trails across two mountains when combined with the neighbouring Tangram Ski Circus, there’s something for all skill levels. 

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Source: Madarao Real Estate

Madarao Mountain Resort is regarded as the tree skiing capital in Japan with 13 tree courses (the most in the nation). It’s also a great all-round destination with a kid’s snow play park and excellent dining options to celebrate a great day on the slopes. Then, during the green season it is a visually stunning retreat from the Japanese summer, making it a truly year-round destination for the whole family.

Kuma Lodge is just a short drive from Nozawa onsen, the historic hot spring onsen village and the birthplace of Japanese snowsports. Also nearby are the Nagano snow monkeys that are an iconic part of the Japanese winter experience.

For those chasing the deep powder the area is famous for, Kuma Lodge is surrounded by world class ski resorts, including Nozawa Onsen & Myoko, and access to both can be combined with Madarao Ski Resort on an “all mountain pass”.

Hakuba, Shiga Kogan (21 x resorts combined on one ski pass to create the biggest skiable terrain in all of Japan) and Ryuoo Ski Park are also among the nearby international-standard ski resorts that call Nagano and Niigata prefecture home, and they can all be reached as a day trip from Kuma Lodge.

If you’re not big on snowsports, as there’s still plenty to love about Madarao. During the green season it becomes the ideal retreat away with fresh mountain air and some of the most photogenic walks within the cool mountains of the Japanese alps. Much as nearby Karuizawa is world-famous as a summer retreat, so too can Kuma Lodge be your own private escape.

Winter resorts are rarely more accessible than this, said owner Scott Aggett. 

Located just 90 minutes via Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo, Kuma Lodge enjoys an A+ village location. The village pub and most of the local dining are an easy stroll away, and the accessibility of the skiing could not be better – in fact this is a rare genuine ski-to-door experience.

Madarao Mountain Resort’s central location and accessibility make it ideal for people that want the full range of Japanese experiences. Because of its proximity to bustling Tokyo, you can have the best of both worlds in a single trip – all the excitement of the city, followed with the serenity and fresh air of a pristine mountain getaway. Unlike many of the bigger ski resorts that have become over-developed, Madarao has retained its authenticity and rural charm, making it a slice of the real Japan, just as the locals like it.

Another reason to take advantage of this Japanese ski lodge for sale is that it’s set to explode even further in popularity in the years ahead. The Japanese Tourism Agency has designated Madarao as one of 15 ski locations that it would invest in and promote to international tourists. With this, the interest in Kuma Lodge as a destination has never been higher.

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Source: Madarao Real Estate

People love staying at Kuma Lodge added Mr Aggett, this Japanese ski lodge for sale isn’t just the ideal purchase for people that want to use it for their own ski trips and holidays. As a recently renovated (as of 2017), 10-bedroom boutique lodging, it is an ideal business opportunity for the winter-sports loving entrepreneur.

Kuma Lodge has a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor, and is the highest-rated accommodation in the area. Reviews from customers that stay there underscore just how broad the appeal of the lodge is:

“Exceptional in every way: unbeatable location closest to the ski slopes, comfortable rooms, very clean facilities, great breakfast, staff who go above and beyond their duties to be helpful and obliging. Always a friendly welcome and a willingness to help with enquires, restaurant bookings or simply directions to the nearest Onsen! Après after a big day out was always fun in the relaxed atmosphere.”

“We stayed here with our two children aged 5 and 7 years. It was our first trip to the snow together and one we will never forget. I have never skied outside of Australia before so was blown away by how beautiful the snow was and that Kuma was right on the slopes - it made it a lot easier with two young children being so close to the slopes.”

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“Took the family for our first ever trip to Japan and could not be happier with the choices we made. The Kuma location doesn’t get any better, waking to views looking over the mountain and everything in short walking distance made things so much easier,especially with small kids in the snow."

With Japan re-opening to the world post-pandemic, and outdoors, socially distanced recreation likely to be the preferred holiday for travellers for some time to come, Japan’s rich heritage in ski resorts and holidays represents an incredible opportunity for skier and property entrepreneur alike.

We’ll be very sorry to see Kuma Lodge go! But we also know that the next owners are going to love being the owners of one of the most memorable winter resort holiday locations across all of Japan, added Mr Aggett. 

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Content and images Source: Madarao Real Estate

Find more information including video on the Kuma Lodge Japanese ski lodge for sale, the business and real estate click link to website via the contact details below.

*Asking price ¥110,000,000 approx $1.1m AUD subject to currency