|
The Tohoku region is home to some great skiing and
snowboarding resorts - often overlooked by main heading
to the more popular resort regions of Japan. Yamagata is home to the famous
onsen village of Yamagata Zao Onsen which boasts
a large-scale resort, while
further north the popular Appi Kogen and Shizukuishi in
Iwate and the beautiful Tazawako in Akita can be found.
The Tohoku Shinkansen goes from Tokyo Station and
continues up to northern Japan and Aomori, with the
Yamagata Shinkansen going from Fukushima to Yamagata
City, and the Akita Shinkansen from Morioka to Akita.
Most of the ski & snowboard resorts are located away from the Shinkansen stations and
are reached by local train
lines and buses. A car is especially useful in
these regions.
RELATED INFORMATION
How To get there
Transportation
in Tohoku is focused around three major railway lines.
Two of these run north-south down the east and west
coasts and the third winds down between them in the
center. The Tohoku Shinkansen goes from Tokyo Station
and continues up to northern Japan and Aomori, with the
Yamagata Shinkansen going from Fukushima to Yamagata
City, and the Akita Shinkansen from Morioka to Akita.
Most of the skiing resorts are located away from the
Shinkansen stations and can be reached by local train
lines and buses.
General Transport Guide
The quickest way to get up to Tohoku is using the Tohoku
Shinkansen. From Tokyo heading north:
Tohoku
Shinkansen (high speed)
The Tohoku Shinkansen quickly makes its way up to
northern Tohoku, making the winter sports regions more
accessible. The Tohoku Shinkansen operates daily
between Tokyo and Morioka. Service is very frequent;
about 4 trains every hour to Fukushima and Sendai, and
at least 2 trains every hour to Morioka, in each
direction.
Yamagata
Shinkansen (high speed)
The Yamagata Shinkansen operates daily between Tokyo and
Shinjo. There are approximately 1 to 2 trains per hour,
in each direction. Trains run to Utsunomiya, Fukushima,
Yamagata, and Shinjo. The
Yamagata Shinkansen runs from Fukushima to Yamagata city
and beyond.
Akita
Shinkansen (high speed)
The Akita Shinkansen operates daily between Tokyo and
Akita the trip takes about 4 and a half hours. There is
a train approximately every 60 minutes, in each
direction. The
Akita Shinkansen runs from Morioka to Akita city.
Other
Trains to Resort Regions:
Tohoku
Line
The main train line out of Tokyo going north
is the Tohoku line.
Ou Line
The Ou local line runs from Fukushima, into Yamagata and
north to the Akita region.
Banetsu Saisen
The Banetsu Saisen line runs from Koriyama to Niigata on
the Japan Sea.
Senzan Line
The Senzan line runs from Sendai to Yamagata station.
| 
