Snowboarding during New Years 2018

Hi,

I was endlessly searching snow conditions, resorts, etc. and figured it would be better to just ask the forum. My friend and I will be traveling to Tokyo from Dec. 28 to Jan. 7 and wanted to snowboard. I looked at traveling to Sapporo and going to Niseko but airline tickets are insane during this time. So I was trying to find a place accessible by bullet train from Tokyo. We would be staying overnight for a couple of days to snowboard Jan. 2-5 and are intermediate level. I was researching Yuzawa and Hakuba but want to know the best place during that time for snow and accommodations. Thanks in advance.

I would go north. APPI and ZAO are the big two.
http://www.appi-japan.com/
http://www.zao-ski.or.jp/

Others are

Shizukuishi
http://www.princehotels.com/en/ski/shizukuishi.html
Hachimantai
http://www.japan-ryokan.net/hachimantai/en/index2.html
Lake Tazawa
http://www.tazawako-ski.com/pdf/tazawako-ski_pamphlet.pdf
Geto
http://www.geto8.com/english/
Tengendai
https://snow.gurunavi.com/guide/htm/r0211ens.htm
Hakkoda
http://www.hakkoda-ropeway.jp/service/ski

Shiga, Naeba, and Hakuba are the big three in the main island. They would be crowded with the people from the west Japan; Osaka nad Nagoya, The snow there would be wet.

GALA yusawa is directly connected to the bullet train station. As you get off the train, pick up your lift ticket and gear, and you�fre on your way! It couldn't be easier.

https://gala.co.jp/winter/english/

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about GALA Yuzawa as well since plane fares to Hokkaido are expensive. I heard that it is hard to get shinkansen tickets due to the New Year because everyone is traveling home to family. Is that true or should I be able to get a seat? I wouldn't want to book a stay somewhere in Yuzawa and not be able to get there.

That is why I have recommended targeting to the north. Avoid to visit the Tokyo nearby and to the west. Between Jan 1 - Jan 3, the middle of the holidays, could be relatively OK, though. Or, keep standing to your destination along the way.
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2018&country=26

Hi Look4powder,

Avid Japan snowboarder here!

The main advantage of Gala Yuzawa is its convenience from Tokyo; if you stay in Tokyo and daytrip to Gala it does the job. But if you actually stay in Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama is a better hill, and as someone else noted above Naeba is one of the main resorts on the main island (free shuttle buses run from Echigo Yuzawa station to Naeba and Ishiuchi Maruyama, and all the other Yuzawa resorts; the station tourist info desk has all the timetables)

You can get a 3-mountain combo pass for Gala & Ishiuchi, plus a third hill called Yuzawa Kogen (the 3 hills are connected by chairlift / cable car); this is available for 1 or 2 days and could be a good call if you're in Yuzawa for 2 full days. Individually they're not huge hills, but all 3 combined gives a sizeable area to explore. If you have 3 full days, you could also hit Naeba for one of them.

Good info here: http://www.4corners7seas.com/snowboarding/snowboarding-in-asia/japan-s...

Regarding shinkansen tickets, all trains have unreserved cars so you can always get a ticket; the issue is that when they're busy, the unreserved cars aren't a lot of fun... I once rode back from Yuzawa to Tokyo on a shinkansen that was packed like a rush hour subway car; not enjoyable, but you can always get where you want to go.

As your trip sounds like it's focused on Tokyo with a side order of snowboarding, Yuzawa probably fits the bill due to the ease of access from Tokyo; it's not the best skiing Japan has to offer, but it's decent. If you only stay in Yuzawa for 2 nights, you could travel there and back using the JR Tokyo Wide Pass - it gives 3 days of train travel in greater Tokyo, including the Joetsu shinkansen as far as Yuzawa, for 10000 yen which is heaps cheaper than paying the full round trip fare. You could use it to get there on day 1 and return on day 3; with an early morning train on day 1 and a late train back on day 3 you can get 3 days' riding in this way e.g. day 1 early train, buy a 3-mountain combo pass & hit Gala for the day; Day 2 Ride at Ishiuchi & Gala, maybe also check out Yuzawa Kogen; Day 3 Hit Naeba, then evening train back to Tokyo. (Of course you also have to check in & out of your accommodation somewhere in there! Gala has lockers so it'd be possible to hit the slopes immediately you get off the train, then check in after riding; and presumably on he last day you could check out early & leave your stuff at the hotel reception while hitting Naeba)

Tokyo wide pass info:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_06.html

https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/tokyowidepass/

Hope this helps!

Thanks Simon! Very helpful.

One more question I already booked my airbnb for Jan 2 - 5 and from what I read the Tokyo Wide Pass is 3 consecutive days midnight to midnight. So leaving Tokyo to Yuzawa Jan 2 it would expire on Jan 4 midnight correct? Had I known about that Tokyo Wide Pass I would have stayed one less night. So how should I go about this should I get regular 7 day JR pass or Tokyo Wide Pass and pay for just return ticket to Tokyo on Jan 5? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks

Hi again,

That's right, the Tokyo Wide pass is 3 consecutive calendar days, so if you've already booked 3 nights in Yuzawa that's out.

It's unlikely that a full JR pass will work out economically unless you're planning a bunch of other train trips during your stay in Japan.

If the only long-distance travel you plan on is the round trip to Yuzawa, just buying individual tickets will be better as I think it's about 7000 yen one way.

You can do it for half the price by local train, if you don't mind it taking 4 hours instead of 80 minutes, and buses work out similar to the local train; eats into your riding time / Tokyo time though.

Good Luck, in planning your trip.

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