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Any info on places to ride that are within 2 hours of Tokyo and are worth the trip?

I just moved to Sagamihara from Seattle (in Kanagawa) and I'm trying to figure out my options for regular riding this winter. I've got a car so I'm not limited to spots with close train stops. Cross-referencing train routes, driving times, and good snow is getting dizzying.

Thanks!

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a2k as you are in Sugamihara means your near the Chuo express way, which is of course a long way from Kanetsu unless you use the ken endo or what ever it is called to join to kanetsu so Yuzawa area is

Kawaba in Gunma, about 25 minutes or so from Numata IC on the Kanetsu.   It's one of the places I'm going to this coming season. Really liked it when I went before.

Yeah, Sagamihara to Numata using Ken-o & Kan-etsu is 155km, about Y4,600 in tolls. Lot of good skiing off that exit, Oze White World, Kawaba as Muika says, Marunuma Kogen. Trains to anywhere from

Yuzawa town in Niigata and neighbouring Minamiuonuma

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/town/yuzawa

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/town/minamiuonuma

 

Lots of places within easy reach of each other.

 

80 mins by Shinkansen from Tokyo and 2 hours or so by car.

 

There's always the resorts in Minakami as well not as far out, but they really need a car to get round:

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/japan-ski-resorts/town/minakami

 

:)

 

 

 

 

 

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If you're happy taking the midnight bus there's a ton of stuff that leaves late evening from shinjuku station and travels overnight. Plus side is that it's quite reasonable, but of course it can be ruinous if you can't sleep on public transport (start up, me). If you take them you can even go as far as nozawa, but you do have to leave early (4pm ish) because of the journey back.

 

Oh, of course our beloved kanetsu expressway might also be clogged to the nines.

 

If you want a more relaxing time, shink it. If money's an issue and you don't need to be tip-top for a couple of days after, then bus tours offer a lot of variety.

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Not the night buses.....they often arrive so early in the morning that you have to stay/sleep on the bus for an hour or two before resort staff even open

Up for work!!

 

It's the day buses (leave about 6-7am) that arrive mid morning

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a2k as you are in Sugamihara means your near the Chuo express way, which is of course a long way from Kanetsu unless you use the ken endo or what ever it is called to join to kanetsu so Yuzawa area is a bit of a no go.

 

Better for you would be Madarao, Nozawa,Shiga Kogen or Myoko which are all easy reachable in about 3 hrs by car from where you are.

 

Trains are a no go will take too long as no shink on the chuo train line.

You could take the Azusa from Osuki to Matsumoto and change there although I have no idea which line after that as I rarely use trains.

If you dont want to drive so far the a group of smaller but fun resorts in the Tateshina/Chino part of Nagano are all reachable within about 1.5-2hrs and do get some reasonable snow.

They are not big but with the resorts there you can use one pass for two resorts and there are maybe about 10 in the area, and all not so far from chuo express way.

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I went though the same checking, trying to find places within a few hours of Yokohama. The issue though is not so much where to go, but when can you go. If you head off on the weekend, be prepared to share the road with 10's of thousand's other people also heading to the snow.

 

According to Mr Google it's 3 hours from my place to Mt Granview (well worth the visit), on a Sunday morning it took me just under 3 hours to get there, but on the way home, it took 6 hours.

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Thanks for the responses! You are confirming my concerns: traffic and the # of transfers it'll take to get to a Shinkansen.

 

I actually generally ride during the week so maybe traffic will be less of an issue. How much does that change things?

 

Smaller but fun resorts are great. In Seattle, the closest good riding was Alpental, which really has only 1 lift worth riding but it kept me happy for years.

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Yeah, Sagamihara to Numata using Ken-o & Kan-etsu is 155km, about Y4,600 in tolls. Lot of good skiing off that exit, Oze White World, Kawaba as Muika says, Marunuma Kogen.

Trains to anywhere from Sagamihara would be a nightmare.

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Sounds like you should have stayed at Mt Granview, onehunga.

 

I did consider staying the night, but the Penthouse Suite was already booked. I do have standards, that just can't be lowered, one of the reasons I ski Mt Granview.

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Yeah, Sagamihara to Numata using Ken-o & Kan-etsu is 155km, about Y4,600 in tolls. Lot of good skiing off that exit, Oze White World, Kawaba as Muika says, Marunuma Kogen.

Trains to anywhere from Sagamihara would be a nightmare.

 

Thanks. Would that be ¥4,600 in tolls round trip or one way?

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You really should be fine with the Kanetsu on a weekday, it's only weekends when it becomes a monster.

 

Tubby loves it any day though.

 

Well I was a weekend warrior and the Devil road just loved to kick me in the balls!! I was coming from Shonan, a little further past both Sagamihara and Yokohama and although Mr Google did say it's only be 3-4 hrs......it often ended up a lot longer. Shinkansen was easiest for me, Tokaido line to tokyo, albeit at 4:50am, then shink to Yuzawa.

 

Thing is I had to get through Tokyo, which even at God awful early times in the morning would see silly traffic.....often getting snarled at Nerima before even getting onto the devil road. Snaking round tokyo from Sagamihara and joining the Devil road a little further up should be ok for you

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On a weekday the problem is getting though Tokyo, and the first 50 or so kms of the devil highway. On the weekend the problem is the highway.

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Yeah, Sagamihara to Numata using Ken-o & Kan-etsu is 155km, about Y4,600 in tolls. Lot of good skiing off that exit, Oze White World, Kawaba as Muika says, Marunuma Kogen.

Trains to anywhere from Sagamihara would be a nightmare.

 

Thanks. Would that be ¥4,600 in tolls round trip or one way?

Tolls can add up if you are doing a lot of day trips. There is a 30% discount if you exit the highway after midnight on a week day and 10pm (I think) on a weekend. Doesn't help on the way to the skifield, but if you time it right coming home you can save a little bit. Just be the last off the slopes, have an onsen before you leave, then stop for dinner before joining the highway.

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So on a weekday the problem was at the Tokyo end?

 

No, I usually would only go on weekends.....I'd rather avoid Sunday's because coming back by car is a nightmare....I've gotten home so late that the next day, after only 3-4hrs sleep, I've phoned in sick to work

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