# Japan for Christmas & New Year



## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

Just starting to plan a trip to Japan it's gotta be over the Christmas holidays beause of the wifes job. She's also instructed we've gotta do a couple of nights in Tokyo because she lived there and wants to show daughter around. 
I've been looked through the threads on Japan and i'm trying to work out where the best place to go gonna have 10 nights in the mountains so don't want to do a shed load of travelling while we're there and waste snowboarding time.
Basing ourselves in Hakuba seems our best bet, any thoughts and advise would be appreciated.


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

With daughter in tow, I'd look at Nozawa!!!!!

Stay in a Ryokan, eat out at some cool Izakaya, do the Onsen Shuffle, and go see the Snow Monkeys at Jigokudani!!!!! * Unless its a deep pow day, go see the monkeys on a weekend so as to avoid the crowds in the hill!!!!!

If you were/are there jan 15th, the fire festival is also on in Nozawa!!!!!

Access is super easy via Shinkansen from Tokyo > Nagano, then bus Nagano > Nozawa!!!!!


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

It's gonna be from about the 20th dec the wife is a head teacher so we can only have school holidays. Daughters not the problem she's skiing at competition level and races slalom in the uk and can't wait for some pow, the wife however likes nice gentle slopes to cruise down so as long as she's happy it's more about the pow runs.
The snow monkeys do look cool.


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

Plenty of Pow to be had at Nozawa anyways!!!!! :thumbsup:

And Jogokudani can be easily accessed via Hakuba as well!!!!!


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

From my step brother who came in early feb - Nozawa can be a bit tough in the middle bit when the pow is deep, especially for snowboarders (the mountain is sort of a circus tent shape, steep, flaaaat, then steep again). He really preferred shiga kogen for variety, and said he would have skipped nozawa if he knew.

My first and only experience with Nozawa as a ski resort was during a very icy period, The top area was basically a steep ice rink and not at all fun. Lower sections were good, i did enjoy it, but it wasnt "OMG!" good. 

The Onsens there however are amazing.... But might not be all that enjoyable for a first timer? I am not talking about the paid onsens; you have them near almost all ski resorts. Nozawa is famous for the 13 public onsens which are community maintained. You can go onsen-hopping and see all sorts of different onsens. BUT they are hot as hell. Like 45 deg C or more hot. For an Onsen first timer this would be basically unbearable (it hurts to put your hand in it the first time). 

But, its one of the popular areas for Australians at the moment, so you will see more English spoken there, even some non-smoking bars (spun me out - I had never seen that in Japan before).


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

Yeah, there is a flat transition between the top and bottom of the mountain, but once ya work it out it's not a big deal!!!!! Either ride the top area, or the bottom dependent on conditions and crowds!!!!!

There's plenty of off piste and out of bounds if ya keen though, and when it pukes, it really does puke!!!!! Has to be the deepest pow I've ever ridden!!!!! Scary Deep!!!!! 

But on second thoughts, seein as ya goin around the 20th, it might even pay to go North, and get a more reliable chance of powder in Hokkaido?????

The travel from Tokyo is no real biggie as there's regular flights, and heaps of buses to get ya to ya destination!!!!! Plus the seafood is awesome, if ya like a bit of crab!!!!!


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

I wanted to go to Hokkaido but the connecting flights seem pretty pricey, although I might be looking in the wrong place and it means we'll lose time on the mountain.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

You will lose a day to internal travel each way if you fly to hokkaido or train to nagano.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

I have transferred to hokkaido and been out there for the arvo-nighta session. If you went to nagano it would be after lunch before you could hit the slopes so there isnt much difference really. 
Shink tickets are not cheap either.


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## SGboarder (Jun 24, 2012)

ETM said:


> I have transferred to hokkaido and been out there for the arvo-nighta session. If you went to nagano it would be after lunch before you could hit the slopes so there isnt much difference really.
> Shink tickets are not cheap either.


Yes, exactly.


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

hmm so many places so little time.....


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Not sure if the powder hounds would approve, but Niigata, specifically Yuzawa is 1hr 15 min by shinkansen from Tokyo, and around 6000yen each way. A day trip from Tokyo is not only doable, but usually done by thousands of Japanese all through winter. Kagura opens mid-late Nov and is a 20 minute bus ride from the Shinkansen station (if you book accommodation out that way i assume they would come and pick you up too)

An early riser might catch a 7:00am train from Tokyo, and be on the slopes by 9am


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

2 Hours from boardin a train, to boardin?????

Sounds like a pretty stressful ambition to me!!!!!


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Land at narita, find your way to the train sration and get on the nex. Get off at ueno? (help me here) and find your way to the shink platform. Catch shink to yuzawa or to nagano and bus to Iiyama (pick your resort).

Vs

Land at narita, transfer to new chitose and catch a bus to niseko, rusutsu, kiroro.

Both options have you on snow within a few hours of each other Imo and you will probably have a better base in hokkaido. 
IMO choose the place you would prefer to go to and book there, travel time really isnt a deal breaker


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

SGboarder said:


> Not really. Can easily be done in 2.5 hours in a relaxed fashion, 2 hours definitely possible with a slight sense or urgency.


Maybe if the connectin bus is ready to leave as soon as ya get off the train, then the bus drops you off at ya accomo, where ya gear is readied and on standby, lift tickets already sorted!!!!!

In reality, I can't see 2 hours bein feasible!!!!!


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Shinkansen stops at the Ropeway for Gala Yuzawa.

I was talking about Tokyo to the slopes too - i would leave my house wearing my snow gear.

But on the times when i have gone to Kagura by shinkansen, there are hotel shuttle services waiting for passengers, who jump straight in and head off, no waiting around. Suppose the unpacking of bags/snowgear and all that would make it impossible for the international visitor, but for someone leaving from Tokyo its entirely doable.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Do agree with ETM, on the distance from Narita though. Might even be quicker than the other two options, on account of the train from Narita taking close to an hour.

So if you plan on heading straight there, it sounds like Hokkaido would be a good bet. For the Tokyo bit, you can fly from Sapporo to Haneda (The other Tokyo airport, a lot closer to the city), do the city part and then fly back home from Narita.


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

tokyo_dom said:


> Shinkansen stops at the Ropeway for Gala Yuzawa.
> 
> I was talking about Tokyo to the slopes too - i would leave my house wearing my snow gear.
> 
> But on the times when i have gone to Kagura by shinkansen, there are hotel shuttle services waiting for passengers, who jump straight in and head off, no waiting around. Suppose the unpacking of bags/snowgear and all that would make it impossible for the international visitor, but for someone leaving from Tokyo its entirely doable.


I agree with it bein doable if ya a local resident!!!!!


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

ETM said:


> Land at narita, find your way to the train sration and get on the nex. Get off at ueno? (help me here) and find your way to the shink platform. Catch shink to yuzawa or to nagano and bus to Iiyama (pick your resort).
> 
> Vs
> 
> ...


With option 2 bein a whole lot easier in regards to luggage handlin too!!!!!


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## SGboarder (Jun 24, 2012)

Mizu Kuma said:


> *Maybe if the connectin bus is ready to leave as soon as ya get off the train*, then the bus drops you off at ya accomo, where ya gear is readied and on standby, lift tickets already sorted!!!!!
> 
> In reality, I can't see 2 hours bein feasible!!!!!


Which is why those fiendishly clever shuttle bus operators have scheduled their departures ~15 minutes after the arrival of the shinkansen in echigo-yuzawa...

Take it from people who have been there that it is easily doable (except for stopping at/checking in at accommodation, obviously).


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

SGboarder said:


> Which is why those fiendishly clever shuttle bus operators have scheduled their departures ~15 minutes after the arrival of the shinkansen in echigo-yuzawa...
> 
> Take it from people who have been there that it is easily doable (except for stopping at/checking in at accommodation, obviously).


So unless ya gear up in the bus, and dump ya luggage at the ticket office, ya kinda agree that 2 hours Train > Strapping in is kinda questionable?????

Plus dont forget that the OP was originally talkin Hakuba also!!!!!

And I never take opinions as gospel!!!!! Used in conjunction with my own research, and added to real life experience is my yardstick!!!!!


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Also, when doing the early morning thing, you usually cant check into the hotel (or it costs extra for early check-in). I usually just literally walk in, take my boots/board out of my bag and put the rest in the lobby. Other times i have just skipped the hotel altogether, put my bags in the lockers at the resort.

Its all about planning, and being serious about spending every available minute on the slopes (breakfast onigiri on the lift going up, lunch at the least crowded hillside restaurant, telling slower friends that you will wait for them at the bottom, but just end up forgetting them, standard stuff).


Actually to be honest, the best way to get the most out of a day at the slopes (for Niigata, or Hakuba areas) would be the night bus from Tokyo. Get there at 5-6am, take your time getting ready, and still get to ride that fresh corduroy while you watch the sun rising over the mountain ranges. Save a night's accommodation costs, and no time wasted travelling.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

You cant leave 2 peoples international luggage in a locker unfortunately, you would really need to get to your accom and leave it with them under the old protective security net lol


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

Not a fan of the red eye shuttle either!!!!!

Unless ya the type that can sleep comfortably in an upright seat, ya gonna feel like a bag of crap once ya on the hill!!!!!


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

Can't really do the red eye option with an 11 year old, basically it's gonna be easier for me to fly to and from the same destination as some UK airports will fly to Tokyo but not Sapporo and vise versa and it's gonna be a pain in the ass to leave from one UK airport and arrive back at another. 
We've got 14 nights to play with and the wife would like 2 of those in Tokyo so it means we will have to fly into there and transfer to wherever we're gonna stay for the rest of the time then head back to Tokyo to fly home. 
I mentioned Hakuba just off what we'd read on the net if it definitely worth making the trip to Hokkaido I'll look into that although the wife may be sad about the monkeys.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

F#@k the monkeys lol.
Biggest waste of time in japan they are.


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

ETM said:


> F#@k the monkeys lol.
> Biggest waste of time in japan they are.


Lol so taking the monkeys out the equation is it definitely worth flying upto Hokkaido?


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

francium said:


> Lol so taking the monkeys out the equation is it definitely worth flying upto Hokkaido?


Purely because it is early season I would say yes. Hit Rusutsu, that place rocks.


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## francium (Jan 12, 2013)

Will look into it thanks for the advise people.


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

francium said:


> Can't really do the red eye option with an 11 year old, basically it's gonna be easier for me to fly to and from the same destination as some UK airports will fly to Tokyo but not Sapporo and vise versa and it's gonna be a pain in the ass to leave from one UK airport and arrive back at another.
> We've got 14 nights to play with and the wife would like 2 of those in Tokyo so it means we will have to fly into there and transfer to wherever we're gonna stay for the rest of the time then head back to Tokyo to fly home.
> I mentioned Hakuba just off what we'd read on the net if it definitely worth making the trip to Hokkaido I'll look into that although the wife may be sad about the monkeys.


In this case, Takkyubin ya gear to ya accomodation as soon as ya land in Tokyo so ya don't have to cart it around with ya!!!!!

And I reckon it's a wise choice to go North at that time of the season!!!!! :thumbsup:

And ya can always leave the snow monkeys till next time ya there in a later month, as I'm sure you'll wanna go back!!!!!


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

At that time of year I would hit up Hokkaido all the way. Way higher chances of scoring superb conditions. Rusutsu could work well with young ones.


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## mtw (Nov 5, 2012)

Sorry to kind of hijack the thread, but I have essentially the same question except I'd be there from ~24th Jan through 18th Feb.

Would you go North or South?


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Those dates are perfect for everywhere in japan.


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## mtw (Nov 5, 2012)

Good to hear 

Leaning towards the south as I've done the north before. Shiga Kogen, Hakuba, and Nozawa Onsen for a week each... Any suggestions for good accommodation in Nozawa Onsen? I've already found some pretty good looking deals for the other two that I think I'll book.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

I know a few people that stay at toemu and dont mind it. It seems nice enough. 
Futon beds, communal toilet and showers.
Easy english bookings.


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