Skiing in Japan

Japan’s fantastic skiing and snowboarding conditions have long been a well-kept secret, but word is slowly getting out and more people are discovering this hidden gem. Japan has some of the best ski resorts and soft powder snow in the world. There are more than 600 ski resorts through-out the country with the ski season officially starting in December. The best months are considered to be January and February with the best conditions offered during this time. The three best areas for skiing in Japan are Nagano in the Japan Alps on the main island of Honshu, Hokkaido, the island furthest north in Japan with Siberian-blasted highlands, and Niigata also on the main island of Honshu on the Sea of Japan coast.

Nagano 

Nagano is only a short two hour bullet train ride from Tokyo, and offers some of the best resorts in Japan. It was home of the 1998 Winter Olympics and a fabulous place to ski or snowboard. Nagano’s winter season is December to early April. One of the highlights is Hakuba, with its snow laden peaks and valleys. Hakuba has deep winter snow falls and plenty of soft powder snow with seven different ski resorts. One of the best ski resorts in Hakuba is Happo-One with excellent mountain views and runs for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders. Shiga Kogen is also highly recommended and hosted several events at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. It is in fact one of the largest ski resorts in the world. It offers 21 different areas with a variety of terrain to suit all styles and type of skiers and snowboarders.

Prices

Happo-One Ski Resort Day Lift Ticket 4600 yen ($46 USD)
Equipment Rental 2500 - 3000 yen ($25 - $30 USD)
Shiga Kogen Day Lift Ticket 4800 yen ($48 USD)

Hokkaido 

Hokkaido is about a 90 minute flight from Tokyo and was also a Winter Olympic venue in 1972. Hokkaido’s winter season is November to early April with some ski resorts still having snow until early May. Sapporo is the cosmopolitan main city on Hokkaido, but does not get a lot of snow until early December. The best places are ski resorts like Niseko, Furano, Rusutsu and Kiroro. Niseko is probably the best ski resort in Hokkaido and can be reached either by bus or a picturesque train journey through beautiful winter landscapes. Niseko is exactly what you would expect a Japanese ski village to be. It is a blend of traditional Japanese houses and environment with modern touches such as traffic lights, apartments and hotels. The skiing in Niseko is first class, featuring deep snow, long runs and soft powder snow. The Niseko ski area usually receives around 15 meters of snow every year. Day tickets are cheap, usually about half of what you would pay in Australia and with no long lift queues as there are 43 lifts. Niseko United is the name of a group of four connected resorts here that you can ski or snowboard on with a single all-mountain pass.

Prices

Niseko United One Day Pass 5900 yen ($59 USD)

Niigata 

Niigata located on the Sea of Japan coast in the Chubu region of Japan is just over 2 hours away from Tokyo. Niigata offers over 50 ski resorts and excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions. Most of the resorts are either located in the Myoko or Yuzawa area. One of the best is the Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa with 27 courses of varying skill level. It has been very popular now for many years due to is easy access from Tokyo (80 minutes by train) and long snow season. The ski season runs from November to May.

Prices 

Naeba Day Lift Ticket 4000 yen ($40 USD)
Equipment Rental 4300 yen ($43 USD)

General Prices 

Lift pass usually range in price from 4000 yen ($40 USD) to 5500 yen ($55 USD) a day. Ski gear and clothing can be hired at most resorts, and is very reasonably priced. Full equipment rental might cost you around 5000 yen per day ($50 USD).

If you have any recommendations of places, please leave them in the comments below.

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Meet the Snow Monkeys of Japan

Japan is a country famous for many things: the sleek and efficient bullet train; traditional culture; world-famous cuisine and perhaps, most endearing of all, the snow monkey.

It is the small town of Yudanaka that many of these wonderful animals have made their home. Situated deep in the Japanese Alps, in an area known as “Hell Valley” thanks to its hot steam vents, sulfurous streams and other volcanic activity, the snow monkeys can be found taking advantage of their surroundings by bathing in the hot spring baths dotted throughout the area. Indeed, the monkeys have acquired such a reputation that one of these baths has been declared a ‘human-free’ zone and is used exclusively by the monkeys!

Japanese macaques, to call them by their proper name, bathe all year round, but it is especially amusing to watch them during the winter months, when the area is covered in a thick, white blanket of snow, which sits adorably on their heads as they attempt to warm up in a very human-like fashion. Though the animals are still wild, they have become somewhat use to the attention they now receive and photo opportunities abound as groups huddle together against the freezing air temperatures, preen each other and play. Hundreds of monkeys at a time can frequently be seen enjoying the warn and healing waters here.

The journey into the heart of Nagano isn't the easiest for visitors – after riding the bullet train from Tokyo for one and a half hours you then embark on a 40-minute train ride from Nagano City. A pleasant walk through beautiful woodland completes your journey. The sight that awaits you is well worth the effort though and as the area is dotted with hot spring inns, you can follow the monkeys’ lead and soothe away the day’s travels in the natural thermal waters.

This guest post and images have come from Audley Travel,  an award–winning tour operator, specialising in tailor-made trips and small group tours for the discerning traveller, to over 80 countries around the world.

Katy Pannell - Online Travel Editor

Skiing in Japan

Japan has some of the best ski resorts and powder snow in the world.

The two best areas for skiing or snowboarding in Japan are Nagano on the main island of Honshu and Hokkaido, the island furthest north in Japan.

Picture of the Week Suwako Nagano Japan

Suwako is the largest lake in Nagano Prefecture Japan and a popular tourist destination for travellers to Nagano. The region is famous for its abundance of onsen (hot springs) and natural surroundings.

Suwako is located in the center of Nagano and is a great place to rent a boat and cruise the beautiful waters.

Picture of the Week Former Kaichi School Matsumoto

The Former Kaichi School in Matsumoto City, Nagano, Japan is a Meiji era school that was founded in 1873. The school was used as a functional school for 90 years and is one of the oldest elementary schools in Japan. The building is a mix of Japanese and Western styles of architecture and was designated an important cultural property in 1961.

In 1965 the former school was opened as a museum of education. The museum inside the fantastic looking building showcases the history of some of the education material and architectural materials of the period. The education materials contain some old textbooks that were used during the Edo period as well as textbooks, diaries and certificates from the Meiji era.

Picture of the Week Kamikochi, Nagano, Japan

Kamikochi is a beautiful area that lies in the center of the Northern Japan Alps and has some of the most spectacular scenery in Japan. It has become famous as a base in the Japan Alps for strollers, hikers and climbers with magnificent mountain scenery and lakes. Kamikochi can be visited as either a day trip from Matsumoto or Takayama, but I highly recommend enjoying the pleasures of staying in the mountains in Kamikochi and taking an early morning or late evening walk before the crowds appear.