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Hey, I've recently moved to Tokyo from NY and was wondering what are some close resorts. I'm looking for places to go on a regular basis over the weekend (day trip) and preferably close to a station since I don't have a ride ;p

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The most accessible as far as I can see is Gala Yuzawa. Shinkansen from Tokyo Station stops directly at the lift. No kidding. Takes about 1.5 hours or so from Tokyo I think. And isn't all that bad, either. Gets crowded of course.

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Pezpunk, I personally disagree with people recommending Gala Yuzawa - I think it's exactly as you'd expect a mountain directly connected to a shinkansen station to be - low altitude, not much of a challenge, poor snow (relatively speaking) and chock full of beginners / Tokyo casual boy smokers at the weekends. It might be worthwhile if you can get there during the week after a good dump of snow, but why bother when you have the much higher, prettier, larger, and in-every-way-better resorts of Kagura, Tashiro and Mitsumata a 20-minute drive from Echigo Yuzawa, one stop earlier than Gala on the shinkansen?

 

Minakami is much less accessible by train, but if you have a car or other means to get there, then it's OK.

 

For day trips from Tokyo (to get a full day's skiing or boarding), Kagura and its adjoining resorts won't disappoint you, and the day trip ticket with JR is one of Japan's ski bargains as far as I'm concerned

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Quote:
I think it's exactly as you'd expect a mountain directly connected to a shinkansen station to be - low altitude, not much of a challenge, poor snow (relatively speaking)


Must disagree. I would say Gala totally isn't what you would expect from a resort that has a bullet train station. The snow at Gala is often very good. After Kagura it is often the best in the region. It is over 1000m and if you can get there when it isn't chocca busy, you can have a jolly decent time (chap).

They are still this year not opening the South area, but when that is open it presents a decent challenge.

It's not my favourite place by any means, but it sure isn't Karuizawa either!

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Hi skidaisuki, sounds like you are very familiar with Kagura. Can you help a fellow SJ'er out and give a few hints on where to poach the good off-piste lines there? I only visited it once when the top lifts weren't moving, but it looked like some great terrain around there.

 

If there are any good poachable lines at Gala also, that would be top!

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Also Pez, if you don't mind taking a bus, there are night buses (usually) from Ikebukero Sunshine City that will take you to any of the big resorts in Honshu. Its usually a 7-8 hr journey, some buses are better than others but you are there for the first lift and they then pick you up around 4pm for a 4 hr journey home. Its cheap as well, usually around 8000 yen for bus and lift ticket. you can take a day bus as well for cheaper and only a 4hr journey but you won't get on mountain until about 10am

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Depends how big you are and how easy you find it to sleep while travelling. Probably on a par with an airline seat, maybe slightly less room, but I find that the first burst of adrenaline while going down the hill dispels any sleepiness that I feel, then when I'm done and on the bus home I crash out and next thing I know I'm back in Tokyo. You can book them at any travel agent, I usually use JR View as you can also check out the Shink deals at the same time

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muikabochi - I know you live up there and have a lot of knowledge of the area, so I'll accept your points. My view of Gala must have been biased by the specific times I went there, which were several years ago. Obviously I haven't been back because I was put off by poor snow and crowds of (largely) inexperienced boarders and skiiers.

 

Anyway, I still think Kagura's the best call for your neck of the woods.

 

SdS

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No worries skidaisuki - I'm no expert, believe me! But I do think that Gala is pretty good for snow in the area. When the snow is good and not many people around I have really enjoyed it. When it is busy - it's awful!

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Just checked out the brochures from JR View, for early season (I'm aiming for Dec 13th) for the shink from Tokyo and lift ticket, its only 8600 yen. Leaves around 6am and gets you to Echigo Yuzawa around 7.30

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Gala seems to be one of those places lugging round an image from the ski boom time that doesn't quite apply any more. If you go mid-week it can be almost quiet. It isn't the biggest of places of course but the snow is often decent up there.

 

As someone else said though, the best snow in that particular region can almost always be found at Kagura.

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Originally Posted By: ShinyDiscoBall
Wow thats cheap. It costs 12000 to get to Yuzawa and back usually without the lift ticket! veryshocked


that is only for early and late season, after mid-dec the price jumps up. If the snow is good, best to take advantage...I know I will be!!
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Just checked the brochure and the cheap seats are NOT on the early Shinks, earliest leaves 8.04 :(

 

Its still possible tho, buy tix anyway, go early, the staff SHOULD still let you thru the gates and then jump into the unreserved car. thumbsup

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Unless they've put the mid season price up, even after the discount period is over, the "standard" price for a one day return shinkansen trip to Echigo Yuzawa, with Kagura resorts lift pass included, is still less than JPY 12,000, making it a bargain for those of us who want to get a full day's skiing / boarding but cannot afford to be out of Tokyo both days of every weekend during the season. You just have to drag yourself up early and if you can't get a seat, you get to stand in the unreserved.

 

As we found out last season, if you reserve seats when you buy the tickets, you are supposed to use them and not to jump on any other train, but they cannot stop you from (for example) jumping on an earlier train back than the one that you reserved, as your tickets still work through the gates. Just sit in non-reserved seats and enjoy a few beers or chu-hi's on the way back

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Hey I appreciate all the really good feed back I've gotten from this thread.

 

Off-topic question but I've decided not to ship my board from the States (too expensive). So I was wondering where's a good place in Tokyo to buy a board and bindings, I'm looking for something mid-level/affordable ;p

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