Tsugaike Mountain Resort Safety & Emergency
In an emergency
Many Japanese fire departments handle 119 calls in major foreign languages via three-way simultaneous interpretation through a telephone interpretation center, 24 hours a day, year-round. Reviewed 2026-07-21
Medical facilities nearby
| Facility | Straight line | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital 1 | ||
| Reception hours are in the details Accepts emergencies | 31.5 km | 74 min |
| ||
| Clinic 10 | ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 4.4 km | 12 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 5.6 km | 14 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 6.8 km | 15 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 8.0 km | 18 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 9.3 km | 18 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 10.1 km | 38 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 10.6 km | 21 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 16.1 km | 31 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 16.1 km | 39 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 18.3 km | 37 min |
| ||
| Dental 3 | ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 5.8 km | 14 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 6.4 km | 14 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 6.8 km | 16 min |
| ||
| Pharmacy 3 | ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 5.0 km | 12 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 5.7 km | 13 min |
| ||
| Reception hours are in the details | 10.9 km | 21 min |
| ||
Pre-trip planning notes
Gathered ahead of your trip as a planning aid — details change; verify locally on arrival.
- Backcountry policy
-
Leaving the ski area is allowed only through the resort's designated backcountry gate (terms Art. 11); leaving from mid-course or any other point is not allowed, and it is a prohibited act (Art. 13). Closed areas are marked with yellow poles and the boundary with yellow-and-black poles (Art. 10). Before going out you must put the prescribed mountain plan in the box at the Tsugaike climbing advice office below the gondola base station, using the Nagano mountain-safety ordinance form where that ordinance applies (Art. 11). Hakuba Valley's safety notice confirms that Tsugaike has a designated gate and that the resorts take no management responsibility for backcountry accidents. Inside the boundary, the TSUGA POW powder zone needs a first-season video, a signed consent form and an armband, is open to those aged 18 and over (junior-high pupils with a guardian, high-school pupils with guardian consent) and runs only when its gates are open. The resort may close it on the morning after a patrol check.
As of 2026-10-12
Show this to staff
Each line is in Japanese a receptionist can read, with its meaning underneath.
-
スキー中にけがをしました。
I was injured while skiing.
-
ここがとても痛いです。
It hurts a lot here.
-
診察を受けたいです。
I would like to see a doctor.
-
海外旅行保険に入っています。
I have travel insurance.
-
クレジットカードで払えますか？
Can I pay by credit card?
-
英語を話せる人はいますか？
Is there anyone who speaks English?
-
保険請求用の診断書と領収書をください。
Please give me a medical certificate and a receipt for my insurance.
Cost, insurance and medicines
- Rescue costs
-
Rescue is billed in two cases. If you ski in a closed area, or enter the TSUGA POW powder zone against its rules, and the resort searches for you, Art. 24 charges hourly: ¥20,000 per rescuer, ¥10,000 per rear-support staff member, ¥10,000 per headquarters staff member, ¥100,000 per snow groomer, ¥300,000 for Tsugaike Gondola Lift, ¥10,000 per snowmobile, meals at cost, and any other costs. If you are lost in the backcountry, the resort does not search but asks the police or fire service, and if it helps with groomers or snowmobiles at their request it bills the same rates (Art. 25). Where a private rescue team is called out, that team bills the rescued person or whoever requested the rescue (Art. 24 and 25; Hakuba Valley's safety notice says the same). The terms do not state a charge for patrol helping someone injured on an open run, so that is not established. The terms ask every user to carry accident or liability insurance (Art. 23).
As of 2026-10-12
Japan's National Health Insurance does not cover tourists — hospitals bill the full cost and generally expect payment upfront by cash or card. Ordinary travel insurance often excludes off-piste and backcountry rescue; dedicated mountain-rescue insurance exists, so check your policy before you ride.
Reviewed 2026-07-21Some common medicines are restricted in Japan — e.g. codeine-containing products, pseudoephedrine above set limits, and ADHD stimulants — and may require advance permission to bring in. Check the MHLW guidance before you travel.
Reviewed 2026-07-21Nothing here is medical advice. We compile this information from Japan's national medical registers and the official websites of facilities and resorts, as a planning aid. Hours, phone numbers and services change, and we cannot guarantee that any of it is current or correct. Decisions you make with it are your own responsibility: check with the facility before you go, and in an emergency tell ski patrol or call 119.