Tochigi

[X101 0]

Hello,

I am new in Japan, but fortunately i remembered to bring my board. I am living in Utsunomiya, i have visit Naeba and Hunter Mt Shiobara in the last two weekends.

I am thinking of going to hunter again this weekend, but were else is good? Is there somewhere i should not miss?

[mattlucas 0]

The hills to the west of Gifu are really good. If you think it's deep in Niigata you should check out west.

 

Where is Utsunomiya anyways?

[highlandjin 0]

Hello Tochigi, you are well located for going skiing. The resorts in Fukushima prefec. are so close you can make day trip to such resorts as Nekoma, Alts-bandai,Inawashiro,Adatara. Even Yamagata resorts like Tengendai and Zao are not very far either. But the closest should be Gunnma resorts such as Marunuma, Oze-Iwakura and Kawaba when the Kinsei-Pass(connection Nikko with Numata,Gunma) road is opened up in April.(Due to snow pile the pass is closed in winter). Check web.http://www.npd.co.jp/malnuma/

I can't help but envying your location since I as living in the south of Tokyo I must cross Tokyo and negotiate Tokyo traffic regardless of destination.

Enjoy!

[X101 0]

Apparently Utsunomiya is capital of Tochigi prefecture. It is not a particularly spiritual place.

Thanks for the hints of were the good snow lies.

It seems i can get to the snow easily,

I have no car but i will check out where i can get with train and bus. I have a dead easy job with loads of time to make travel arrangements . I have been pretty impressed with Japanese snow so far.

Let's hope it holds up for a few more weeeks!

[oo 1]

A nice ride through Nikko on up to the lake and Marunuma - sounds like a good spring trip that....

[highlandjin 0]

Never been to, but I've heard Aizu-Kogen is pretty nice that looks very close from your place if you use Tobu-line.

[unit 0]

Hunter mountain is your best bet in Tochigi, the rest are pretty tragic. I've lived in Ibaraki for four years now. So the tochigi resorts are actually the closest for me but I rarely go out there. If I know there's not gunna be any fresh snow around I sometimes shoot across to Hunter mountain to muck around in the half pipe there. But otherwise would not waste my time with the skijos in Tochigi. But you're so close so it's a bit different.

If you're in Utsunomiya, just a quick drive up the tohoku expressway will get into Fukushima and Yamagata. The snow quality up there is so much better than tochigi. I go up every weekend. Although Fukushima doesn't get the massive quantity of snow that Niigata does, the powder is always nice and dry. (Niigata people correct me if I'm wrong) But the snow seems to be alot wetter and heavier there.

My favorite place in Fukushima at the moment is Nekoma, good snow, trees, and less bullshit than other places, slow lifts though. Grandeco is good too but the staff are on your back about ducking ropes. Minowa has some good tree lines, Zao-like snow monsters at the top, not crowded but a bit mellow. ALTS is big by local standards, has some fun little tree lines, good park for the jibbers, but real crowded and seems to attract the "all the gear, no idea" tokyo crowd which shits me so I rarely go there. Haven't been there but I've heard Adatara is alright too. My don't bother list for that area is Numajiri, Hatoriko, Inawashiro and Inawashiro resort.

I've personally never made the trip out there but heard good reports about the Aizu kogen area too. Nango in particular.

Like the other guys have said Gunma and Niigata are good options too, from where you are. But I really can't tell you much cause I rarely venture into those places because of the travel time.