dudette asked:


Am planning for my ski trip next year… need to know what’s good in Japan in terms of snowfall, resort facillities, pricing..etc

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2 Responses to “What is the best ski resort in Japan?”

1. wuzaracer on November 16th, 2008 7:35 pm

   I have done all the research and I have found out this. The best snow is in Hokkaido. Late December to February is the peak and prime season.
   Rusutsu resort is huge wide and spread out. They have two sides to their resort. We stayed at the newer Rusutsu Tower Hotel two years in a row. The powder is great and deep. although I kept getting yelled at for riding in the trees. They should not rope off the trees. I gotta ride the powder.

   Now if you cannot go to Hokkaido, there are some good places in the Kanto area. The great thing about these places are the access from train or shinkansen. The resort with the easiest access is Gala Yuzawa, they have a shinkansen station just below their main lodge. In general the whole Echigo-Yuzawa area is lined with resorts. You can catch the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Echigo-Yuzawa station and then take taxis or free shuttles to the various resorts. In this area I like Jouestu Kokusai resort just because they are a little farther from the other places, but they have a good layout and larger size area. There is a local train stop in front to Jouestu Kokusai that runs to and from Echigo-Yuzawa station.

   Nagano has some really good resorts also, but access is not by one train. You have to take the Nagano shinkansen to Nagano station, then take buses or local trains to the Hakuba area. Then from that area you need taxi or shuttles. But as I say that the place that thad the most challenging terrain was at Hakuba 47 and Hakuba Goryuu resort (two resorts side by side).

   In general, all resorts Ihave been to in Japan have overrated terrain and trails. The black diamond runs are not comparable to the advanced trails of Kirkwood or Northstar. All resorts in Kanto are crowded, narrow and packed with people. You cannot get a decent run. People are all over the place. It is Japan. You cannot help that. Hokkaido is by far the best in terms of fun, crowds and services.

   One trick I learned over the years is to use the delivery services. I pack all our snow gear and luggage and send it to the resorts. At the resorts you claim your gear and luggage. I also do the reverse for the trip back to Tokyo. The delivery only takes 1-2 days. Many people do the same. This makes riding the busses, trains or airplane much easier. The day we arrive, I get our stuff, change and hit the snow.

   Prices, everything costs more. Rooms are priced per person per night. The prices change depending on what time of the year. New Years is the peak pricing. At the train stations and travel agencies they have the brochures and travel adds that have all the details. You can book everything from one travel agency. I usually go to the Odakyu Travel in Shinjuku, and tell them I want X resort, for Y days, for Z people, airfare, bus/shuttle included. They get everything booked and 2 weeks before departure, they call me and tell me that the tickets and vouchers are all ready. I dont remember the exact costs, but for 4 people for 4 days at Rusutsu resort in Hokkaido, it costs something like $600 per person. The time was Dec 21-24.

   I am from NorCal and I have boarded all the parks in the Tahoes and Sierras. I was snowbaording before it was a fad and boom. I am an old man on my board compared to the little groms, but I am a hardcore boarder in the sense, I do not waste time. I try to be the first out and last in. I work out year round and adjust my workouts for the winter and snowboarding. I try to be in shape to board for as long as possible. I have no limits as far as terrain and difficulty. I ride hard when the snow falls.

2. Trip on November 18th, 2008 4:12 pm

   I like Niseiko in Hokkaido. My favorite place in Nagano is Sugaike kogen.