was a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Nakakubiki District,

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

In 1916, Myōkō Kōgen became nationally famous when it came first in a vote taken to find the most popular summer resort in Japan. The area is dominated by 'Hokushingogaku' - a series of five mountains (Madarao, Myōkō, Kurohime, Togakushi and Iizuna) that make up the border of Nagano and Niigata prefectures. Mt. Myoko 妙高山 is listed as one of the hundred most famous mountains in Japan with its summit recorded as 2,454 meters above sea level. , the town had an estimated population of 6,234 and a population density of 48.49 persons per km². The total area was 128.57 km². On April 1, 2005, Myōkōkōgen, along with the former village of Myōkō (also from Nakakubiki District), was merged into the expanded city of

Arai __NOTOC__ Arai may refer to: Places * Arain, Armenia * Arai, Niigata, Japan * Arai, Shizuoka, Japan People *Arai (surname) Companies * Arai Helmet (アライ), a Japanese motorcycle helmet manufacturer * ARAI (Automotive Research Association of ...

. Arai changed its name to Myōkō City at the same time.

Activities

Myōkō Kōgen is famed for its ski resorts which were founded in the 1930s, making it one of the oldest established ski areas in the world. It is also a traditional mountain retreat of Japan's imperial family. The area includes nine mountain resorts: the main resorts of Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko Resort (also known as Akakan), Ikenotaira Onsen, Myōkō Suginohara (which boasts the longest ski run in Japan), the smaller Seki Onsen, Kyukamura RunRun and Myōkō Ski Park, and two resorts just over the border in Nagano: Madarao Kogen and Tangram Ski Circus. Myōkō Kōgen is also well known for its many local ''

onsen In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water ...

'' (hot springs) emanating from the Jigoku-dani valley between Mt. Myoko and Mt. Maeyama Japan Onsen Guide
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References

External links

Myōkō Tourist Office official site

Myoko Ski Resort
English guide for skiers and snowboarders
Myoko Kogen Japan
English travel guide to Myoko Kogen
Destination Joetsu Myoko
Regional travel guide Dissolved municipalities of Niigata Prefecture Myōkō, Niigata {{Niigata-geo-stub