Skiing Japan – Hitting the Slopes in Myoko Kogen
Heading into the Kubiki mountains in Central Japan is like going into another world. As you make your slow ascent, the land outside the train window suddenly becomes covered in a deep blanket of snow. The grade isn’t steep, but the change into this quiet, white world outside is swift and breathtaking. After the train deposited us, and a quick ride into town, we made our way through the picturesque ski area. With multiple ski resorts beginning just off the main road and small cafes and shops lining the street, it is the perfect home base. This is the Myoko-Kogen ski area, Japan’s premier snow sport region, and one of the world’s oldest – where the powder is deep
If you weren’t excited to ski Japan, you are now!
After several amazing days in Tokyo, my sister and I headed west to the Myoko Kogen ski resort area for snowboarding (me) and skiing (her) at one of the world’s oldest ski areas. The first leg of the journey was an hour ride on the Shinkensen from Tokyo to Nagano. We then switched to a slower regional train to take us higher into the mountains.
Not knowing what to expect skiing in Japan, I had booked us with a ski company in Myoko that handled our pick up from the train station, all of our rentals, lift tickets and lodging. I needn’t have worried though, because navigating the town and the ski resorts was relatively easy (especially after several days in Tokyo!) and there were plenty of signs in English. There aren’t as many English speakers however, besides the largely Australian tourists and ex-pats, so it was nice to have a ride to our hotel and all of our rentals arranged. It turned out that most of the ski/snowboard services are run by ex-pats from Australia, New Zealand or the UK – I had no idea! This made communication very easy and renting was no problem.
Hard boiled eggs from a little hot springs in town.
If you are booking a backcountry ski trip, then I highly recommend using a local ski company to book your entire trip. If you are just going to the resorts in town, there really isn’t a need for the extra expense.
Myoko Kogen is a great place to head to if you are looking to ski in Japan. This active volcanic range is also home to numerous hot springs. Onsens, Japanese hot springs and the bath houses and inns that house them, are a wonderful place to relax after a day on the mountain. The town of Myoko is also very quaint. Though it is visited by a large number of skiers/snowboarders, it still has a small-town feel. There are a number of hotels in walking distance to the ski area with a street full of restaurants and shops in between. Eating options were wide with traditional and modern Japanese cuisine, western food and Asian fare. I had the best calamari I’ve ever had at Pomodoro. My favorite restaurant though, was Udon No Fu, a small hole in the wall that is beyond cozy. You walk down a narrow flight of stairs into a cramped and wonderfully smelling room. There are only a few tables but they are large and sharing is encouraged. We sat with a large group from different parts of the world. The food came in big, covered bowls that you needed to share and was exquisite traditional Japanese fare.
Our room at Hotel Taiko
We chose to stay in a traditional Japanese hotel during our stay and I loved the experience. Hotel Taiko was a little dated but it was comfortable and offered everything we needed at the right price. The room had two futons on the floor and a nice seating area where we sampled copious amounts of Japanese beer and junk food. The room had a huge window in the seating area with an amazing view. I was even lucky enough to see a naked man fling himself into a snow drift outside of the men’s Onsen at our hotel. Like I said, great view!
We snowboarded three days at two different resorts and it was very easy to navigate. The snow was very dry and fluffy. We heard that the area usually gets a lot of snow but it melts very quickly in the early spring. We had a mixed bag of conditions: snowing on our first day, a bright sunny day on our second day and rain on our third. This was in mid-February and it seemed like the season was starting to die down.
As it is with many things in Japan, skiing and snowboarding is very similar to the US, but oh so different at the same time. Here are my main takeaways after a visit:
Tickets were cheap – In the states you can expect to pay upwards of $60 for a ticket to one of the larger resorts. Tickets here were just a few dollars in comparison. Yay! All you have to do is cross the Pacific to get cheap lift tickets.
Skiing under lifts & powder runs – Ski resorts in Japan are a little more restrictive. Skiing under the lifts and skiing off the runs were not permitted. These rules were strictly adhered to. We heard that you would lose your pass if you were caught going under the lift. I’m not sure if skiing in the trees was forbidden but no one did it. It was a little distressing to see all that powder going to waste off the groomed run but I didn’t want to be the asshole American who breaks the rules so we stuck to the groomers.
People dressing up – For the most part, people are pretty serious about their mountain attire in the US. So I was happy to see so many Japanese people dressing up in costumes on the slopes. There were a lot of Super Mario Bros. themed costumes and some animals that I’m just not sure of. They looked cozy and were entertaining to watch.
For more excitement, back country trips are easy to arrange – Most of the international visitors to the area were there for backcountry skiing. These seemed really easy to arrange and not as expensive as it would be in the states.
Stay at a traditional Onsen – We stayed at a traditional Japanese Onsen and loved it. The hot pools were separated by gender, no swimsuits allowed, and offered a range of heat levels. They were a great way to relax after the ski runs. It was really nice to have one in our hotel so we could go anytime. The Onsen was always open, except for an hour cleaning sometime mid-morning.
Enjoy your apres ski Sake – Another delight of staying at a traditional Japanese hotel was the complimentary sake after skiing. Everyone got one free glass and then there was a tasting of several different ones if you chose. A shot of sake and a visit to the Onsen are the perfect way to end the day.
