Nearest place from Tokyo for snow

Hi. I will be traveling to Tokyo in late december this year. Where is the nearest place from Tokyo to see snow during this time of the year? Appreciate your replies, thanks!

Mt. Fuji for sure; Karuizawa if winter is early this year.

Here you go:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2265.html

Hmm, if I go to the Fuji 5 lakes area in late Dec, say 21st Dec, is there a good chance I can see snow?

You will certainly see it on the summit of Mt. Fuji, but are you actually wanting to walk around on snow?

Karuizawa will have snow on Dec. 21 but it might be artificial. OTOH, Niseko in Hokkaido already reports 15+ cm of snow on the ground.

Hi all,

Thanks alot foryour suggestions. I've made up my mind to visit the snow resort at Karuizawa. Cheapest transportation would be the highway bus. Where can I buy the tickets at Ikebukuro station? My fiance is not keen in skiing, but I guess we could still walk around in the snow =D.

Realistically, Kariuzawa has less chance of having REAL snow on 21st December than Gala Yuzawa. Its location generally gets less snow than Yuzawa. (about half the amount as Gala Yuzawa in December)

Early in the season, Gala Yuzawa has special package deal day trips, which tend to cost around 7000-8000yen, round trip Shinkansen and lift ticket.
You can use the lift ticket to catch the gondola up to the restaurant area. I had a friend do this last season while I skied. He didn't ski, just enjoyed the snow and the views!!!!
And at that price it's likely to be cheaper than a bus trip, and much quicker as well(about 90min)

Hi Sandy,

Thanks for sharing your views. It would be a bummer to travel all the way and not see much of real snow. The shinkansen package to Gala Yuzawa sounds great, where can I purchase it?

The shinkansen package to Gala Yuzawa sounds great, where can I purchase it?

At the ticket counter of JR stations.