Based in Tokyo or visiting Tokyo and want to ski or snowboard for the day?  Dreaming of a day return ski trip?  Possible!

As we mentioned in our welcome Start Here page on this site, Japan has over 500 ski & snowboard 'resorts'. 

Some are huge 'world-class' resorts, some are tiny operations with one lift.   You will find resorts in almost any mountainous area of Japan - from the northern island of Hokkaido down to the southern island of Kyushu.  While some places are a trek and you need more than a few days, some regions are easy to get to for just for a few.  Some places are located in places and with transportation access so that you can even do a day trip from Tokyo!

One snow resort in Japan even has it's own Shinkansen (bullet) train station in the same building as the Gondola.  (Gala Yuzawa, see above photo).

Some of the most popular ski day return trip destinations from Tokyo are:

Yuzawa Town, Niigata (Town Guide)
Minakami Town, Gunma (Town Guide)
Hunter Mountain

This is by no means a complete list.

Last season we asked SnowJapan readers for day trip ideas and comments and we plan to add more detailed information and those comments to this page soon.

To get an overview of the Japan winter sports scene, check out our Introduction to Japan Winter Sports guide. 

A Map of Japan will also give you an idea of the 'layout' of Japan.