Hakuba in March

A snowHead

Hi all,

Penciled in for a group ski trip to Japan in Mid March 17. We are planning to spend a week skiing in Hakuba but have yet to book accommodation or chose resort etc.

Our group includes a mixture of beginner and intermediate skiers with ages ranging from mid-20's to early 30's.

Any snowheads shed some light on the following:

i) What are piste conditions typically like at this time of year? The majority of reviews I've read seem to suggest that March is very much off-peak season for the area which seems a bit worrying.
ii) We'd like to stay somewhere within walking distance of the slopes and also some decent apres. A few lively bars and decent restaurants will probably suffice!
iii) How does the area typically compare price wise to the major french resorts?

Thanks

A snowHead

@theblueprint, ok I've only skied Hokkaido in Japan, but:

Why take a bunch of beginner and intermediate skiers all the way to Japan from Ireland?! Australia I could understand due to distance, but pistes in Japan tend to be way shorted and less varied than the Alps.

Yep March is late. Hakuba is a similar latitude to the southern tip of Greece, which means spring comes early and strong. I would expect snow to mostly be pretty springlike (not bad, btw!) - slush, corn, heavier powder when it snows.

Skiing in Japan is all about deep powder in the trees in Jan/Feb (tbf, Hakuba does seem to have steep big mountain/skitouring that's best in spring) and culture... Only reason to go there for piste skiing IMO is if you live (relatively) nearby - like Australia

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Thanks for the replies.

The group (whilst all Irish) are mainly travelling from Australia. Only 3 of us are travelling from Ireland and are also planning to a do a week of sightseeing in Tokyo, Fuji etc. We chose Japan as it was a good compromise in terms of location for all parties.

Looks like I was right to be worried then...

The intermediates in the group should be fine with springlike conditions as we've all skied quite a bit in the Alps during late March. Might not be great for the beginners though.

Based on likely conditions we might be better placed choosing accommodation in the middle of the Apres scene (if there is one!). A few days spent in the bar might be the perfect fix for poor snow conditions. Laughing

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I've been to Hakuba twice -once at the end of Jan for 10 days and once at the end of Feb for a similar period. My stepson and a friend's daughter worked a season each 13/14 and 14/15, so we had to go and visit them (obvs!).
Skiing in Japan is like nothing else. I think the snow will probably be quite soft at that time, but they have so much over the winter the mountains will still be covered (no snow cannons-they don't need them).Be aware, none of the resorts that make up the area could ever be described a picturesque architecturally. The vast hotel Green Plaza at Cortina for example is like some sort of vast tudorbethan nightmare designed by an architect from a parallel universe.
So-things can look a bit tired and the lifts can feel a tad clunky. HOWEVER, the whole experience is fab. Be prepared to fall rapidly into the Japanese ski day routine- so : ski, head back to base for about 4pm, Onsen, and then go out for dinner at about 6. People eat early in Japan. There are more bars open than you realise, some of which are so hidden only the locals know about them.
Best resort to base yourself in is Happo One. If you want to be near the nursery slopes for lessons in English then I suggest you stay up at the Wadano end of the village. There is a ski bus service around the resort, but it's not quite up to alpine standards and the buses are tiny. Taxis are available and good value (with home made wooden ski racks on the roof and big rubber bands to hold down the skis). Having said that, it's an easy 10 min stroll into the middle of the resort area ( which is north of the bus terminal) for restaurants, and it's a bit further and a taxi ride into the town itself which is around the station.

The English speaking ski school Evergreen outdoor centre, where our offspring worked (run by a Canadian and staffed by an assortment of Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, Canadians, the occasional Irishman and women and the odd European) is based at the bottom of the Kokusai lift. Hotels that end of town include the Mominoki which is a pretty bland 3 star but has an indoor outdoor Onsen which is very popular (at least-the Evergreen staff certainly thought so). Last time we went we stayed at the Hakuba Tokyu hotel which is close by.It's kind of smart but dated. Good Onsen though!
The first time we stayed we were at the Hakuba Hifumi in the middle of town which is lovely and a traditional Ryokan, with tatami mats in the rooms etc. The owner speaks good English. The Onsen is again lovely and they also have a "family Onsen" which you can reserve for mixed sessions by putting your room number down for a hour block on a blackboard each day. We also had a night in the Hakuba springs hotel after too much snow fell and we had to abandon a trip to stay in another resort. Bland as can be, but central. The bar next door-the Sports Bar, ended up as our watering hole of choice virtually every night.
Once you get the hang of the food you can eat really well and very inexpensively. Some of the places are tiny and you need to book. English is sometimes spoken and most people muddle along with good humour even if they don't understand. Recommended-Ohyokkuri (middle of town, old traditional black and White House), Kihachi (opposite bus terminal in middle of town, seats about 12!) and Sarugaku over in Echoland. Echoland is a bit more lively in feel, but further from easy access to the slopes. For posh western food Mimi's is excellent.
Over the two seasons we visited, I could see that things were expanding and being improved. There was definitely a better bus service around the resort for example. The nearby resorts are worth a visit and there are regular buses. We liked Goryu and 47 (which are all one area). Iwatake was lovely and had some great intermediate cruising. However, if it dumps and you are at all into off piste YOU HAVE TO GO TO CORTINA AND SKI THE TREES. Without doubt some of the best skiing I have ever done. It's 30 mins up the road by bus from the bus terminal and they get at least a couple of metres more snow on average per year.

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Thanks Perty, this is just the type of detailed reply that I was hoping for! A lot to digest but all important and key to making sure that we experience the best that Hakuba has to offer.

Thankfully I wasn't expecting picture book villages so won't be too put off by the architecture. I'm keen to experience the quirky Japanese experience.

I had read about the tree skiing in Cortina so will make sure that we schedule a day trip there if we are fortunate to get a good dump. Based on what you've told me and my brief research to date I'll be focusing my accommodation search to either Wadano or Echoland.

I think we will be able to cope with the soft conditions and can hopefully mitigate the burden with a winter sun tan! Cool

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I should add, price wise it's a shed load cheaper than France. I've just looked at the sterling yen exchange rate since we were there, and even allowing for the strengthening of the yen v £ it's good value. Can't speak for Aussie Dollar or Euro though. Once you get there accommodation is good value, a lift pass is under £30 per day or so, and you can buy a pass with a 1000 yen lunch voucher. In Cortina you can have a combined lift pass/lunch and onsen ticket for the hotel. On mountain grub is of the "check out laminated picture and point" variety-filling rather than fancy and usually large canteen style. Having said that, there was a lovely and rather random new Italian restaurant at the very near top in Happo and the food was delicious.
If you go to Cortina, make sure buy a combined ticket for the next door ski area Norikura (literally over a small hill)-which great wide pistes and a couple of quaint and quirky (for that read, a bit tatty) alpine style piste side eateries. We had a super lunch of japanese fried chicken (Karaage) in one called I think, restaurant Heidi.

After all it is free

Can't speak for Hakuba on Honshu, but March is my favourite month on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Low crowds
2-3 snow events per week, rest being sunshine
Great piste conditions
Great off-piste conditions

Still mid-winter temperatures (-2 to -7 C)

Great place and time of the season for all ability levels, especially beginners

Help!!

Hakuba in March

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