 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, looking for advice on arranging/booking a trip to Japan. I've organised many a trip to the Alps on a DIY basis and was contemplating the same for a Japan trip. However, I've never been to Japan before and don't know the language. Willing to give DIY a bash though. Or is a package deal the way to go? Any advice/tips and pros/cons appreciated. We're a party of three travelling with our skis & boards. Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We have done both, first time used Japanskiexperience which was good, though to be honest we just used them to book hotels and the shared taxi transfer from Narita to Hakuba. We planned a 2 resort trip-Hakuba and Myoko. Never got to Myoko coz of huge snowstorm. So we had to change our plans cos of weather and the consequential knock of effect on transport. The whole of Honshu was in chaos, but we coped fine.
The second time, we completely DIY'd it. (We had been to Japan for a non ski holiday about 8 years ago too, so did have a sense of how Japan "works"). Again we went to Hakuba as it was where stepson and then a friend's daughter were working as instructors for the last 2 seasons. I have to say that the reason he got the job there was because we went to the ski show at Earls Court in the November and there was a whole section dedicated to Japan, with lots of info from the various resorts. Might be worth the price of an entry fee just for that. Very useful bumpf that is hard to pick up elsewhere.
Online hotel booking is available so you can pretty much get that sorted. Resorts with a reasonable Aussie and western reputation brings with it some English speakers and the Japanese are very willing to try and help even with the language barrier. Everyone muddles through with good humour! I would guess that most resorts websites now have an English version which will give links to transfer companies and info.
Signage in the bigger resorts, stations and Tokyo will be in western as well as Japanese script. Though some of my party last time around contemplated hiring a car and the airport for the 4 hour drive to the mountains, we decided against it. Generally hire cars do not come with English speaking/scripted satnavs! The main resorts have dedicated transfer taxi services, or you can use trains and buses quite easily. Bullet trains are awesome. A must do.
I can't speak for Hokkaido, but in theory, given that the resorts there tend to be the ones people aim for, my guess is that DIY is really easy.
We will definitely go back. The powder is awesome. Hakuba was great, especially Hakuba Cortina where you can ski powder in the trees all day., though from our experience don't expect high tech and glossy resort infrastructure. The Hakuba area is 4 hrs from Tokyo. Definitely want to go to the uber traditional resort of Nozawa Onsen and really am not that bothered about language problems.
Try and stay in a traditional Ryokan if you can. Somewhere with its own onsen. Be prepared to ski, all day , then onsen, and have dinner no later than 6.30pm.. I would not go for half board as then you miss out on the alternative restaurant offerings which can be amazing and very good value (sometimes also a bit weird!) . I would not self cater as grocery stores aren't really set up for western cooking ingredients.
If you head for a resort on Honshu, the chances are you will need to spend one night in Tokyo before flying home cos of flight times.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Great info... cheers
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Been four times to Hokkaido, always booked flights, accom and car hire independently.
Can't see past black diamond tours and lodge based in niseko village for accom and any tours you might want to go on.
Plus staying with them you are in a lodge full of like minded people and end up tagging along or lift sharing to different resorts. Made some pretty good friends out there while on holiday that I now meet for skiing from all over the world.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Was looking at Hakuba so really appreciate that @Perty. DIY becoming more appealing, It's about the adventure after all! Bullet train to Nagano, hire a car, traditional base, then some resort hopping could be the way to go. Will check out 'ryokans'.
Niseko also on the cards @sparkzter. I've heard stories about the backcountry!
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@skidm, yup...train to Nagano is dead easy. The train to and from Tokyo station from the airport (Haneda last time for us) doesn't take too long but does involve once change and some lugging of kit. Tokyo station is HUGE and can be a bit confusing. If you stay overnight before your flight home, there are plenty of hotels near the station. Taxis in Tokyo are virtually all saloon cars run on gas. They therefore have no boot space and cannot take skis-so bear that in mind for getting to any hotel in the city.
Rather than hire a car at the Nagano end, most people take the shuttle bus to Hakuba, takes an hour. There is also a company-Naganosnowshuttle.com (run by a kiwi) which does direct buses from the airport and between resorts. We used them when we wanted to get from Hakuba to Myoko in 2014. We got as far as Nagano, which was knee deep in snow, and the bus to get us to Myoko was not even able to get out to us. The owner kindly put us strays in his people carrier and drove us all the way back to Hakuba via a huge and extremely cool sushi restaurant.
What worked best for us was a shared taxi transfer from Haneda direct to the resort (so easy and I think was about £60 each) but the train back again at the end so you could get right into the city. Certainly in Happo there is a free shuttle around the resort and to the nearby resorts of Goryu, 47 and Iwatake. The bus to Cortina was about £2.50. Taxis are abundant, and, though still of the saloon car variety, sport home made wooden roof bars and large rubber band to keep your skis on!
In Hakuba Happo One there are some large 90s style hotels, built for the 98 Olympics as well as smaller places and self catering. Happo is probably the best base. Don't expect alpine charm...the architecture is a bit random. There are quite a few smaller more traditional places to stay though which do have some charm. At the cheaper end of the scale, you may share bathrooms. We stayed in the Hakuba Hifumi the first time which was really nice- traditional and the owner speaks English. Check out reviews on trip advisor. The good places do get booked up. Also bear in mind the peak season runs over Christmas till the end of Jan as the Aussies are on their school/ Christmas hols, then there's another peak week a little later for the Chinese New Year.
In Happo, and the main resorts around, skiing off piste is not allowed, except in designated areas. That doesn't stop the Westerners chancing their arms. There are efforts being made to open up more areas to off piste by the owner of the English speaking ski school Evergreen Outdoor centre. They do backcountry tours. Hakuba does have 11m of snow per year, so on piste can be pretty darned amazing when it snows anyway. (I've never seen a snow cannon in Japan, they just don't need them).
In Hakuba Cortina however, the rules are different and it's open season for everyone to ski the whole ski area. It's only 20 mins up the road but it gets about 14m of snow per year. If that is tempting you might want to look at the hotel Green Plaza, which is the only place to stay at the bottom of the slopes.Its is huge, looks like it was designed by someone who thought they knew what an Elizabethan mansion looked like, but only as described by an alien. Again, stuck in an 80s time warp...but to have the skiing in Cortina linked over the back to Norikura on the doorstep on a powder day is awesome. I chatted to a kiwi last season who had come back from Hokkaido and said he preferred it to Niseko as there were far fewer people.
As you can tell, I am a complete enthusiast. Japan is such a different experience. Get stuck in, the Japanese are very keen to please and unspeakably polite. Remember to be polite back..
I could go on, but will stop now!
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Great stuff @Perty. Can I ask have you been to Hakuba or the Chuba region in late March / early April and if so what conditions did you experience? I know there's no guarantees, but can we still be confident of finding great powder and off-piste in Spring time?
Btw, just purchased the 'Snow Search Japan' book, which at first glance seems packed with info. Hopefully now I won't have to bore everyone with daft questions!
Cheers.
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We have been in early Feb and late Feb into early March. I think it does warm up more quickly than the Alps so the season is a little shorter at the end you are thinking of. We did have rainy conditions, turning to snow last time we went. But we still had awesome powder too! My guess is that there is less of it about late Feb early March.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@skidm, like you I have booked many DIY trips across Europe and in the last couple of years in the USA too. We have also opted for Japan in 2016 and have had no issues in booking DIY. Decided on staying in Myoko in a traditional Ryokan, at the end of January for 10 nights. Seems such a shame going all the way to Japan not to sample more of the country so we will then head back to spend 4 nights in Tokyo before flying home. Using Airbnb for the Tokyo stay, saved a great deal on city hotel prices.
To get to from the Nagano area we will be buying JR East rail passes, these cover you for unlimited rail on 5 days within a 14 day period so as well as both transfer journeys we will use for a couple of day trips, to see the snow monkeys etc. Had thought about a shared taxi transfer but then we won't get to experience the Shinkansen bullet trains!
I found the whole process a bit more daunting than the typical Euro/US trip, but so looking forward to both the skiing and cultural experience. Good luck with your planning
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| smithski wrote: |
@skidm, like you I have booked many DIY trips across Europe and in the last couple of years in the USA too. We have also opted for Japan in 2016 and have had no issues in booking DIY. Decided on staying in Myoko in a traditional Ryokan, at the end of January for 10 nights. Seems such a shame going all the way to Japan not to sample more of the country so we will then head back to spend 4 nights in Tokyo before flying home. Using Airbnb for the Tokyo stay, saved a great deal on city hotel prices.
To get to/from the Nagano area we will be buying JR East rail passes, these cover you for unlimited rail on 5 days within a 14 day period so as well as both transfer journeys we will use for a couple of day trips, to see the snow monkeys etc. Had thought about a shared taxi transfer but then we won't get to experience the Shinkansen bullet trains!
I found the whole process a bit more daunting than the typical Euro/US trip, but so looking forward to both the skiing and cultural experience. Good luck with your planning |
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All sounds fantastic and is on my "to do" list!
What are the prices like for lift passes? Is there a season pass that would be worth buying or would that be too restrictive?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Bergmeister, Sorry not sure about season pass availability and/or prices, but in the Myoko area a daily pass is in the region of £25 as there are a few areas we will be skiing and they are not on the same pass. I think each of the smallish (by European standards) areas do have weekly or longer passes they are just not practical for our needs. Sorry this isn't more helpful
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| skidm wrote: |
Great stuff @Perty. Can I ask have you been to Hakuba or the Chuba region in late March / early April and if so what conditions did you experience? I know there's no guarantees, but can we still be confident of finding great powder and off-piste in Spring time?
Btw, just purchased the 'Snow Search Japan' book, which at first glance seems packed with info. Hopefully now I won't have to bore everyone with daft questions!
Cheers. |
Hokkaido info in this thread
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=119467&highlight=japan
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi, sorry to hijack this thread but it seems like a good place to ask. I am investigating a trip to Japow for 2017, I am thinking 7 days in Niseko then a few days in Tokyo before coming home. I am a small chap 5'2" and I have my own snowboard so I always take that with me (as finding suitable hire boards is a struggle due to my size) but I am worried that lugging this around Japan and especially into and out of Tokyo might be too much of a hassle. Any opinions on this?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@smithski, Wow that's amazing thank you so much!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@smithski, are you going with the family?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@kitenski, Hey there, long time no speak. Yes it's the four of us
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@smithski, indeed, hope your are well, are you l3 yet 
Sounds great, are they missing any school? Would love to go with my family perhaps when the youngest is a bit older...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@skidm, hi we did it totally independent, used the JR rail pass as mentioned about, also the bus transfer to Shiga Kogen from Nagano station, which you can use to visit the snow monkeys on your ski pass, http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=73205&highlight= is the link to the spot i did were we went, we also had 3 days in Tokyo at the end and had our ski's sent direct to the airport from the resort, the place we stayed at organised it as will any hotel or guest house. we used a book Snow Search Japan as a guide it might be a bit out of date now but still useful.
we also did Zao and you can't get more authentic a Japanese resort and the lodge we stayed at arranged a taxi to puck us up and then we took the local bus back to the station.
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@radar, Our itinerary originally included just 2 days in Tokyo. The more we looked into the more we realised it wasn't enough time. Fortunately, following a schedule change by the airline, we were able to change the return flights and travel back 2 days later. Now we have 4 days to fill in Tokyo, I'm sure it won't be difficult. What did you make of the city, and how did you find the transport in Japan in general?
@kitenski... Sadly not. I had one crack at the tech around the same time as I rediscovered cycling, which is new passion in life and as such eats all my budget and time. In fact stopped teaching completely around 6 months ago, not missing it one bit. May pick it up again in a couple of years. And yes the kids will be out school for a week. Very naughty I know but it's the first and probably only time.
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@smithski, good on you, I also re discovered cycling, joined alba Rosa cc and also started time trialling this year!! Are you on Strava?
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@kitenski, will drop you PM
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@smithski, the trains where easy, we went from Narita to Zao and then from there to Nagano all on the railpass, the thing to remember is to book your seats on the trains you want, we planned all this before we went, then stand in the right spot on the platform your carriage number and train type will be marked on the platform, there are some trains you can't use with the rail pass these are the faster bullet trains, the Tokyo underground takes a little bit get used to but its fairly OK, there are signs in english as well.
The railways run on time, seats always face the direction of travel, the guard salutes when they leave the carriage, but never user your mobile phone in the carriage go to the space between carriages or the specialy provided booth.
In Tokyo there is plenty to see and do and you will easily fill your time, you also don't need to break the bank to eat and drink the lonely planet has been our main guide on the two occasions we have visited as well as the hotel concierge.
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@smithski, if your taking children depending on how old they are there is the Toyota museum or Disneyland been to the first and its quite interactive, haven't been to Disney over there
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers for the info @radar. Think you're right about that book, a good guide though could be in need of an update. Enjoyed reading your 2011 trip thread, nice pics!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just booked 8 nights in Happo One late Jan / early Feb 2016. During the stay there thinking of a short trip over to Myoko, maybe with a overnight stay before returning back to Happo the following day. I believe the transfer time between Happo and Myoko is around 2-hours. Has anyone transfered between the 2 resorts and is such a short trip to Myoko worth it?
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Just booked for a 4 day Tokyo and week in Hakuba. Did it all. Just takes some time to research and do. Direct flight to Tokyo Narita. Trains to Tokyo then Nagano. Bus to Hakuba and hotel pick up from there. Booked Hakuba hotel first about 3 months ago. Glad I did, looking now not much accomodation left.
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You know it makes sense.
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There are 2 smartphone apps, witch can help you:
"tokyosubway" (maybe it is also called TokyoMetro)
"Japan Trains"
I do not know weather I downloaded them in Europe or Japan - or if it makes any difference. (works well - if you know the name of the station!)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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For up to 1 week of skiing, would it make sense to hire skis instead of lugging them all over the place?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, if you are not to choose. But take your boots along!!!!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm thinking of organising a 2/3 week trip to Hokkaido in a year's time, in Jan / Feb. Are there any busy/expensive periods that are best avoided?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ArseCaptain, Avoid Chinese NY
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Approx. 20 December through to end of Chinese New Year (end of Jan - start of Feb) is the busiest and most expensive time on Hokkaido especially in the Niseko Resort Area.
If you’re going for 2-3 weeks then rent a car and you can stay off mountain and save a load of money.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@kitenski, @Mike Pow, Thanks!
I'm thinking from 4th - 25th Feb 2017 would be a good time then - 1 week after Chinese new year and not so late that it is spring.
I'll look into car rental, that sounds like a good idea.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I went to Hokkaido, Niseko in 2008 for 6 weeks DIY.
Got cheap flights (brother works for ba) bus from Sapporo. (Cheap enough, think I just paid once there) then stayed at a place a friend of mine knew owner, it was cheap enough but comfy. I was 2mins walk from main lift/ticket office/bus park.
Bought an hour based lift ticket. Used it wisely. Get to the top before you hour is up. Go all the way to bottom have dinner before clocking another 1hr. Used maybe 3hrs a day on about 5hrs boarding.
Loved it, if eating go to the supermarkets away from the resorts use the gaps between the windows to store food.
Happy days
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| ArseCaptain wrote: |
@kitenski, @Mike Pow, Thanks!
I'm thinking from 4th - 25th Feb 2017 would be a good time then - 1 week after Chinese new year and not so late that it is spring.
I'll look into car rental, that sounds like a good idea. |
Nowhere near Spring on Hokkaido
On average 4 snow events per week in February.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just got back from a tour with Whiteroom Tours and was really impressed... they can customise stuff if you wanted to as well - I just went for the cheapest option and went for the bog standard!
Comparing Japan with European resorts (I've mostly skied Chamonix Valley and Paradiski) the terrain per resort is pretty limited - found a mix of resorts and a guide that knew the backcountry and provided vans to and from each place depending on snow reports to be super helpful. Would have absolutely got bored rigid in just Niseko United for the 9 days skiing I had there. The options of moving around to other places within an hour drive was dead handy (Rutusu, Kiroro and Moiwa).
Hope it helps!
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