Best day trips from Tokyo?

[Adam williams 1]

Hi guys

I'm new to snowboarding and looking for some advice on day trips from Tokyo

 

I'm interested in quality not necessarily the cheapest option for resort but don't mind

Taking the bus.

 

Which would you say is the best overall taking in

Time on the snow

Time from Tokyo to resort

Quality of runs

Price

 

Thanks

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[RobBright 35]

Maiko

Joetsu Kokusai

Kagura

[8rei 0]

how about gala yuzawa??

 

for 2013 season, which resort offer the best value train + lift package??

[Aggro Crag 1]

I rode Marunuma-Ishiushi yesterday. It was great! it's connected to Gala too. Maybe not for a beginner.

Joetsukokusai has really great/easy/cheap access by bus from Tokyo.

[pie-eater 207]

I rode Marunuma-Ishiushi yesterday. It was great! it's connected to Gala too. Maybe not for a beginner.

Joetsukokusai has really great/easy/cheap access by bus from Tokyo.

 

You mean Ishiuchi Maruyama, right?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Ishiuchi Maruyama.....Marunuma is a resort in Gunma.

 

For ease of access, the Yuzawa resorts are top. Tokyo to Echigo Yuzawa station in 70-90 mins depending on which Shinkansen you get. Then its a short shuttle bus ride to around 10 resorts, all of varying deggree of difficulty. Generally a day trip on the shink to the Yuzawa area resorts costs around 10,000￥ and that includes your lift ticket as well....unbeatable value.

 

For a begginner, the wide open slope of Iwappara is great. However places like Maiko and Kandatsu offer a bit more varying terrain to help push your skills up. As Crag mentioned, Ishiuchi Maruyama is also a good resort. The main slope is pretty cruisey apart from the very top, its a little bit steep for a short run and beginners may find it too hard. Yuzawa Kogen (thats the one connected to GALA Yuzawa at the other side from Ishiuchi.....right?) also looks like it is good for begginners, although I have never actually been.

 

If you want to take the bus then you can go practically anywhere as long as you don't mind sitting on an overnight bus. Personally, having done the night bus many times, I'd rather pay the 1000 yen more and go to Yuzawa by Shinkansen. You can do day trips to the Gunma resorts for pretty cheap by bus, but you won't get there until mid-morning after leaving Tokyo around 7:30am......for me this is a waste of time, I could've paid a little more and been there all day and been comfortable on the train.

 

You can pick up the bus brochures from any travel agent and the shinkansen brouchures from any JR View Travel agent in the big JR Train stations. they also have a website where if you book 2 days in advance, you can scope out some pretty sweet deals as well.

[muikabochi 208]

Hi there

 

Agree with most of that.

 

I wouldn't say Yuzawa Kogen was good for beginners though, there's way better for beginners. A total beginner might be a bit angry to be taken up there. Lovely scenery aside.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Isn't that the one at Town level that has the wide slopes at the bottom?

[muikabochi 208]

The main part of Yuzawa Kogen is up the top of the Ropeway, the bit that connects with Gala Yuzawa.

But yes there is the bottom part at town level, it's called Nunoba.

Still, would definitely recommend other places over there, unless you want to be right near the middle of town.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

right, yeah I've never been there but just looking at the course maps, thought the wide slopes at the bottom would be good for newbies

[Saitaman 1]

Don't know if the maps make it look big or not, but Nunoba is tiny.

[Adam williams 1]

Thanks guys thats great I've been looking at some of these places you've mentioned.

 

I'll check a few out Maiko looks good.

 

As you say tubby I would like the variation to push my self to improve even If to just look at and set goals.

 

Cheers

[Yetti 0]

Dont forget Kawaba in the Gunma prefecture. I think the over all area and off piste runs are better than Hakuba 47. Grnated it may get the same amount of snow but it is an awesome place to run free at.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Yeah I mentioned the Gunma resorts, Kawaba is a good place to hit up but access by public transport isn't the best. The bus'll get u there about 10.30-11.30am....which I don't like as I feel it's a waste if a day. You can take the shink but then u need to take a lengthy bus ride from Jomo Kogen station

[Alexander L 80]

Naeba bus in Shinjuku on the side street that Bic Camera stands. Return to same location.

[Gunma Boarder 14]

If the weather is good I would consider Tenjindaira in Minakami. Every time I go there on a sunny day I am blown away by the views. You can also get to Doai station, which is very close to the resort, at 8:33 if you leave Tokyo at 6. A full day ticket is 3,500 yen and a half day (from 12) is 2,500 yen.

 

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/19986-tanigawa-tenjindaira-gunma-16th-february-2011/page__hl__tenjindaira__fromsearch__1

 

These pics from Muikabochi tell the story pretty well. My one concern is that it might not be the most begginer friendly resort, but there is one good wide open begginer run and a really long narrow valley run that begginers can do.

[zakk 0]

Sorry for the super n00b question:

 

My wife and I are leaving for Tokyo/Kyoto/Niseko trip tomorrow and are planning a day trip (or 2) to Gala Yuzawa. We are bringing all our own gear and wanted to know how best to transport snowboards/gear on the train. Do we need to pack our snowboards and gear in snowboard bags or can we just carry them onto the train in our hands and wear our gear onto the train? We are planning a day trip during the week and don't want to mess up everyone's morning commute and don't want to look like total idiots who don't know what we're doing

 

We are staying near the Tokyo station, easily within walking distance.

 

thanks in advance!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

You can do both. I've seen people wear their gear on the train and just have their boots strapped into their set up board and put it on the rack above your head. I personally always take my gear in a board bag and get changed up there. the bag fits easily on the rack above your head. I would say most people do this, but its not unusual to see people in their gear. Also being able to change into clean clothes after the onsen is sooo much better than sitting in your sweaty snow gear all the way back to Tokyo.

[muikabochi 208]

Try to avoid the REALLY BUSY shinks though.

Not exactly sure which they would be, someone else might be better at that than me.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

If they are going to GALA, I can't see those Shinks being that busy, Also if they've booked them thru JR View, they'll prob have reserved seats.

 

a tip for when booking the shink deal........sometimes the cheap seats are all booked on the earlier train, so they'll offer you cheap seats on a late train or pay a little extra for the train you want.....just accept the cheap tix for the late train......and then get on the early train anyway It just means that you'll have to sit in the unreserved car. You should get a seat no probs and no one will check your ticket

[muikabochi 208]

But don't shinks going to Gala also stop off at Yuzawa, and so it's just like a normal shink + Gala?

 

Ah, but I suppose they don't continue on to Niigata which will make them less busy. Naruhodo.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Yeah thats I what I mean. They stop at Gala, so most salarymen etc would be going on to Niigata so they'd get the regular shink.

[muikabochi 208]

Makes sense.

 

Still, I'm always surprised at just how many people get off at Echigo Yuzawa when I use the shinkansen - which is almost always out of winter season. Lots of people change over to the Hokuhoku line to go over to Tokamachi and Joetsu. I suppose that will be really affected when the Nagano shinkansen extension gets going.

[RobBright 35]

Where does the Hokuhoku line operate to? Is it somewhere in Nagano?

[SnowJapan 178]

It goes from Echigo Yuzawa to Naoetsu (still within Niigata)