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Seeing some snow with the kids 2008/3/21 15:12
Hi, I'm off to Japan in a couple of weeks and taking my two boys (7 and $). We'll be staying in Tokyo with friends most of the time, but want to head off to see some snow (not ski) for a couple of days. I don't really want to drive more than 150kms. I'd like to avoid big cities and find somewhere fun for the boys to be. Any suggestions. We will probably hire a car one way and maybe catch the Shinkansen back the other. Also how friendly are Japanese hotels to a mum and two noisy little fellas?
Thanks for any comments.
by PLM  

... 2008/3/22 18:12
1. I can't think of any place within 150 km from Tokyo where you can touch snow in April.

2. I can't imagine a newcomer tring to drive the highways of Tokyo. They're tricky enough for long-time local drivers. However, once you get to the countryside (way out of Tokyo) driving will be fun as long as there is no snow on the road.

3. 150km taxi fare is out of the question unless you're a celebrity.

Here are some suggestions.

Akakura Onsen ski resort is open until April 13th. From Tokyo Station, you can take the Nagano Shinkansen to Nagano and transfer to Shin-etsu Honsen local train to Myoko-kogen. That's about 2 hours and 30 minutes one way in total. You can enjoy hot springs, and I assume that the surrounding area has snow left.

Otherwise, I suppose you can try to get as close as you can to the famous Mount Fuji. If you can get to a point where spring haze clears out, you will be able to get a nice view of the mountain's white top, although you can't touch it. As long as the weather is dry, the Fuji Five Lakes area or Hakone might be nice places to go to.

For accomodation, minshuku might be more kids/family-friendly.
by Uco rate this post as useful

Time 2008/3/22 18:31
I think you should think about time rather than distance.

Gala Yuzawa is about 90 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo station, and the resort base is right at the station. It is a ski resort usually open until May, but there are special shinkansen/lift ticket deals. This gives you shinkansen return to Gala Yuzawa, day lift ticket for about 11,000yen for adults & 6000yen fro children. You can use the lift ticket to take the gondola up to the mountain(and back), giving you fantastic views on a clear day.

Details:
http://view-web-magazine.eki-net.biz/07435_1204/
You can book at any View Plaza office at most big JR railway stations.
by Sandy rate this post as useful

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