Iiyama
飯山市36°51′ N 138°22′ ECityPop. 19,279Nagano
Iiyama is the small snow-country city on the Chikuma River whose Hokuriku Shinkansen station is the gateway to Nozawa Onsen and Madarao. Most visitors pass straight through, which is the trade-off: it rewards a night only if you want a quiet temple town and an easy train in the morning.
Photo tsuruta yosuke · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Iiyama if you want a quiet base by the Shinkansen with buses to both Nozawa Onsen and Madarao. Skiers who want to walk to the lifts should stay in either resort instead.
Iiyama sits in the deep-snow basin of northern Nagano, where the Chikuma River runs toward Niigata and becomes the Shinano. Its Shinkansen station puts Tokyo 100 to 120 minutes away, and the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus leaves from the station forecourt for the 25-minute run to Nozawa. Buses to Madarao Kogen leave from the same station, and in winter the NOTOMA shuttle links Nozawa, Iiyama Station and Madarao.
The city is known for its temples and for Uchiyama washi, a hand-made paper still produced on the city's edge. Each winter the Iiyama Snow Festival fills the town with snow sculptures. A night here makes sense on an early train out, or for a rider who wants to split Nozawa and Madarao days from one cheaper base.
Quick answers about Iiyamaよくある質問
How long is the bus from Iiyama Station to Nozawa Onsen?
The Nozawa Onsen Liner takes about 25 minutes from Iiyama Station to Nozawa Onsen, and the adult fare was ¥600 in 2026.
Is there a shuttle between Nozawa Onsen and Madarao?
Yes. In winter the NOTOMA shuttle bus links Nozawa Onsen, Iiyama Station and Madarao Kogen, according to Madarao Kogen Hotel.
Is Iiyama a good place to stay?
Stay in Iiyama if you want a quiet base by the Shinkansen with buses to both Nozawa Onsen and Madarao. Skiers who want to walk to the lifts should stay in either resort instead.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby宿
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby食
In the journal and guides
Read more about Iiyama特集
Snow feature · 9 min read
Should you stay in Nozawa Onsen instead of Hakuba?
Nozawa suits riders who want to walk from the inn to the lifts in the morning and to a free village bath at night, on one big mountain at ¥7,800 a day. Hakuba suits anyone who wants ten resorts on one ticket and Epic Pass days.
Guide · 4 min read
Where can you ride gravel in Japan?
Japan's gravel lives on forest roads built for forestry, and in national forests the Forestry Agency asks you to clear entry with the local forest office first. Published gravel rides are few, so start from a station that rents gravel bikes and ask locally.