New-boy Question J-ski resorts?

[dommy4 0]

Hi, you've all probably seen this question a million times before but please help a Japan ski novice.

Have been to Tokyo before but have decided to take my wife for a second

honeymoon in Tokyo and then skiing for 5 days in January 2008 as she's never been.

I have no clue about Japanese ski resorts so would love some suggestions to start with.

My basic requirements are: English friendly but not neccesarily tourist heavy, intermediate slopes but with enough area so as not to get bored, trees would be nice, ease of travel from Tokyo and back.

 

All suggestions will be much appreciated.

[me jane 0]

Hi dommy4,

 

Should be some info to help you here.

Happy reading

[soubriquet 0]

I'll be kind. Close to Tokyo you should be looking at Gunma and Nagano prefectures. Some experts here believe the best skiing on Honshu is at Hakuba, and you can find Lodges there where they speak English. I've never been.

 

I'm in Yamagata. Zao Onsen would fit your needs, although I'm not sure about English.

 

Good luck.

[SnowJapan 178]

Welcome dommy4.

 

This doesn't help you right at this moment, but we are going to be improving our General Info section to give much more info to first time visitors.

[samurai 0]

welcome dommy. There are like 600 resorts in Japan. I think.

[soubriquet 0]

If you want a Japanese cake cultural experience, then Oishida is the place

[dommy4 0]

Thanks. Theres some great tips there that i will definately investigate - although i said ease of travel of from Tokyo i am willing to make a longer journey if the Great White comes calling.

 

So keep 'em coming if you can

[dommy4 0]

Also when do you think you'll have the improved general info section?

 

I would like to start booking things asap.

[soubriquet 0]

There's a place called Gala where the gondola starts from the Shinkansen station. Absolutely no idea about the skiing there.

 

Wearing my Yamagata hat, Zao Onsen is 3 hours from central Tokyo by shinkansen plus about 20 minutes by bus.

 

Don't worry about booking this early unless you are planning to be here at New Year. Japanese ski jo's run at about 20% capacity most of the time.

[SnowJapan 178]

 Quote:

Also when do you think you'll have the improved general info section?

That will realistically be in October.

Check out the Resorts section (complete with all the Resort Reviews etc) for a good starting point as well as the links at the top of this page. A search on these Forums will also bring up a lot of info to be getting on with.

Best of luck.

[dommy4 0]

if you think Yamagata's where its at then i will definately have a look.

 

have looked at Hakuba and there seems to be a lot of variety there.

 

Anyone else like Hakuba?

[Error404 0]

dommy4, hi there.

 

Lots of people like Hakuba, it's one of the major ski towns here.

 

Seriously, do a few searches on here. Do a search for "Hakuba" and you will see how popular it is. Some other names to look out for

 

Nozawa

Shiga Kogen

Yuzawa

etc

 

In fact check out the links up above under town guides and you'll be starting off with a lot of info. If you look at the resort reviews, a good idea is to check out the ones with the most reviews.

[soubriquet 0]

I don't think Yamagata's the go, although I'm sure you would have a good time here. There are bigger and better places closer to Tokyo. I'm trying to stir up the Tokyo dead-heads.

 

Your original question is fair enough, as it is very confusing for newcomers. Hopefully you will get an appropriate response.

[big-will 7]

dommy4, hi. Here's some names to look up.

 

Yuzawa (Niigata Prefecture): 80 mins on the Shinkansen from Tokyo with about 15 resorts round the town including the popular Kagura and Naeba resort. Gala Yuzawa is there right by the station but limited.

 

Hakuba (Nagano Prefecture): A bit further bit on a much bigger scale and looks really impressive. About 5-6 decent resorts in the valley including Happo-one, Tsugaike, Hakuba Goryu, Hakube 47. You need to get the Shinkasen to Nagano (90 mins) then a bus to Hakuba (60 mins). Worth the trip.

 

Nozawa (Nagano Prefecture): A really nice and very popular village and snow resort. Good onsen, nice village. 1 hour from Nagano.

 

Shiga Kogen (Nagano Prefecture): Huge area of about 20 resorts linked up together (well most of them physically but all using a ticket). Lots of variety. Again about an hour or maybe a bit more from Nagano.

 

Hunter Mountain (Tochigi): In another direction from Tokyo but popular for day trips. Don't know much about it myself.

 

Minakami (Gunma): A few resorts here, it's closer than Yuzawa on the same Joestsu Shinkasen but from there you need to get transport to the resorts. Not as big a scale but some decent places and not as crowded.

 

Now if you look up info on those places, it is a good start.

 

Check out the Daily now reports (link above) for past season weather and snow info and a good idea is to check out all the resort reviews as well to get an idea of what people think about the places.

 

Also check out the maps pages to get an idea of relative location.

 

Hope that helps.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/voice/review.php

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/now.php

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/nowcalendar.php

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/index.html

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/spotlight/resort.html

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/maps/index.html

[skidaisuki 0]

Ease of travel from Tokyo? Nothing could really be easier than the resorts close to Yuzawa - Kagura & Naeba in particular. They're just over an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Echigo Yuzawa and then a fairly short bus or taxi up the hill. Fine for beginners and intermediates and there should be plenty of snow in January - unless, heaven help us, we have another season like the last one - but we won't.

 

They are not especially English friendly but you'll get by. I've known some non-Japanese speakers who have been there and they've had no problems.

 

Enjoy

[muikabochi 208]

Not disagreeing about convenience, but just to be realistic.

 

 Quote:

Kagura & Naeba in particular. They're just over an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Echigo Yuzawa

 

The fastest train is 76 minutes and there is 1 of those each day going TO Tokyo.

 

Many take over 80 minutes, the average will probably be around 75-80 minutes.

[SirJibAlot 0]

I'd start with Yuzawa or Hakuba for Honshu.

[tea tray rider 0]

If it is 5 days, the advantage of Yuzawa fades away a bit more - and opens you up for Hakkers, Nozzlers, Shiga Kogen, Yamagata Zao and all those others.

[skidaisuki 0]

Muikabochi, thanks for pointing that out, there was me thinking 1 hour and 16 minutes could be considered to be 'just over an hour'....

 

Precision is vital in this country, lesson learned!

[muikabochi 208]

I'm sure to JR, marketing people and the resorts in the area they want people to think of it as being "just over an hour".

 

But it's generally not really is it.

 

Yes the fastest train is just over an hour - a train that runs once a day, going in the wrong direction (TO Tokyo).

 

But the average is (and most are) over an hour and a quarter. That's closer to "an hour and a half" than it is to "an hour". Whatever, the idea that it's "just over an hour" is not quite what the reality is.

 

Hardly about "precision". More about "bullshit" that is spoke.

 

That's all.

 

As ttr says, if you have 5 days, surely just "the quickest" isn't the main criteria. You want to go to "the best" option, right?

[BettyBoo! 0]

For me the difference of an hour or so between places doesn't really seem important. It's the place I want to go to that will decide it for me as I'm sure it will be for more than a few nights when I do go.

[TJ OZ 0]

From a previous thread

This is the most important aspect to consider when choosing your next snow holiday. It will mean the difference of you being able to spend the rest of your life chasing the powder dream to possibly never going again.

Rules

1) Your wife should be always warm. Even if you have to freeze your balls off with some 20 year old flouro gear you picked up from a yard sale your wife will be fitted with the latest highest rating designer range in snow wear available.

2) Lessons. Pay the dollars straight up for private tuition. This also gives you a chance to head out by yourself which is priceless. You probably won't get to ski everyday unless she is really enjoying her lessons. Have a good chat to the instructor and make sure he is the right man for the job.

3) Don't expect first to last lifts. Expect to finish up after lunch on the mountain and then it's off to the shops.(take advantage of no. 2)

4)Warm clothes again. Pretty beanies and fashionable jackets. This time for non snowsport related activities.

5)Accommodation should be of a high standard and somewhere your wife will feel comfortable to sit and read a book (this may give you an opportunity to get another hour of skiing in), comfortable beds as futons don't cut it after a day on the slopes and it must be a level above what your usual hotel standard would be.

6)Alternative activities. Visit the snow monkeys if she's into wildlife or the temples and castles if she loves history. Otherwise a day in Nagano for some shopping and nice restaurants.

 

Hopefully after you have followed these steps she has taken to the sport. There is a rare breed out there who love it with the passion of all of us here. If she is like that, hold onto her forever

Good luck. I have seen many a good man fail. You are resposible here for your snow destiny

[Snow-Woman 0]

I agree BettyBoo. Within reason as long as it's not a day or two trip, decide where you want to go then look at the travel. Don't decide on a fairly long trip based on whether it takes 2 or 3 hours.

[Retired Morris Dancer 0]

 Quote:

...and then it's off to the shops

Make sure the place you plan to go to actually has shops if this is what you want to do!

[fireboy 0]

If you want shops, I recommend Tokyo. A ski holiday is a perfect opportunity to get away from all that.