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Yuzawa Town is a popular all-year resort but mostly famous for it's
ski & snowboard resorts and onsen hot springs. The
town is in an excellent location making it the most convenient resort
area from central Tokyo - and day return ski trips from Tokyo a reality!
The Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train takes you from Tokyo Station to
Echigo Yuzawa Station (the main station in Yuzawa) in around 80 minutes.
By car, the 200km journey using the Kanetsu Expressway takes just over 2
hours.
There are a number of resorts within easy reach of the main station,
ranging from small slopes near the center of town to the large Mount just 30 minutes away.
For more information on each resort - including ski resort data, resort
reviews, photos and journals - click on the relevant links below:
|
RESORT NAME
(in alphabetical order) |
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MORE INFO
ON SNOWJAPAN |
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GALA Yuzawa |
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HERE |
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Ipponsugi |
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HERE |
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Iwappara |
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HERE |
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Kagura |
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HERE
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Kayama
Captain Coast |
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HERE |
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Ludens Yuzawa |
 |
HERE |
|
Naeba |
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HERE |
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Nakazato
Snow Wood |
 |
HERE |
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NASPA
Ski Garden
(Skiers only resort) |
 |
HERE |
|
Pine Ridge Resorts
Kandatsu |
 |
HERE |
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Yuzawa Kogen |
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HERE |
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Yuzawa Nakazato |
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HERE |
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Yuzawa Park |
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HERE |
Other closeby resorts (located to the north in Minamiuonuma-shi) include
Ishiuchi Maruyama,
Maiko Korakuen,
Joetsu Kokusai and
Muikamachi Hakkaisan.
Getting to Yuzawa is a very simple journey
from Tokyo - both by train and car.
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By Car |
The Kanetsu
Expressway (toll road) runs
through Yuzawa. The journey
from Nerima I.C. in
northern Tokyo to Yuzawa I.C.
is about 176km and in good
conditions can take less than
two hours. (Please note that in
bad weather conditions and peak
times, it can take considerably
longer). The journey takes you
north through Saitama and Gunma
Prefectures, under the Tanigawa
mountain range in northern Gunma
and into Yuzawa Town.
If you are
planning on visiting the resorts
in the Yuzawa Town area and
Minamiuonuma, get off the
Expressway at Yuzawa I.C.
From the exit, either turn left
onto Route 17 towards
Kandatsu, Kagura and Naeba or
turn right onto Route 17
towards other resorts in Yuzawa
and Minamiuonuma.
(If you are
planning on visiting Naeba or
Kagura you might want to get off
the Kanetsu Expressway before
then at the Tsukiyono I.C.
in Gunma Prefecture. From
there, take Route 17 and
head north to Naeba).
If you are
planning on visiting the resorts
in Mimaniuonuma you can
either take Route 17 north
through Yuzawa or continue on
the Kanetsu Expressway past
Yuzawa I.C. and get of either at
Shiozawa Ishiuchi I.C. or
Muikamachi I.C. |
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By
train |
The
main station of Yuzawa Town is
called Echigo Yuzawa Station.
The Joetsu Shinkasen
(bullet train) stops regularly
at Echigo Yuzawa Station. The
train from Tokyo takes on
average between 75 to 85
minutes.
The GALA Yuzawa
resort has it's own station (GALA
Yuzawa Station) which is
just a few km further on than
the main Echigo Yuzawa Station.
Please note that not all of the
trains that go to Echigo Yuzawa
continue on to Gala Yuzawa
Station, so it is best to check
beforehand. If you planning to
go to any of the other resorts
in the region apart form GALA
Yuzawa, you should get off the
train at Echigo Yuzawa Station.
On exiting
Echigo Yuzawa
Station you will find shuttle
buses going to most of the main
resorts in the region from both
the West and East exits of the
station. |
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From Narita |
From Narita International Airport (About 4 hours)
From Narita
International Airport, you will
first want to get into central
Tokyo using either the Narita
Express or Keisei
Skyliner - both take around 1
hour.
The Narita
Express goes direct to Tokyo
Station, and from there you can
easily transfer
to the Joestu Shinkansen.
The Keisei
Skyliner goes to Keisei Ueno
Station. From there it is
a 5 minute walk
over to the JR Ueno Station
where you can also catch the
Joetsu Shinkansen.
See above for
info on the Joestu Shinkansen.
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The popular Yuzawa Snow Festival is one of the main
events each winter season. Details of the 2008 Snow Festival will
be posted here as soon as they are available. Below are some
photos from previous Festivals:
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Echigo Yuzawa was the town that
Yasunari Kawabata was staying at when he wrote the Nobel winning
novel "Yukiguni" which translates as "Snow Country". Many
people think of Yuzawa as this original Snow Country.... and
each winter Yuzawa truly does transform into snow country with
huge amounts of snowfall from December through into the spring
months. |
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