Such an amazing video!!! Thank you for the comprehensive guide on where to stay, shuttles and restaurants. We used your information to book our accommodation and can't wait to head over now from Aus.
I will be going to Myoko for a few day trips between 4-7 Jan 2024, staying in Nagano. Don’t have much info yet either other than basic transportation info.
I've watched a lot of videos but this one gave the direct infos... We are scheduled to spend New Year in Karuizawa and Hakuba... Very informative video...! New subs here...
I never comment. . .but your video was so well done! I like how you started with the layout and answered the questions people have. . .like how do I get there? Where should I stay? How to get to the slopes! One of the best RUclips videos and I've watched a lot of them. This will greatly help plan our trip. Thank you.
Great video, so many people do not understand the layout of Hakuba when they come first time. I will add couple more tips that you might find useful next time: 1. On weekends when it is busy go to Kashima-yari or Iwatake. Kashima in particular is good. 2. First resort on your map Jiigatake is really not worth going to 3. If you ski at Cortina you can get a linked ticket to Norikura next door, they are also connected and Norikura is far less busy. Talking about Cortina, the Itadaira One ridge run usually opens later and is only open for a few hours, try to be on it when it just opens, one of the most gorgeous runs in Hakuba imo 4. If you want to focus on Tsugaike, Cortina/Norikura, Tsugaike base village is a nice spot to stay. Getting to Cortina from Central hakuba is a bit of a pain. Tsugaike has a lot of ski in/out and bus or taxi to Norikura is quick
Hakuba 47 and Goryu also share lift ticket and are linked by upper runs and lifts. I spent a day at Jigatake just so I can tick off my box 😂 In hindsight I could have done a few hours at Jikatake then take the bus to Sanosaka and spent a couple hours there before heading back to Happo village. I used a wrong map that stated Sanosaka was not operating so I didn’t make that plan. I inky realised it on my way back when some people got on the bus with their gears. 😢
Really appreciated your take on the Hakuba experience. You bring an excellent vibe to the camera and your knowledge sharing will come in super helpful as we head there for Xmas 2024.
Hello WhereIsAnt. we had our first trip to Hakuba this year (from Australia) and to be honest, watching your video after our trip, your video was the most helpful. The transport is essential to think about due to the spread out layout of the ski resorts. We stayed in AirBNB in Echoland but once again booked based on the shuttle busses. Our 4 kids loved it and are desperate to return.
Thanks for the details, it's very helpful if you're not familiar with ski resorts in Japan. I can say that we ask ourselves the same type of questions about the different villages in the French ski resorts XD
Great video, we stumbled on this and recognised you from the 2 hour wait outside Asuka restaurant. We hope you are doing well Ethan and fam. What a fun trip we cant wait to do it again! -Aidan&Maxine from Melbourne!
OMG! Yes.. we do remember! Ethan says hi! He really enjoyed chatting with you both. Would be awesome to catch you both some time in another ski resort in Japan again :)
Uau! Very nice video, thank u! In early december there is snow?? I have never being in snow, I'm surching for the most practical and yet beautifull ski resort in Japan. But I also want to see momiji, planning to go middle November.
It’s a bit risky going early December. The opening dates are highly dependent on snow fall.. if you take a look at this link.. www.snowpak.com/nagano/hakuba/opening-dates You can see some years.. Hakuba ski resorts open late November, some years ski resorts open mid December. If you have 3 weeks and can stretch to mid December, you’ll have a higher chance of being able to ski as well
Super helpful video man! I was wondering if the ski resort had rentals? I cant seem to find it online and would love to confirm. Thanks for the video :D
We had excellent ski rental experience with Australian owned Rhythm Hakuba. Unique thing about them is that they can give you a ride to their rental shop as long as you are around the Hakuba area and won't hesitate to swap ski/board if you're not happy with it. Their rates are pretty reasonable too considering what you are getting g.co/kgs/EUjuFi4
Well made and very informative ❤ we are planning our first trip to Hakuba and your video definitely helps. Do you mind to share about gear and clothing rental if you have any recommendation? Thanks in advance
I should have included that in the video. We had very good experience with Rhythm Hakuba. They are located closer to Happo One Ski resort. However, you can book online in advance, and they will pick you up from your accommodation and drive you the store to get your gear. AND you get to swap your gear if you're not happy with it half way through. Best of all, you can leave your ski gear at your accommodation at the end, and let them worry about picking it up after. The price is reasonable too.
Hello! Thank you for the great video, it was very clear and informative for people heading to Hakuba for the first time! May I know if the ski resorts had good signages for the trails, not just at the start of the trail, but mid-ways too as the there are a lot of overlaps between beginner and intermediate/advanced trails? Thank you!
This will vary resort to resort for Hakuba as they are all run by different operators. In general though, my experience is that where the trails split into two different levels (say a green on the left, and red run on the right), they will have a sign to tell you which way is which. It's not always the case, but from memory, I' haven't had trouble navigating around their resorts using maps they provided.
Don't mind at all! We used the usual suspects for hotel bookings like booking.com and agoda.com. Sometimes, we use the more 'local' ones like Japanican.com. Start with searching for "hotels" on Google Maps near Hakuba. The listings there usually will link you to these hotel bookings sites. Do let me know if you would like any clarifications!
4:00 I forgot to mention in my previous comment that you missed two little resorts which are also parts of the Hakuba Valley Resorts: Jigatake and Sanosaka.
Thanks.. complete list here I think: www.hakubavalley.com/en/ski_resort_info_en/ Definitely need to make another trip there some day to cover all of them!
Wow.. Sahoro looks like an interesting ski resort to look into! Thanks for that. We've been to Furano and Tomamu near it but haven't come across Sahoro!
Best place to stay in Hakuba is Echoland, plenty of accommodation, restaurants and shuttle services to the ski resorts, it's basically the main centre.
You catch a bus you be stuck at that the resort all day. No return bus service until 3.30 pm for all resorts. Hire a car is the best option. And the Happo shuttle bus don't stop at Norikura. Norikura Alps No 10 pair lift is my favourite run. But Hakuba is crowded and has lot of Aussies and Kiwis. The best run in Japan ( my opinion ) is the ropeway at Mt Hakkoda Aomori Prefecture.
hate to bother you a year later but i’m heading to Japan soon and looking at resorts to board at i’m aussie so i’d feel way more comfortable around my kin but just wondering how crowded you’re talking, if you’ve ever been to coronet peak or the remarkables in NZ that’s your best point of comparison for me to understand cheers man
Hi I saw in the beginning of the video that you were sliding across the ice with some kind of tube. May i know where was it at? I would like to go there with my toddler. Thanks😊
I'm assuming you are talking about the slide at 2:20 in the video. That is at Iwatake Mountain Resort. I believe they call that general play area Iwatake White Park now: iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter/whitepark It's where Yoo Hoo Swing is as well with a nice mountain cafe as well, so it's both fun for adults and kids. Can easily be done as a day trip while you are at Hakuba. You'll love it. Let me know if you need any more information
Thanks for the video. Im planning to go to hakuba during Feb24 after CNY. Just sightseeing and not plan to do ski as bring kids 2yrs old. My trip is day trip from tokyo. Which area is recommended where we just can have fun play todoggan and light activity. Is there any rental shop can rent todoggan?
I would highly recommend Iwatake, which is a short bus ride from Hakuba bus terminal, followed by a gondola ride up to the top. There’s nice view, nice restaurants, cafe, ice slides, toboggan hills… check out their website.. iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter/whitepark Yes.. you will be able to rent those gear up there. Might even be complimentary from memory.
9:53 Earlier this year I went to Hakuba and did all 8 resorts you mentioned in one trip (8 skiing days out of 12 nights stay.) I’m glad I did cuz now I know how each resort looks and feels like as well as where I should take my friends of different abilities to.
@@whereisant I stayed near Happo Bus terminal so it’s possible to get around by shuttle buses. As for resorts, Hakuba 47/Gotyu, Cortina/Norikura are linked and shared lift passes so I did each pair together in one day. I actually did Tsugaike and Kishimayari twice each. Let me brag a bit cuz I’m so proud of my achievement. During my six weeks I managed to visit 30 (thirty) ski resorts from Hokkaido to Kyoto. Very very tiring but I could tick off my boxes 🤣
Ok.. I never made it to Cortina, and others commented that it took a while (or presumably more difficult) to get there from Hakuba Bus Terminal. Wow.. I've been to a different Japanese ski resort (without repeating any) every single year for the last 10 years, but you've managed to cover 30 in a single season! Would you mind sharing your top 5 or 10? Definitely would like to plan for the next one around recommendations from others
@@whereisant Cortina/Norikura isn't harder to get to than any other resort in the Valley if you stay near the Happo Bus Terminal. The Bus schedule is just a bit earlier. The first HV-2 Bus leaves Happo Bus Terminal at 7:20 arriving at Tsugaike 7:44, Norikura 7:49, and Cortina 8:00. So that's about 29 mins to Norikura and 40 mins to Cortina. These travel durations are comparable to HV-3 to Hakuba 47 (24 mins) and Goryu (35 mins.) The return trip schedule isn't very ideal to my liking because 15:40 is too early and 17:25 is too late, but still. The last lift is 16:30 so you get some time to fix your gear and toilet before heading to the bus stop. (Will write about my thoughts on the resorts in a different Reply so this doesn't get too long.)
@@whereisant As for my thoughts on Japanese resorts, I must first state that I'm a budget solo traveler so balancing the budget is my priority, trading some services and comfort for cheaper prices. From what I see, there are two different categories of ski resorts in Japan: village resorts and hotel resorts. Hotel Resorts mostly cater to high-end and family guests with lots of side activities provided by the Hotels. They are normally stand-alone with no other business/town next to it so you rely on whatever services and activities they provide. Since they are very expensive, staying at Hotel Resorts is out of my budget. Therefore, they can only be done as day-trippers. Village resorts cater to a broader range of guests, with lots of choices to choose from at all price points. Therefore, it's natural that I'd choose to stay at these village resorts over the other type. Having said that, since my mission was to visit as many resorts as possible, I have to stay in big cities where I can take trains/shuttle buses to each of the resorts. If you are looking for a family-oriented Hotel resort, and only looking for leisure skiing/boarding and not hard-core, I feel that Tomamu is a good place for family with lots of side activities. They even have snow carts running alongside skiers. It looked fun, I must admit. Rusutsu Resort is a large ski resort by Japanese standards with heaps of activities and very good terrain to ski on-priest or tree runs, provided the weather isn't shutting down their lifts. Although, the Rusutsu lift pass is quite expensive. Maybe their inclusive package might be cheaper, but I only did a day trip and the lift cost 8300 yen. I heard that Appi Kogen is very good too, but the day I went the weather was nasty and they shut most of the upper lifts so I didn't get to see much. Alts Bandi resort is low in elevation so the snow can be hit and miss. The day I went in early Feb, the snow was spring-like. (Continued with village resorts in another Reply.)
If you change hotels while in Hakuba then you have wasted half a day taking your bags from A to B when you could be skiing.There is a Olympic cross country ski course at The Snow Harp near Sano Saka resort.
There should be a lot of options but a bit spread out. There's quite a lot of restaurants near the main bus terminal if you are not sure and want to explore around. The best ramen for me.. is one that was suggested by locals.. and it's this one called "Takahashi Ke" : :maps.app.goo.gl/Np538Fuj9zcVdXxH8
Hi thanks for the great video! I am going mid dec this year... do you recommend booking ski gear from Rhythm in advance? I am staying near Happo one bus terminal for 4 nights, but will be skiing at Goryu/hakuba47 for day 1 of ski, and perhaps happo one for day 2 and 3 of skiing. In 1 of your replies, u mentioned Rhythm pick u up and drop u off all the ski resorts? Pls can u share more info. Thank u
Yes I would absolutely recommend Rhythm for the convenience of driving you to ski shop to pickup your gear, and simply have them come and take the gear away from you from your hotel when returning. They don't specifically pickup to take you to ski resorts though, (although some drivers may do it if not busy). Mostly just to their ski shop which happens to be a short walk to Happo One. If I go to Happo One that day.. I would ask for a pickup to get the gear waxed before heading to Happo One :)
I usually go mid-Dec to early-Jan. Some years it's great, some years not so great. If you're not after powder snow everyday, then it really doesn't matter. Even the "not so great years, we still managed to get very decent snow. Only downside is that not the entire resort is open during the early season. All footage you see in this video is shot around mid-Dec.
Thanks for sharing the great video. May I know the name of the cafe with the cat pls? Wish to visit it in the next trip😊. I also like Hotel Hakuba. Quiet (but not remote) location with shuttle bus available outside, and Starbucks, my favorite North Face cafe and Coop supermarket are just 10-15 mins' walk away. During my stay this year, there were some bluebird days that I could saw the mountain of Hakuba Happo from the room. It was as magnificent as the Swiss Alps!
The cat cafe in the video is Cafe Mocha. It's a chain pet cafe that you can find at most of the shopping malls littered all over Japan. Hotel Hakuba didn't stand out on paper. But I guess it's one of those low key gems that turn out better than they appear. It does seem to be marketed towards locals than foreigners which is probably why it's good for those of us that like "local experiences". Yet.. there's Starbucks and North Face just next door! :) Anyway.. thanks for watching the video!
We went from 23rd Dec to 3rd Jan. Pretty much the dates that you want to go. It was quiet the first 2 days.. but the last week of December (from 26th Dec onwards), that was when you can feel the crowd really starts to come in. No problem with snow.. but you will need to think about booking restaurants that you might want to try out in Hakuba village, unless you want to spend time lining up for dinner. It's that bad!!
Crowd wise.. definitely much better before 26th Dec. Generally accommodation and ski lift tickets are slightly cheaper too just before the last week. Depending on snow.. with climate change and all... They may not open up all the lifts yet.. not even the last week of Dec. Not an issue if first time skiing or ok with less chances of "powder snow". So if you're not fussed with that.. definitely better to avoid that last week.
I went mid December, which was early season. So snow wasn't quite heavily dumping just yet. I think March will be fine as long as you are now looking for powder snow. It will be fantastic for spring skiing! Blue sky.. you can actually enjoy the views.. probably great for carving.
For rental ski gear, we booked it through Rhythm Snowsports on their online website. Good thing about using them is that, they can pick you up and drop you off back at your resort (including swapping gear if you don't like it, or something needs adjustments). So if you're moving around different accommodations, it's super convenient. For lift tickets, we just bought it on the day at the particular ski resort given we want to try different ski resorts. You can of course buy it online they day before if you wish to save a little bit of money
My son was eight and didn’t need child care so can’t comment. The ski school we used at Happo One called Everest, does appear to offer child care. www.evergreen-skischool.com/daycare-in-hakuba/ Because Hakuba is so spread out, it maybe troublesome to have to drop off your kids at a day care and then go to ski fields further away from it. There’s quite a few day care around: www.samuraisnow.com/hakuba-child-care-babysitting-daycare So it may pay to research upfront! As with ski lessons.. it’s a good idea to book them well in advance!
Thank you for the very educational video. We are planning to go this Feb and we will just be there for 2 days. Hoping you can help with a few questions: Is the shuttle service in the area free? What's the recommended resort for 1st time skiers and whats the most scenic resort? For gear rental, can you take your gear on different resorts or do you need to rent a different gear per resort? Thank you!!
Yes the shuttle service in the area that takes you to various nearby resorts are free. Most of the ski resorts are all quite scenic if you make it to the top of the mountain. But for me, if you only have time for one, I would say it's Iwatake resort (although it's not a very big resort for skiing) For gear rental.. if you are going to multiple resorts.. I would highly recommend going with Rhythm Hakuba. This Australian company is very helpful and will also drive you to and from your hotel to pick up your gear and drop you off to the nearby ski resorts as well. So it's very very convenient if you don't have your own transport. When it comes time to return the ski gear, there's no need to drop it off at their shop. Just call them and they'll come to your hotel to pickup the gear!
Hey buddy - awesome vids and review ! just a quick Q, though I've been to Hakuba and Shiga Kogen, I'm planning to head to Hakuba again, but driving (20th Jan for about 6 nights) did you ever drive ? and whats it like ? cheers mate !
We only drove at Shiga Kogen. It's a time saver for sure when you have a car. We had no issues getting around with winter tires on our rental car, even on days when it was snowing. We were probably lucky that we didn't have a day where it snowed so heavily we couldn't drive. I imagine it's even better with a car at Hakuba given how spread out the area is. You'll love it! I wished I had a car for Hakuba!
@whereisant mate, thank you so much for the reply ! This time I am training it to Nagano, then driving from Nagano to Hakuba... Fingers crossed weather isn't too hectic. Love your vids btw !
We didn't book all of our accommodations at once. Some we booked 9 months ahead, some only 2 months ahead. Not all of them is open/available for booking well in advance either. We tend to book early making sure the accommodation can be cancelled with little to no penalty. That way, if something we prefer is available closer to date, we can change it. It's not a bad idea to email the ones you are interested in directly to find out when they are open for booking
Hakuba specifically? Would say mid Nov is a bit too soon. Generally starts at least early December. Much better chances of decent snow coverage towards mid December. If you are going in Nov, make sure you have plenty of non ski related activities to make up for it in case there's no snow.
I haven't personally gone skiing in April so can't say for sure. There will be snow, just not the fluffy snow that Japan is famous for. I imagine only the bigger ones will remain open (like Happo One and Goryu). As you are already aware, free shuttle bus stopped already, so you're probably better off renting a car or make sure you stay in one that's walking distance to the ski resort. I'm sure it's fun too, with little to no crowd in April
hello, thanks for amazing videos! I'm planning to get Hakuba from Nagano and back again to Nagano after doing ski, so i have some questions 1. is there any bus to get iwatake ski resort and back again to Nagano in the same day? 2. what's the recommend gear rental nearby iwatatake? and is it possible to leave my belongings here? Thank you!
I am not aware of a direct bus service from Nagano to Iwatake. Your option is to take a direct bus to Happo bus terminal. From there, it's an easy swap to another bus that can get you to Iwatake ski resort. Hopefully others here could help you there if there is a better option For rental gear.. if you are only there for a day and not planning to visit any other resort, then your best option is to rent on mountain. There is one right at IWATAKE gondola, e.g. www.skihakuba.com/spicy-rentals.htm Trying to fit in a day skiing to Iwatake is possible but probably a bit tiring. Ski lockers are available to keep your stuff for the day apparently
Thanks for the great information. Btw my family are planning to visit hakuba this winter. We will be staying there for 3days. Three of us are advanced skiier and two are complete beginners. I have some questions sorry 😊 1. we arrive at narita airport, should renting a car in Nagano be good? or would it be batter to rent a car at the airport. 2 We booked near Tsugaike. Would it be boring for only skiing in Tsugaike? If you pick one where would you additionally go? 3. Do you know some good onsen or nice places for family near hakuba? Places that take 1hour is fine with us :) 4. Last,, would the snow condition be good after Feb 20?
Thanks for watching the video! For your questions: 1. Personally, I prefer to drive outside of major cities like Tokyo/Osaka to avoid the messy roads and traffic. I've never had issues renting from either of the major car rental companies in smaller cities (i.e. Toyota / Nissan Rental). From Narita, it's a pretty long drive, and you probably want to save yourself the hassle and train it to Nagano first and then pickup a car there. 2. Regarding Tsugaike, given you're only spending 3 days there, I think it will be fine. Even if Tsugaike alone is too boring for you, you can always take a shuttle bus to the next resort. Given you have a mix of advanced/beginners, sticking to Tsugaike is probably fine to not waste time travelling. But if you find it too boring, then hopping on the bus to visit Iwatake or Norikura next door isn't too bad. We really enjoyed Iwatake. 3 days is really not enough to fully appreciate the area. Hard to pick a single one that you must go! 3. Assuming you are driving, I probably would head into Hakuba main town for both onsen and Starbucks @ Snow Peak land station (I know.. weird suggestion). But I assure your kids/family will like the snow play area in front of Starbucks. 4. February is still peak snow season. Feel free to ask more questions if you have any!
I hope this helps as I Have done multiple trips to Hakuba. 1. Unless you really want a car to go places it's not needed there are several ways to get around. Getting to Hakuba you can get a bus from the airport (some will drop you at your hotel others will have set drop off points) or get the Shinkansen / bus ( Tokyo ~ Nagano shinkansen Nagano ~ Hakuba bus {dedicated bus service}) As for getting around in Hakuba there are buses that go around town "pointed out in the video" some of them are free others you have to pay for (unless you have a all mountain pass then free) there is also several taxis and depending on where you are staying some hotels will drop you off and pick you up (in town stuff lol) 2. Tsugaike is a good choice but if you do need to mix it up I would look at Norikura/Cortina they are connected via a few runs and still offer enough for both levels of skiing. 3. Now as for the onsen there are a few in Hakuba and saying go to this one over that one is hard, I would say when you get there ask the staff at the hotel and tell them what you are looking for ie private, not so hot or super hot etc the locals know best on that one sorry. 4. OK so .... to answer this id say you may be looking at spring snow (like frozen coke for the people who don't know what that is). Don't get me wrong I have had power days in late feb and also seen grass fields in late jan. Each season is different and it's all up to the snow gods on what we get. hope that helps
Hi, wondering if you have any recommendations for kids friendly Hakuba ski resorts? For eg kids parks with a variety of activities for kids. Sledding, snow tubing etc. We are at level zero for skiing so we might want to take some class when we are there. Thanks! Great video by the way!
Most of the major ski resorts like Happo One and Goryu have kids parks with beginner slopes and ski school to take classes from. The stand out one that I would recommend is Iwatake which has a good blend of ski and non-ski activities for families/kids. www.skihakuba.com/iwatake.htm Others have indicated that Tsugaike is a good choice too, but I haven't been there myself personally. Hope that helps.
Well.. my top 3 is Happo One, Goryu and Tsugaike for beginners. Which of these top 3 will depend on what else you want to do there. If you like to experience the central Hakuba village where there's a ton of restaurants/shops.. I would say Happo One where it's the closest. There's also a good international ski school at Happo One (near Rhythm Snow Sports Hakuba). Goryu is a bit further out, but also have ski school with English speaking instructors. Not as happening but great if you want a bit less crowd, this is the one to go. Tsugaike is also a bit further out from town, and popular with first timers. They probably have the most beginner friendly runs. So if your focus is skiing itself and want to progress fast.. come here. I don't have experience with the ski instructors here, but I hear they do not have English speaking instructors. You can't go wrong with any of them. Comes down to what is your priority.
im planning to go to Japan first time, and never experience to ski, can someone give me some helpful tips? 1) which month is the best? 2) which hotel and resort should i go to?
That's a hard one. Japan is an all year round destination, and is quite different during winter vs. summer/autumn/spring. If you want to explore Japan and cover skiing as well, then I would suggest you decide which is your priority first (i.e. sightseeing or skiing). Given you don't have skiing experience either.. I'm of the opinion that it really doesn't matter which ski resort you go to in Japan, and that you probably want to keep it short (like less than 5 days). Reasons for that: 1. You will likely just be hanging around the base of the ski resort getting the hang of skiing / snowboarding. Your first trip is not about covering the entire ski resort. It's really about getting the basics right 2. Your muscles are unlikely to be able to handle the amount of standing you'll need to do over a few days. So we only suggest you ski a couple of days or take many "off-days" in between to make sure your leg muscles can recover / avoid injury I would recommend: 1. Signing up for ski/snowboard lesson right away when you get there to get the basics right (super important) 2. Don't bother getting lift passes the first few days (although if you're taking lessons, they may ask you to get it). 3. Don't bother buying gear. Rent and try first and decide whether you like skiing/snowboarding (or maybe neither) Of course if you want to ski, you will need to go between late December and early April when the ski resorts are open. Depending on your schedule/availability, you may want to avoid the Christmas week, or late Jan/early Feb (Chinese New Year) when plenty of foreign tourists come (at least true for famous Japanese resorts). As mentioned earlier, I would decide which ski resort to visit based on your main Japan sightseeing itinerary. For example: 1. Tokyo -> I would choose resorts like Karuizawa Resort / Hakuba / Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen (all reachable by bullet train) 2. Sapporo -> I would choose resorts like Furano / Niseko Happy planning!
Evergreen International Ski School. It's good, and my son liked it as there were plenty of other kids his own age to play with But I didn't feel like my son improved much in a group lesson setting (probably we expected too much). If fun is priority.. you'll do fine with Evergreen.
This is very insightful! I'm planning to go to Hakuba in early April, not quite sure if there's still snow. May I ask how much did you spend for a day during your stay at Hakuba?
How much you spend will vary wildly based on the particular week you go, the season, your food preferences, which ski resort etc.. We went at peak period around end of December / first week of January. Just as an estimate for say accommodation + 3 x meals + 3 x lift passes + 3 x ski rental.. during the peak period.. at the lower end.. expect to spend around 55,000 yen per day.. and at the higher end.. about 90,000 yen per day. We're terrible at accounting though.. so please take these estimates with some grain of salt.. I'm sure it's very different if you're going in April (don't think you'll be able to ski then)
@@whereisant that’s a lot! but thanks for the estimates, I’m still trying to gather for more info for the trip. I found that we’re still able to ski during early April but I’m still making sure…
@geraldtien2508 Did you manage to ski when you were there? I take it you were there mainly to see snow only? You just made me curious about snow after winter.. and realised the "Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route" with those super tall ice walls up to 20 meters.. actually only opens in April and shuts in November! You can really see snow well after winter! Think I'll have to make a trip just to see this one day. www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html
Hi Sir, I will be visiting Japan in January for my Birthday, basically I am a solo traveller and a budget traveller. Is it possible to take a tour in Hakuba Goryo for just a day? Also, I sincerely hope you can help me navigate my way to Hakuba from Tokyo via train, like from tokyo where should I get off or what station. I need your insight sir. Thank you.
I don't think it's worthwhile to go there for a single day whether you're going skiing or sightseeing. The fastest way to get to Hakuba (central Hakuba) is by a combination of bullet train and bus. It takes 3.5 hours each way (so a total of 7 hours just to get there and back to Tokyo). It doesn't leave you with a lot of time to exploring the area before you have to head back again. It's also not the cheapest option either, at about the USD$120 at a minimum return. There are buses running directly from Tokyo to Hakuba during winter periods, for cheaper at about USD$15 (each way). But this takes 5.5 hours each way (thus 11 hours return!). The options for travel there can be found here: www.rome2rio.com/map/Tokyo/Hakuba Given the travel time, I highly suggest staying overnight at least a night to be able at least relax and enjoy the scenery a little. Happy to elaborate if you need more info!
Hi Brother, thanks for the very informative sharing. I got 2 questions, 1. I am thinking of to drive myself from Fujikawaguchiko to Hakuba instead of using JR Train. Based on your observation, is it safe to drive around there in Hakuba with family. 2. I am planning to take one way Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo. I have double size of your luggages, do you think it is convenient to travel with Shinkansen?
For each of your questions: 1. If you intend to drive to Hakuba town only, then I would say it's pretty safe as the roads are cleared of snow everyday (at least when it's snowing). But if you intend to drive to the ski resorts yourself from Hakuba town everyday, then you need take your experience with driving in snowy conditions into account, e.g. on very very heavy snow days, you probably need snow chains, but this is not that frequent. A compromise is to just drive from Fujikawaguchiko to Hakuba town (where you are going to stay), and leave the car at your accommodation/hotel. You can go to snow resorts by free shuttle bus everyday without worrying about driving in the snow! 2. There are new rules for luggage on shinkansen apparently. Best to check the rules for the shinkansen you're taking to be sure. For example if you're taking Tokaido which serves Osaka-Tokyo.. there is a dimension limit of 160cm, unless you book seats with "Oversized baggage compartment/area" www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/howto/baggage/#:~:text=Are%20there%20restrictions%20on%20the,of%20up%20to%2030%20kg Not an issue if your luggage is below 160cm (height+width+length). I have always gotten away with travelling with luggage on shinkansen. But looks like with the new rules, you might be better off using the "Ta-Q-Bin" service to send your luggage to your hotel (e.g. if you are bring your ski gear): www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/takkyubin/
I lived there from 2020-2022. Fell in love. The culture is top notch, people have such a high standard in everything they do. Unlike the U.S. Such a pride in a very positive way. AND YES! ever since I've been back I've been thinking about immigrating there permanently! @@whereisant
Hello, excellent video! you deserve to have a million subscribers! Please help me by answering the following. If I don't want to ski, just walk or other snow activities with my family, what resort do you recommend? Thanks in advance.
Will depend on how much time you have. If you are only here for a day trip, I would probably head straight to Iwatake Ski resort which has a lot of non-ski related activities. If you have a few days, I would probably stay at Hakuba town centre near the main bus stop. The town centre has many shops, restaurants, onsen with plenty of atmosphere. Because it's Hakuba central, you can still take a free shuttle to any of the ski resorts to play with snow or just checkout some views. Hope that helps.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Such an amazing video!!! Thank you for the comprehensive guide on where to stay, shuttles and restaurants. We used your information to book our accommodation and can't wait to head over now from Aus.
Glad you found it useful. I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun over there!
Great video. ❤
Awesome video ! Thank you so much !
First time Going to Japan skiing January 2024. Myoko. From Southern California. Tips welcome. Your video very well done.
I will be going to Myoko for a few day trips between 4-7 Jan 2024, staying in Nagano. Don’t have much info yet either other than basic transportation info.
@@DosAussieThaihey how was myoko? Was it good?
I've watched a lot of videos but this one gave the direct infos... We are scheduled to spend New Year in Karuizawa and Hakuba... Very informative video...! New subs here...
Thanks for watching! Glad my video helped. You'll love Hakuba.
This is absolutely valuable content! Well-made, informative, very helpful. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
You're so welcome!
I never comment. . .but your video was so well done! I like how you started with the layout and answered the questions people have. . .like how do I get there? Where should I stay? How to get to the slopes! One of the best RUclips videos and I've watched a lot of them. This will greatly help plan our trip. Thank you.
Thank you so much!
Great video, so many people do not understand the layout of Hakuba when they come first time. I will add couple more tips that you might find useful next time:
1. On weekends when it is busy go to Kashima-yari or Iwatake. Kashima in particular is good.
2. First resort on your map Jiigatake is really not worth going to
3. If you ski at Cortina you can get a linked ticket to Norikura next door, they are also connected and Norikura is far less busy. Talking about Cortina, the Itadaira One ridge run usually opens later and is only open for a few hours, try to be on it when it just opens, one of the most gorgeous runs in Hakuba imo
4. If you want to focus on Tsugaike, Cortina/Norikura, Tsugaike base village is a nice spot to stay. Getting to Cortina from Central hakuba is a bit of a pain. Tsugaike has a lot of ski in/out and bus or taxi to Norikura is quick
Appreciate these tips. Definitely something we’ll try for our second trip there in the future
Hakuba 47 and Goryu also share lift ticket and are linked by upper runs and lifts.
I spent a day at Jigatake just so I can tick off my box 😂
In hindsight I could have done a few hours at Jikatake then take the bus to Sanosaka and spent a couple hours there before heading back to Happo village. I used a wrong map that stated Sanosaka was not operating so I didn’t make that plan. I inky realised it on my way back when some people got on the bus with their gears. 😢
That video was great and very informative. Thank-you for posting :)
You are so welcome!
Planning my first trip to Hakuba and the video was very useful. Tackles a lot of questions that I had. Thanks!
I'm glad you found it helpful. Have a great time in Hakuba!
Thank you for this video and your honest comments. Much appreciated.
Thanks for watching. Appreciate your kind words!
What a great video!! Very informative! Thank you
Thanks very much for taking the time to give us your feedback
Awesome video. Great commentary.
Thanks for watching!
Really appreciated your take on the Hakuba experience. You bring an excellent vibe to the camera and your knowledge sharing will come in super helpful as we head there for Xmas 2024.
That's great to hear! Enjoy the snow!
A really helpful video! Love your demeanour and attitude too :)
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated!
Thanks 🙏🏻 great information!
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much Man!! Exactly what I've been looking for.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this video, I found it to be extremely clear and informative 😊I am even more excited now to go skiing in Japan 👏
Glad it was helpful!
awesome video, in the end its about making memories. Thank you for the tips.
Thanks for watching!
thanks for sharing, very helpful info that help me plan for my 2024 Jan ski trip 🎉
Glad I can help!
Great video, thank you!
Thank you very much. This is the more helpful video I watched for first time visitor to Hakuba. Will definitely scout for more of your video!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Dave!
Thanks so much for this awesome video! Has helped me and my partner plan our trip to Japan :)
Glad it was helpful!
Seriously such a well made video! Thank you for capturing this and putting the time and care into sharing the information.
Thank you so much for watching!
Hello WhereIsAnt. we had our first trip to Hakuba this year (from Australia)
and to be honest, watching your video after our trip, your video was the most helpful. The transport is essential to think about due to the spread out layout of the ski resorts. We stayed in AirBNB in Echoland but once again booked based on the shuttle busses. Our 4 kids loved it and are desperate to return.
Thanks very much. Agree that Hakuba is worth coming back to multiple times.
Hard not to love Hakuba
Thanks for the details, it's very helpful if you're not familiar with ski resorts in Japan. I can say that we ask ourselves the same type of questions about the different villages in the French ski resorts XD
Thanks very much for taking the time to provide your feedback!
Great feedback 👍
Glad you found it helpful! 👍
I appreciate all the information! One of the best travel videos I've seen! Thank you!
Thank you!
Amazing video man keep it up
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
awesome video, than ks for putting it together.....
Glad you liked it!
great video, thankyou! im currently at the scala lodge near hapo one so far its been great!
Thank you for such information video, helps me understand the area so much better now.
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching my video!
Cool video, nice trip, wow!!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Awesome video!!
Thanks for the support. Much appreciated!
genuinely fantastic video. Great work!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video and tips!
Thanks. Appreciate you taking the time to provide this feedback.
Thank you for producing this! An honest and friendly commentary.
Thank you for watching!
Great video, very helpful thank you.
Thank you for watching!
very solid vid
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Really appreciate it!
Love this video! Keep it up ❤
Thanks for taking the time to comment! Much appreciated!
Thank you for this informative video. It is one of the most helpful videos I ever watched. I am planning to go to Hakuba this season.
Glad it was helpful! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Great video, we stumbled on this and recognised you from the 2 hour wait outside Asuka restaurant. We hope you are doing well Ethan and fam. What a fun trip we cant wait to do it again! -Aidan&Maxine from Melbourne!
OMG! Yes.. we do remember! Ethan says hi! He really enjoyed chatting with you both. Would be awesome to catch you both some time in another ski resort in Japan again :)
@@whereisant for sure!
This was great
Thanks for watching!
Uau! Very nice video, thank u!
In early december there is snow??
I have never being in snow, I'm surching for the most practical and yet beautifull ski resort in Japan. But I also want to see momiji, planning to go middle November.
It’s a bit risky going early December. The opening dates are highly dependent on snow fall.. if you take a look at this link.. www.snowpak.com/nagano/hakuba/opening-dates
You can see some years.. Hakuba ski resorts open late November, some years ski resorts open mid December.
If you have 3 weeks and can stretch to mid December, you’ll have a higher chance of being able to ski as well
Super helpful video man! I was wondering if the ski resort had rentals? I cant seem to find it online and would love to confirm. Thanks for the video :D
We had excellent ski rental experience with Australian owned Rhythm Hakuba. Unique thing about them is that they can give you a ride to their rental shop as long as you are around the Hakuba area and won't hesitate to swap ski/board if you're not happy with it. Their rates are pretty reasonable too considering what you are getting
g.co/kgs/EUjuFi4
Well made and very informative ❤ we are planning our first trip to Hakuba and your video definitely helps. Do you mind to share about gear and clothing rental if you have any recommendation? Thanks in advance
I should have included that in the video. We had very good experience with Rhythm Hakuba. They are located closer to Happo One Ski resort. However, you can book online in advance, and they will pick you up from your accommodation and drive you the store to get your gear. AND you get to swap your gear if you're not happy with it half way through. Best of all, you can leave your ski gear at your accommodation at the end, and let them worry about picking it up after. The price is reasonable too.
very helpful
Glad you found it helpful! I hope you have a great time in Hakuba.
Hello! Thank you for the great video, it was very clear and informative for people heading to Hakuba for the first time! May I know if the ski resorts had good signages for the trails, not just at the start of the trail, but mid-ways too as the there are a lot of overlaps between beginner and intermediate/advanced trails? Thank you!
This will vary resort to resort for Hakuba as they are all run by different operators. In general though, my experience is that where the trails split into two different levels (say a green on the left, and red run on the right), they will have a sign to tell you which way is which. It's not always the case, but from memory, I' haven't had trouble navigating around their resorts using maps they provided.
Thanks for the awesome tips! Any good info on booking a trip online? I hope u don't mind me asking...thanks again!
Don't mind at all! We used the usual suspects for hotel bookings like booking.com and agoda.com. Sometimes, we use the more 'local' ones like Japanican.com. Start with searching for "hotels" on Google Maps near Hakuba. The listings there usually will link you to these hotel bookings sites.
Do let me know if you would like any clarifications!
4:00 I forgot to mention in my previous comment that you missed two little resorts which are also parts of the Hakuba Valley Resorts: Jigatake and Sanosaka.
Thanks.. complete list here I think:
www.hakubavalley.com/en/ski_resort_info_en/
Definitely need to make another trip there some day to cover all of them!
@dosaussiethai2127 so where to next for end of this year? Another whirlwind tour around multiple ski resorts in Japan?
@@whereisant This time my plan is
Dec Hokkaido
Jan Neaba, Myoko, Hakuba
great video 🤩, hope to see u with family trip in club med sahoro for the next winter 2024/2025
Wow.. Sahoro looks like an interesting ski resort to look into! Thanks for that. We've been to Furano and Tomamu near it but haven't come across Sahoro!
Best place to stay in Hakuba is Echoland, plenty of accommodation, restaurants and shuttle services to the ski resorts, it's basically the main centre.
I’d argue that if you rely on public transportation staying near Happo Bus terminal will give you the most flexibility in getting around.
You catch a bus you be stuck at that the resort all day. No return bus service until 3.30 pm for all resorts. Hire a car is the best option. And the Happo shuttle bus don't stop at Norikura. Norikura Alps No 10 pair lift is my favourite run. But Hakuba is crowded and has lot of Aussies and Kiwis. The best run in Japan ( my opinion ) is the ropeway at Mt Hakkoda Aomori Prefecture.
I didn't know about Hakkoda Ski resort. Thanks for that. Apparently it's powder heaven.. definitely will go some day. Hopefully not crowded!
hate to bother you a year later but i’m heading to Japan soon and looking at resorts to board at
i’m aussie so i’d feel way more comfortable around my kin but just wondering how crowded you’re talking, if you’ve ever been to coronet peak or the remarkables in NZ that’s your best point of comparison for me to understand
cheers man
Boo another bogan
Hi I saw in the beginning of the video that you were sliding across the ice with some kind of tube. May i know where was it at? I would like to go there with my toddler. Thanks😊
I'm assuming you are talking about the slide at 2:20 in the video. That is at Iwatake Mountain Resort. I believe they call that general play area Iwatake White Park now:
iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter/whitepark
It's where Yoo Hoo Swing is as well with a nice mountain cafe as well, so it's both fun for adults and kids. Can easily be done as a day trip while you are at Hakuba. You'll love it. Let me know if you need any more information
@whereisant you are assuming very right and very helpful. Thanks a lot for the info I will definitely check that place out. Thanks a lot!
Thanks for the video. Im planning to go to hakuba during Feb24 after CNY. Just sightseeing and not plan to do ski as bring kids 2yrs old. My trip is day trip from tokyo. Which area is recommended where we just can have fun play todoggan and light activity. Is there any rental shop can rent todoggan?
I would highly recommend Iwatake, which is a short bus ride from Hakuba bus terminal, followed by a gondola ride up to the top. There’s nice view, nice restaurants, cafe, ice slides, toboggan hills… check out their website..
iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter/whitepark
Yes.. you will be able to rent those gear up there. Might even be complimentary from memory.
9:53 Earlier this year I went to Hakuba and did all 8 resorts you mentioned in one trip (8 skiing days out of 12 nights stay.)
I’m glad I did cuz now I know how each resort looks and feels like as well as where I should take my friends of different abilities to.
Wow... that's basically a different resort every day of your skiing day!
Did you stay in one place? Or moved around?
@@whereisant I stayed near Happo Bus terminal so it’s possible to get around by shuttle buses. As for resorts, Hakuba 47/Gotyu, Cortina/Norikura are linked and shared lift passes so I did each pair together in one day. I actually did Tsugaike and Kishimayari twice each.
Let me brag a bit cuz I’m so proud of my achievement. During my six weeks I managed to visit 30 (thirty) ski resorts from Hokkaido to Kyoto. Very very tiring but I could tick off my boxes 🤣
Ok.. I never made it to Cortina, and others commented that it took a while (or presumably more difficult) to get there from Hakuba Bus Terminal.
Wow.. I've been to a different Japanese ski resort (without repeating any) every single year for the last 10 years, but you've managed to cover 30 in a single season! Would you mind sharing your top 5 or 10? Definitely would like to plan for the next one around recommendations from others
@@whereisant Cortina/Norikura isn't harder to get to than any other resort in the Valley if you stay near the Happo Bus Terminal. The Bus schedule is just a bit earlier.
The first HV-2 Bus leaves Happo Bus Terminal at 7:20 arriving at Tsugaike 7:44, Norikura 7:49, and Cortina 8:00. So that's about 29 mins to Norikura and 40 mins to Cortina. These travel durations are comparable to HV-3 to Hakuba 47 (24 mins) and Goryu (35 mins.)
The return trip schedule isn't very ideal to my liking because 15:40 is too early and 17:25 is too late, but still. The last lift is 16:30 so you get some time to fix your gear and toilet before heading to the bus stop.
(Will write about my thoughts on the resorts in a different Reply so this doesn't get too long.)
@@whereisant As for my thoughts on Japanese resorts, I must first state that I'm a budget solo traveler so balancing the budget is my priority, trading some services and comfort for cheaper prices.
From what I see, there are two different categories of ski resorts in Japan: village resorts and hotel resorts.
Hotel Resorts mostly cater to high-end and family guests with lots of side activities provided by the Hotels. They are normally stand-alone with no other business/town next to it so you rely on whatever services and activities they provide. Since they are very expensive, staying at Hotel Resorts is out of my budget. Therefore, they can only be done as day-trippers.
Village resorts cater to a broader range of guests, with lots of choices to choose from at all price points. Therefore, it's natural that I'd choose to stay at these village resorts over the other type.
Having said that, since my mission was to visit as many resorts as possible, I have to stay in big cities where I can take trains/shuttle buses to each of the resorts.
If you are looking for a family-oriented Hotel resort, and only looking for leisure skiing/boarding and not hard-core, I feel that Tomamu is a good place for family with lots of side activities. They even have snow carts running alongside skiers. It looked fun, I must admit.
Rusutsu Resort is a large ski resort by Japanese standards with heaps of activities and very good terrain to ski on-priest or tree runs, provided the weather isn't shutting down their lifts. Although, the Rusutsu lift pass is quite expensive. Maybe their inclusive package might be cheaper, but I only did a day trip and the lift cost 8300 yen.
I heard that Appi Kogen is very good too, but the day I went the weather was nasty and they shut most of the upper lifts so I didn't get to see much.
Alts Bandi resort is low in elevation so the snow can be hit and miss. The day I went in early Feb, the snow was spring-like.
(Continued with village resorts in another Reply.)
If you change hotels while in Hakuba then you have wasted half a day taking your bags from A to B when you could be skiing.There is a Olympic cross country ski course at The Snow Harp near Sano Saka resort.
Totally agree. But we generally only change every 3rd or 4th day when our legs need a rest from skiing :) Basically our rest day.
Anthony, where are the places to go to eat ramen in Hakuba? Where are the places to get food?
There should be a lot of options but a bit spread out. There's quite a lot of restaurants near the main bus terminal if you are not sure and want to explore around. The best ramen for me.. is one that was suggested by locals.. and it's this one called "Takahashi Ke" :
:maps.app.goo.gl/Np538Fuj9zcVdXxH8
W❤W! That's Lovely!
Cheers for more awesome and incredible adventures!🥂❄🤗❤✨
Hi thanks for the great video! I am going mid dec this year... do you recommend booking ski gear from Rhythm in advance? I am staying near Happo one bus terminal for 4 nights, but will be skiing at Goryu/hakuba47 for day 1 of ski, and perhaps happo one for day 2 and 3 of skiing.
In 1 of your replies, u mentioned Rhythm pick u up and drop u off all the ski resorts? Pls can u share more info.
Thank u
Yes I would absolutely recommend Rhythm for the convenience of driving you to ski shop to pickup your gear, and simply have them come and take the gear away from you from your hotel when returning. They don't specifically pickup to take you to ski resorts though, (although some drivers may do it if not busy). Mostly just to their ski shop which happens to be a short walk to Happo One. If I go to Happo One that day.. I would ask for a pickup to get the gear waxed before heading to Happo One :)
which month did you go and advisable to go end-Dec? Over Christmas to first few days of Jan
I usually go mid-Dec to early-Jan. Some years it's great, some years not so great. If you're not after powder snow everyday, then it really doesn't matter. Even the "not so great years, we still managed to get very decent snow. Only downside is that not the entire resort is open during the early season. All footage you see in this video is shot around mid-Dec.
Thanks for sharing the great video. May I know the name of the cafe with the cat pls? Wish to visit it in the next trip😊. I also like Hotel Hakuba. Quiet (but not remote) location with shuttle bus available outside, and Starbucks, my favorite North Face cafe and Coop supermarket are just 10-15 mins' walk away. During my stay this year, there were some bluebird days that I could saw the mountain of Hakuba Happo from the room. It was as magnificent as the Swiss Alps!
The cat cafe in the video is Cafe Mocha. It's a chain pet cafe that you can find at most of the shopping malls littered all over Japan.
Hotel Hakuba didn't stand out on paper. But I guess it's one of those low key gems that turn out better than they appear. It does seem to be marketed towards locals than foreigners which is probably why it's good for those of us that like "local experiences". Yet.. there's Starbucks and North Face just next door! :)
Anyway.. thanks for watching the video!
@@whereisant Thanks for the info.
Hi. Very informative video. Thank you for sharing.
Can I ask which date did you went? Planning to go between Christmas to new year.
We went from 23rd Dec to 3rd Jan. Pretty much the dates that you want to go. It was quiet the first 2 days.. but the last week of December (from 26th Dec onwards), that was when you can feel the crowd really starts to come in. No problem with snow.. but you will need to think about booking restaurants that you might want to try out in Hakuba village, unless you want to spend time lining up for dinner. It's that bad!!
@@whereisant thank u. In that case I think we’ll change plan and go to hakuba in the first leg of our 2 weeks trip. Do you think Dec 21-24 is better?
Crowd wise.. definitely much better before 26th Dec. Generally accommodation and ski lift tickets are slightly cheaper too just before the last week. Depending on snow.. with climate change and all... They may not open up all the lifts yet.. not even the last week of Dec. Not an issue if first time skiing or ok with less chances of "powder snow". So if you're not fussed with that.. definitely better to avoid that last week.
😊😊😊😊😊
Hey which month did you went to Hakuba! I’m planning to go during March but I’m not sure if the snow is still good to skii
I went mid December, which was early season. So snow wasn't quite heavily dumping just yet. I think March will be fine as long as you are now looking for powder snow. It will be fantastic for spring skiing! Blue sky.. you can actually enjoy the views.. probably great for carving.
How about in May 4 which is plan to go? Do i still be able to enjoy the snow powder there?
Thanks for your video - how did you get all your ski equipment / lift passes?
For rental ski gear, we booked it through Rhythm Snowsports on their online website. Good thing about using them is that, they can pick you up and drop you off back at your resort (including swapping gear if you don't like it, or something needs adjustments). So if you're moving around different accommodations, it's super convenient. For lift tickets, we just bought it on the day at the particular ski resort given we want to try different ski resorts. You can of course buy it online they day before if you wish to save a little bit of money
Awesome vid… do you know if any mountains do child care for a 4 year old?
My son was eight and didn’t need child care so can’t comment. The ski school we used at Happo One called Everest, does appear to offer child care. www.evergreen-skischool.com/daycare-in-hakuba/
Because Hakuba is so spread out, it maybe troublesome to have to drop off your kids at a day care and then go to ski fields further away from it. There’s quite a few day care around:
www.samuraisnow.com/hakuba-child-care-babysitting-daycare
So it may pay to research upfront! As with ski lessons.. it’s a good idea to book them well in advance!
Thank you for the very educational video. We are planning to go this Feb and we will just be there for 2 days. Hoping you can help with a few questions:
Is the shuttle service in the area free?
What's the recommended resort for 1st time skiers and whats the most scenic resort?
For gear rental, can you take your gear on different resorts or do you need to rent a different gear per resort?
Thank you!!
Yes the shuttle service in the area that takes you to various nearby resorts are free.
Most of the ski resorts are all quite scenic if you make it to the top of the mountain. But for me, if you only have time for one, I would say it's Iwatake resort (although it's not a very big resort for skiing)
For gear rental.. if you are going to multiple resorts.. I would highly recommend going with Rhythm Hakuba. This Australian company is very helpful and will also drive you to and from your hotel to pick up your gear and drop you off to the nearby ski resorts as well. So it's very very convenient if you don't have your own transport. When it comes time to return the ski gear, there's no need to drop it off at their shop. Just call them and they'll come to your hotel to pickup the gear!
I want to go there
😅
Sell everything!! Go there at least once! :)
@@whereisant lol
I am going to ask my friends if they can subscribe
I’m going to Japan 🇯🇵 in December
Hey buddy - awesome vids and review !
just a quick Q, though I've been to Hakuba and Shiga Kogen, I'm planning to head to Hakuba again, but driving (20th Jan for about 6 nights) did you ever drive ? and whats it like ?
cheers mate !
We only drove at Shiga Kogen. It's a time saver for sure when you have a car. We had no issues getting around with winter tires on our rental car, even on days when it was snowing. We were probably lucky that we didn't have a day where it snowed so heavily we couldn't drive.
I imagine it's even better with a car at Hakuba given how spread out the area is. You'll love it! I wished I had a car for Hakuba!
@whereisant mate, thank you so much for the reply !
This time I am training it to Nagano, then driving from Nagano to Hakuba...
Fingers crossed weather isn't too hectic.
Love your vids btw !
Hey thanks for the video. How far in advance did you have to boom accommodation?
We didn't book all of our accommodations at once. Some we booked 9 months ahead, some only 2 months ahead. Not all of them is open/available for booking well in advance either. We tend to book early making sure the accommodation can be cancelled with little to no penalty. That way, if something we prefer is available closer to date, we can change it. It's not a bad idea to email the ones you are interested in directly to find out when they are open for booking
Im going to Japan on Middle of November, is it start to snowy or will be autumn. Because i want to skiing there.
Hakuba specifically? Would say mid Nov is a bit too soon. Generally starts at least early December. Much better chances of decent snow coverage towards mid December. If you are going in Nov, make sure you have plenty of non ski related activities to make up for it in case there's no snow.
None of the ski resort at Hakuba opens for skiing in mid Nov.
Hokkaido may have some chance for some resort to open for skiing.
Hi. early April in Hakuba. is it easy to get a bus? Free shutle bus only operates until the end march.
I haven't personally gone skiing in April so can't say for sure. There will be snow, just not the fluffy snow that Japan is famous for. I imagine only the bigger ones will remain open (like Happo One and Goryu). As you are already aware, free shuttle bus stopped already, so you're probably better off renting a car or make sure you stay in one that's walking distance to the ski resort. I'm sure it's fun too, with little to no crowd in April
hello, thanks for amazing videos! I'm planning to get Hakuba from Nagano and back again to Nagano after doing ski, so i have some questions
1. is there any bus to get iwatake ski resort and back again to Nagano in the same day?
2. what's the recommend gear rental nearby iwatatake? and is it possible to leave my belongings here?
Thank you!
I am not aware of a direct bus service from Nagano to Iwatake. Your option is to take a direct bus to Happo bus terminal. From there, it's an easy swap to another bus that can get you to Iwatake ski resort. Hopefully others here could help you there if there is a better option
For rental gear.. if you are only there for a day and not planning to visit any other resort, then your best option is to rent on mountain. There is one right at IWATAKE gondola, e.g. www.skihakuba.com/spicy-rentals.htm
Trying to fit in a day skiing to Iwatake is possible but probably a bit tiring. Ski lockers are available to keep your stuff for the day apparently
Thanks for the great information. Btw my family are planning to visit hakuba this winter. We will be staying there for 3days. Three of us are advanced skiier and two are complete beginners. I have some questions sorry 😊
1. we arrive at narita airport, should renting a car in Nagano be good? or would it be batter to rent a car at the airport.
2 We booked near Tsugaike. Would it be boring for only skiing in Tsugaike? If you pick one where would you additionally go?
3. Do you know some good onsen or nice places for family near hakuba? Places that take 1hour is fine with us :)
4. Last,, would the snow condition be good after Feb 20?
Thanks for watching the video! For your questions:
1. Personally, I prefer to drive outside of major cities like Tokyo/Osaka to avoid the messy roads and traffic. I've never had issues renting from either of the major car rental companies in smaller cities (i.e. Toyota / Nissan Rental). From Narita, it's a pretty long drive, and you probably want to save yourself the hassle and train it to Nagano first and then pickup a car there.
2. Regarding Tsugaike, given you're only spending 3 days there, I think it will be fine. Even if Tsugaike alone is too boring for you, you can always take a shuttle bus to the next resort. Given you have a mix of advanced/beginners, sticking to Tsugaike is probably fine to not waste time travelling. But if you find it too boring, then hopping on the bus to visit Iwatake or Norikura next door isn't too bad. We really enjoyed Iwatake. 3 days is really not enough to fully appreciate the area. Hard to pick a single one that you must go!
3. Assuming you are driving, I probably would head into Hakuba main town for both onsen and Starbucks @ Snow Peak land station (I know.. weird suggestion). But I assure your kids/family will like the snow play area in front of Starbucks.
4. February is still peak snow season.
Feel free to ask more questions if you have any!
I hope this helps as I Have done multiple trips to Hakuba.
1. Unless you really want a car to go places it's not needed there are several ways to get around. Getting to Hakuba you can get a bus from the airport (some will drop you at your hotel others will have set drop off points) or get the Shinkansen / bus ( Tokyo ~ Nagano shinkansen Nagano ~ Hakuba bus {dedicated bus service}) As for getting around in Hakuba there are buses that go around town "pointed out in the video" some of them are free others you have to pay for (unless you have a all mountain pass then free) there is also several taxis and depending on where you are staying some hotels will drop you off and pick you up (in town stuff lol)
2. Tsugaike is a good choice but if you do need to mix it up I would look at Norikura/Cortina they are connected via a few runs and still offer enough for both levels of skiing.
3. Now as for the onsen there are a few in Hakuba and saying go to this one over that one is hard, I would say when you get there ask the staff at the hotel and tell them what you are looking for ie private, not so hot or super hot etc the locals know best on that one sorry.
4. OK so .... to answer this id say you may be looking at spring snow (like frozen coke for the people who don't know what that is). Don't get me wrong I have had power days in late feb and also seen grass fields in late jan. Each season is different and it's all up to the snow gods on what we get.
hope that helps
Hi, wondering if you have any recommendations for kids friendly Hakuba ski resorts? For eg kids parks with a variety of activities for kids. Sledding, snow tubing etc. We are at level zero for skiing so we might want to take some class when we are there. Thanks! Great video by the way!
Most of the major ski resorts like Happo One and Goryu have kids parks with beginner slopes and ski school to take classes from. The stand out one that I would recommend is Iwatake which has a good blend of ski and non-ski activities for families/kids.
www.skihakuba.com/iwatake.htm
Others have indicated that Tsugaike is a good choice too, but I haven't been there myself personally. Hope that helps.
Thank so much for your reply! @@whereisant
Am going next year January
Wow, you plan far ahead! Not a bad idea though going by how booked out just about every accommodation was this year.
Hi we are beginner, 1st time to try skiing. Is the Tsugaike our best option? Where do I stay is convenience and also can get good food?
Well.. my top 3 is Happo One, Goryu and Tsugaike for beginners. Which of these top 3 will depend on what else you want to do there. If you like to experience the central Hakuba village where there's a ton of restaurants/shops.. I would say Happo One where it's the closest. There's also a good international ski school at Happo One (near Rhythm Snow Sports Hakuba).
Goryu is a bit further out, but also have ski school with English speaking instructors. Not as happening but great if you want a bit less crowd, this is the one to go.
Tsugaike is also a bit further out from town, and popular with first timers. They probably have the most beginner friendly runs. So if your focus is skiing itself and want to progress fast.. come here. I don't have experience with the ski instructors here, but I hear they do not have English speaking instructors.
You can't go wrong with any of them. Comes down to what is your priority.
im planning to go to Japan first time, and never experience to ski, can someone give me some helpful tips?
1) which month is the best?
2) which hotel and resort should i go to?
That's a hard one. Japan is an all year round destination, and is quite different during winter vs. summer/autumn/spring.
If you want to explore Japan and cover skiing as well, then I would suggest you decide which is your priority first (i.e. sightseeing or skiing).
Given you don't have skiing experience either.. I'm of the opinion that it really doesn't matter which ski resort you go to in Japan, and that you probably want to keep it short (like less than 5 days).
Reasons for that:
1. You will likely just be hanging around the base of the ski resort getting the hang of skiing / snowboarding.
Your first trip is not about covering the entire ski resort. It's really about getting the basics right
2. Your muscles are unlikely to be able to handle the amount of standing you'll need to do over a few days.
So we only suggest you ski a couple of days or take many "off-days" in between to make sure your leg muscles can recover / avoid injury
I would recommend:
1. Signing up for ski/snowboard lesson right away when you get there to get the basics right (super important)
2. Don't bother getting lift passes the first few days (although if you're taking lessons, they may ask you to get it).
3. Don't bother buying gear. Rent and try first and decide whether you like skiing/snowboarding (or maybe neither)
Of course if you want to ski, you will need to go between late December and early April when the ski resorts are open. Depending on your schedule/availability, you may want to avoid the Christmas week, or late Jan/early Feb (Chinese New Year) when plenty of foreign tourists come (at least true for famous Japanese resorts).
As mentioned earlier, I would decide which ski resort to visit based on your main Japan sightseeing itinerary. For example:
1. Tokyo -> I would choose resorts like Karuizawa Resort / Hakuba / Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen (all reachable by bullet train)
2. Sapporo -> I would choose resorts like Furano / Niseko
Happy planning!
May I know which ski school you son attended please and how was it? Thanks
Evergreen International Ski School.
It's good, and my son liked it as there were plenty of other kids his own age to play with But I didn't feel like my son improved much in a group lesson setting (probably we expected too much). If fun is priority.. you'll do fine with Evergreen.
This is very insightful! I'm planning to go to Hakuba in early April, not quite sure if there's still snow. May I ask how much did you spend for a day during your stay at Hakuba?
How much you spend will vary wildly based on the particular week you go, the season, your food preferences, which ski resort etc.. We went at peak period around end of December / first week of January. Just as an estimate for say accommodation + 3 x meals + 3 x lift passes + 3 x ski rental.. during the peak period.. at the lower end.. expect to spend around 55,000 yen per day.. and at the higher end.. about 90,000 yen per day. We're terrible at accounting though.. so please take these estimates with some grain of salt.. I'm sure it's very different if you're going in April (don't think you'll be able to ski then)
@@whereisant that’s a lot! but thanks for the estimates, I’m still trying to gather for more info for the trip. I found that we’re still able to ski during early April but I’m still making sure…
@@geraldtien2508How did your trip ended up be like? Good or bad snow? I finished my ski trip in early March and the temp went up so much soon after.
@@DosAussieThai It was good, there was still plenty of snow when I visited!
@geraldtien2508 Did you manage to ski when you were there? I take it you were there mainly to see snow only?
You just made me curious about snow after winter.. and realised the "Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route" with those super tall ice walls up to 20 meters.. actually only opens in April and shuts in November! You can really see snow well after winter! Think I'll have to make a trip just to see this one day.
www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html
Hi Sir, I will be visiting Japan in January for my Birthday, basically I am a solo traveller and a budget traveller. Is it possible to take a tour in Hakuba Goryo for just a day? Also, I sincerely hope you can help me navigate my way to Hakuba from Tokyo via train, like from tokyo where should I get off or what station. I need your insight sir. Thank you.
I don't think it's worthwhile to go there for a single day whether you're going skiing or sightseeing. The fastest way to get to Hakuba (central Hakuba) is by a combination of bullet train and bus. It takes 3.5 hours each way (so a total of 7 hours just to get there and back to Tokyo). It doesn't leave you with a lot of time to exploring the area before you have to head back again. It's also not the cheapest option either, at about the USD$120 at a minimum return.
There are buses running directly from Tokyo to Hakuba during winter periods, for cheaper at about USD$15 (each way). But this takes 5.5 hours each way (thus 11 hours return!).
The options for travel there can be found here:
www.rome2rio.com/map/Tokyo/Hakuba
Given the travel time, I highly suggest staying overnight at least a night to be able at least relax and enjoy the scenery a little.
Happy to elaborate if you need more info!
Hi Brother, thanks for the very informative sharing. I got 2 questions,
1. I am thinking of to drive myself from Fujikawaguchiko to Hakuba instead of using JR Train. Based on your observation, is it safe to drive around there in Hakuba with family.
2. I am planning to take one way Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo. I have double size of your luggages, do you think it is convenient to travel with Shinkansen?
For each of your questions:
1. If you intend to drive to Hakuba town only, then I would say it's pretty safe as the roads are cleared of snow everyday (at least when it's snowing). But if you intend to drive to the ski resorts yourself from Hakuba town everyday, then you need take your experience with driving in snowy conditions into account, e.g. on very very heavy snow days, you probably need snow chains, but this is not that frequent. A compromise is to just drive from Fujikawaguchiko to Hakuba town (where you are going to stay), and leave the car at your accommodation/hotel. You can go to snow resorts by free shuttle bus everyday without worrying about driving in the snow!
2. There are new rules for luggage on shinkansen apparently. Best to check the rules for the shinkansen you're taking to be sure. For example if you're taking Tokaido which serves Osaka-Tokyo.. there is a dimension limit of 160cm, unless you book seats with "Oversized baggage compartment/area"
www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/howto/baggage/#:~:text=Are%20there%20restrictions%20on%20the,of%20up%20to%2030%20kg
Not an issue if your luggage is below 160cm (height+width+length). I have always gotten away with travelling with luggage on shinkansen. But looks like with the new rules, you might be better off using the "Ta-Q-Bin" service to send your luggage to your hotel (e.g. if you are bring your ski gear):
www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/takkyubin/
@@whereisant Thanks for your prompt and informative response
which month was this?? :D
End of December, basically the Christmas Week. Right at the beginning of peak season.
@@whereisant going there on the 23rd of dece. cant wait!
dont you just love japan!? i loveeee japan
yes.. indeed we love that place so much, we go every where.
Actually we should move there!
I lived there from 2020-2022. Fell in love. The culture is top notch, people have such a high standard in everything they do. Unlike the U.S. Such a pride in a very positive way. AND YES! ever since I've been back I've been thinking about immigrating there permanently! @@whereisant
Hello, excellent video! you deserve to have a million subscribers! Please help me by answering the following. If I don't want to ski, just walk or other snow activities with my family, what resort do you recommend? Thanks in advance.
Will depend on how much time you have. If you are only here for a day trip, I would probably head straight to Iwatake Ski resort which has a lot of non-ski related activities. If you have a few days, I would probably stay at Hakuba town centre near the main bus stop. The town centre has many shops, restaurants, onsen with plenty of atmosphere. Because it's Hakuba central, you can still take a free shuttle to any of the ski resorts to play with snow or just checkout some views. Hope that helps.
@@whereisant Thanks a lot!
I never seen real snowl
Why not ask your mum and dad to take you?!
Lol