Skiing & Snowboarding in Japan
One of the best things about living in Japan in the winter months has to be the winter mountains and what they have to offer in terms of skiing and snowboarding opportunities. For those who have not yet tried skiing or snowboarding this may seem hard to believe. After all, what can be so good about getting cold and wet on a mountain in a blizzard! But those who have experienced a beautiful sunny day on top of, say, Mount Myoko or Happo strapped to some skis (or a board) surrounded by spectacular scenery, will know the feeling. Japan has countless ski and snowboarding resorts, many of them worth visiting, dotted all over Honshu, Hokkaido and even as far south as Kyushu. Almost everyone living in Japan is within fairly easy reach of some resort.
Winter sports is big business in Japan and has been since the ski boom of the 1980's. After the sharp decrease in numbers of people on the slopes in the mid 1990's, the recent snowboard boom has seen another increase in numbers and many resorts now actually attract more boarders than skiers, who are fast becoming the minority. Resorts in Japan are quickly making "snowboard park" facilities directed towards the increasing numbers of boarders and doing their best to accommodate them, and the boarding scene gets better and more sophisticated each year.
During the late 1980's and early 1990's, resorts in Japan were famous for being overcrowded and many of the stories about waiting hours for a 600-meter ski lift were true. Luckily, even with the increasing number of boarders, the situation is far more acceptable now. Almost empty slopes now await those venturing out into the mountains on week-days, and taking a day off work is worth the holiday time.
There are so many resorts in Japan that the wide choice of places to go can be bewildering, especially for the newcomer. In general terms the best skiing and boarding in Japan can be found in Hokkaido, Nagano, Yamagata, Niigata and other northern prefectures.
HOKKAIDO
Hokkaido offers what most people think is the best skiing and boarding in Japan. World-class resorts such as Niseko and Furano offer some fantastic slopes and powder snow conditions. The only drawbacks with Hokkaido is that it is not as easy to reach as the best resorts in Honshu--a flight is necessary--and it can get bitterly cold on the slopes. But if these points do not present too much of a problem for you, Hokkaido has some superb skiing and boarding!
NAGANO
Host to the 1998 Olympics, Nagano also has some top resorts including the wonderful Nozawa Onsen, the resorts at Shiga Kogen, numerous excellent resorts centered around Hakuba village (Happone, Goryu, Hakuba 47 among others) and further south on the border with Gunma Prefecture. Nagano City can be reached using the Nagano Shinkansen (the journey takes less than two hours from Tokyo). Many of the main resorts have buses running from the station to the resorts regularly. Nagano can be reached by car using the Kanetsu and Joshinetsu Expressways.
NIIGATA
Niigata, while not famed for guaranteed powder snow conditions, offers some of the most convenient resorts for those living in Tokyo, and many of the resorts are well worth repeated visits. The town of Yuzawa in southern Niigata is just 70 minutes from Tokyo using the Joetsu Shinkansen, and the town can act as a base for over 25 resorts nearby. The more popular resorts in this region include Naeba, GALA, Iwappara, Ishiuchi Maruyama and Maiko Kogen. The other major region in Niigata is actually located just to the north of Nagano and is centered around the beautiful Mount Myoko. There are a number of resorts in and around Myoko Kogen town, the better being Akakura, Ikenotaira and Suginohara.
BEFORE YOU GO
First of all you will need equipment. If you plan on skiing or boarding regularly it is often a good idea to actually buy the equipment (new or second hand), as this will probably cost you less in the long run. The shops centered around Ochanomizu in Tokyo are a good place to start for all the equipment. Renting equipment when you get to the resorts will cost you up to Y4,000 for skis, boots and poles (for one day), although cheaper places can usually be found near many resorts.
Prices for ski lift tickets are fairly standard at whichever resort you go to. It usually costs about Y4,000-Y4,500 for a one-day lift pass. Many other different kinds of ski passes are available-half-day, evening, two-day--and some resorts also offer a season pass, but they are in the minority. Most resorts also have a Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) official Ski School, where you can take lessons in basic skiing or brush up on your technique. English lessons are rare, but are available at a few resorts. The best way to check for that information is to telephone the resort. There is also a "Badge Test" available at some places, which is a skiing qualification. If you want to come away with more than just memories then this is something worth considering. The test costs a few thousand yen, takes a few hours and is usually held on Sunday afternoons at ski resorts with official Ski Schools. It is also a fun experience (especially if you pass).
Snow conditions vary, of course, with the weather. Generally speaking, the season on Honshu usually starts around mid-December and goes on until late-April, with a few of the higher resorts able to stay open for some Golden Week skiing. Mid-January to the end of February usually sees the best snow conditions at most of the resorts, but good conditions are not limited to this period.
Ski and snowboard resorts in Japan tend to have fairly modern ski lift systems with high-speed quad lifts, gondolas and ropeways at many resorts--a lasting legacy from the 1980's resort development. Luckily, slow single lifts and pull lifts in Japan are rare, and this is definitely good news for those of us using the slopes. Not all ski areas offer a wide range of slopes that would please everyone, and so it is worth finding out about what each area offers before choosing where to go. For beginners, wide smooth uncrowded slopes are recommended, while experienced skiers looking for a challenge will appreciate steeper slopes, maybe with moguls. In general the slopes are shorter than the experienced skier may be used to back home, and advanced skiers may have difficulty finding slopes to satisfy them, but many of the resorts are well thought out and offer a good choice for the beginner and intermediate. Many Japanese skiers also seem to put a lot of emphasis on the eating and drinking part of the skiing "experience," and beer for lunch seems to be the norm for many as they relax and do some people watching.
GREAT RESORTS
Nagono: Okushiga Kogen, Yakebitai, Happone village resorts, Nozawa Onsen.
Niigata Kagura Mitsumata, Naeba, Ishiuchi Maruyama / GALA Yuzawa Kogen, Akakura, Suginohara.
Other great places: Zao, Yamagata, Hunter Mountain, Appi Kogen, Iwate, Most of the resorts in Hokkaido.
ONSENS
Many of the skiing and snowboarding resorts are located in onsen hot spring towns and villages and enjoying a steaming bath is a great way to relax after a strenuous day out on the slopes. Some of the places that are best known for the onsen and skiing combination are:
Nozawa Onsen in Nagano and Yuzawa in Niigata. Nozawa is perfect for those looking for a slope-bath combination with a great resort and many public baths in the small village at the base of the mountain.
Yuzawa is also a well-known onsen town that has some good baths near the town center. Try Komako no yu or Iwa no yu, or one of the countless baths in the hotels and minshukus of the town.
Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma is an all year onsen resort, with the Kusatsu Ski Resort opening up for the winter season.
Yamagata Zao Onsen resort is also famous for some good bathing opportunities.
PLACES TO STAY
The famous Prince Hotel chain hotels can be found at the base of many of the bigger resorts in Japan including Naeba and Shiga, but most people go for the more reasonably priced pensions, minshukus and ryokans. Choosing this option saves a lot of money and at the same time is more of an experience. Here are a few good places to stay that are welcoming non-Japanese guests. More details and other places to stay can be found on the Ski Japan website.
Yuzawa: Niigata Asahikan - a friendly family-owned minshuku near Yuzawa Park in Yuzawa. Reasonable and fun (asahikan@hotmail.com). Pit Inn (0257-87-3413) - has some good jazz nights at weekends, located on the slopes of Iwappara - 0257. Mitsumata Resthouse - located just opposite the excellent Kagura Mitsumata resort, this is a good place to stay at reasonable prices (junmari@seagreen. ocn.ne.jp)
Nagano: Nozawa Onsen - Haus St Anton (www.nozawa. com/stanton) in Nozawa is a great place to stay with an international atmosphere - the owner is actually one of the coaches for the Japanese ski team, and a number of Olympic skiers have stayed here in the past. There are countless other places to stay in the village, most of the pension/minshuku style. Shiga Kogen - Villa Alpen (infoalpen@avis.ne.jp) is owned by a professional skier and is located conveniently for all of the resorts in Shiga Kogen. They can speak English well and are used to welcoming guests from all over the world. Bookings in English by phone are welcome on 0269 34 2731. Hakuba Village - Snowbeds (snowbeds@msn.com) - a backpacking style accommodation in the center of Hakuba Village. Snowbeds offers a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, very reasonable prices and the high possibility of spontaneous parties.
Niigata: Myoko Kogen - Country Inn Canadian House is a small place near the slopes of Akakura and the other resorts on Mount Myoko (in Niigata Prefecture, located north of Nagano City). Email at canadian@coral.ocn.ne.jp
SNOWMOBILE
An interesting distraction from boarding or skiing, snowmobiling brings can make for an interesting and addicting few hours. Expect to pay Y5,000 upwards for the privilege. Here are a few of the larger snowmobile places.
Snowmobile Land (Shiozawa, Niigata) - 0257 83 4529
Tangram Snowmobile Land (Togari, Nagano) - 026 258 3511.
by Andrew Lea
Editor's Note:
Andrew Lea is one of the foremost foreign experts on skiing in Japan. He has worked in the industry for several years in Yuzawa, which is one of the leading ski resort towns in Japan. Andrew has also compiled an extensive Web site, www.skijapanguide.com, which has just about everything you would ever wanted to know skiing and snowboarding in Japan, including, a bulletin board, daily updates, information on over 100 resorts, accommodations and more
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