4 days in the Japanese mountains

[Cram 0]

Hello,

 

Fate has given me 2 free weekends in Japan.

I am travelling to Japan for work and will be based in Utsunomiya.

I am looking for advice, hints, tips, and maybe boarding companians for the weekends, Jan 19/20 and 26/27.

I reckon i can hit anywhere near the Joetsu or Niigata shinkansen lines.

Were would be be good?

 

Thanks in advance,

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Utsunomiya is closest to Hunter Mountain, Edelweiss and Mt. Jeans, in Tochigi.

Next nearest options are Gunma or Fukushima resorts.

 

If you take the shinkansen further north from Utsunomiya to Yamagata, you can hit Zao near peak snow monster season then. (Slightly early perhaps? But they should be in good form by then anyway.)

 

Will you have a car, or have to use the train? A car would make Gunma or Niigata easier to reach from Utsunomiya.

[Gunma Boarder 14]

What kind of resort are you looking for? / What kind of boarding do you like to do?

[Cram 0]

thanks, unfortunately i will not have a car. I hit Hunter Mt in 2005, I remember there was a deal train / bus / lift pass and food, is it still running?

As far as what type of boarding i prefer, generally freeride, but I have been boarding a few years and still get excited when i strap in no matter what the terrain!

 

Are there any deals to look out for?

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Hunter does run a shuttle bus from Nasu-Shiobara station (45-minute train ride from Utsunomiya station, then 60-minute bus ride to the ski area), which needs to be reserved in advance by calling 0287-32-4580. But if you've been to Hunter, then as you know the terrain is not all that amazing.

 

Heading north, for terrain you might find Alts Bandai and Nekoma in Fukushima more to your taste. Take the shinkansen to Koriyama (30 minutes on the shinkansen), then there is a free Alts shuttle bus from there (an hour and 40 minutes). The bus to Nekoma takes 2 hours and 15 minutes from Koriyama.

 

Zao is a 2-hour ride on the shinkansen to Yamagata city, then a 40-minute bus ride from there. Not known for freeriding, I don't think, but is quite large and of course has the famous snow monsters.

 

To get to Gunma or Niigata, I think you will need to take the shinkansen to Tokyo, then back out from there, but will leave that to the Gunma and Niigata contingents to cover.

[nippontiger 8]

Think you'd have to go back as far as Omiya, not all the way to Tokyo.

[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 get to Minakami station at 8:49 if you leave Utsunomiya at 5:16. This is not by Shinkansen and is 2,940 yen. From there you would have to take a bus. If you leave at 4:42 by Shinkansen you can get to Doai station, which is very close to the resort, at 8:33. This trip is 6,390 yen. 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. There is a lot of wide open terrain at Tenjin and a very long run with lots of walls, but I don't know how much park stuff they will have set up.

[Gunma Boarder 14]

I have also had some great days at Kagura over the years. It is a big resort with a lot of variety. I always drive there so I'm not sure about the bus situation, but I'm pretty sure a number of members of this site go there by bus from a station on the Joetsu Shinkansen.

[Cram 0]

Many, many thanks, loads of good ideas!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Echigo Yuzawa is the shink station for Naeba, Kagura and the Yuzawa resorts. GALA Yuzawa has its own Shink station built into the resort centre.