TokyoEagle

Put your board in a snowboard bag and bring it as luggage, that way you can put all your snowboard gear in the bag too. One thing to note is that all airlines have different regulations, you can usually get all info on their websites about sports goods and oversize.

IMO Yuzawa is the go for day trips. As Tubby Beaver said, get the Shinkansen, if you leave Tokyo on the first train you can be riding before 9. Mid-week you will have no problems with crowds but avoid Gala Yuzawa on the weekend, the bottom lifts get very busy and you spend all day lining up. If you do decide to go to Gala try to find the brochure that allows you to link the lift pass to Ishiuchi-Murayama. My preferences would be Kagura or Kandatsu. You can get to both by Town buses on either side of the station, I usually use the buses from the station bus area as they link with the trains (ma

Had to wait a month for my size 11's to come into stock down in ochanomizu, that was in october, wouldn't risk it though.

Originally Posted By: RobBright Yep - should be 300 yen from the outside the seven/11 omiyage shop on the West Exit side. I have always found the buses in the bus bay to be more consistent and timed better for the shinkansen than the bus stop outside the omiyage/combini.

POW + Trees = POWEES

A few of the bigger resorts use the electronic gates, the others mostly paper.

Spirits are dirt cheap in Japan, about half the price of Oz , even from the convenience stores. You can also get cheap Japanese drinks called chu-hi (does nothing for the head the next day though), mixed Japanese drinks in a can. These drinks are made from sho-chu, which you can buy straight, very cheaply, at any decent supermarket. For food, try the Japanese rice balls from the convenience store or supermarket for lunch (they are called onigiri), good value for money (Chuck a couple in your pockets and take them up the mountain). Cash all the way, Japanese carry huge amounts of cash on th

My tip - check in early

Gala Yuzawa