Japan 23/24 Season

[half-fast]

We have a sizable group going to Hakuba in early Feb. Were trying to rent a van to drive from Haneda.

I know there's a train, its a PIA to carry everything with the wife factor. been there done that.

Does anyone have any experience;
a) Driving from Tokyo to Hakuba, if so how is the road? Any crazy steep passes?
b) If you rented, who did you rent from?
c) What are the odds the van will have all weather tires? chains? Alamo and Avis both rent vans but no specific info.

as always thanks for any info~~

You’ll need an international driver’s license. $30 or so at AAA

[Dhelihiker]

Turns out a good old fashioned phone call is all you need. I called the Alamo at the airport and they have AWD with snow tires. Reservation is made! The drive sounds fun! It’s been ten years since I’ve been and I can’t wait to go back!!

[gaijin]

A few months ago I fell in love with driving around Tokyo.

Siri/Google: “There is debris in the road in 100 meters.” It was half a sheet of plywood. How did she know that?

Just listen to Siri tell you where to go and enjoy the sights. And remember that all that city you see has 882 train stations with shopping. The larger ones have restaurant. Shinjuku is 7stories deep. There’s a whole city below the city. Mind-boggling.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[CascadeCrudSkier]

There are 2 driving routes from downtown Tokyo (Haneda) to Hakuba that will be roughly the same time/distance on Google maps. I just left Japan but spent the past 5 winters driving these roads almost every weekend during the winter.

The first is the northern route that passes through Nagano City and the second is the southern route that passes through Matsumoto. If there's an accident or heavy traffic on one route then obviously take the other option but if they're comparable in time then I'd recommend taking the Nagano route on the way to Hakuba and the Matsumoto route on the way back to Tokyo. I find the northern route more pleasant and scenic and it's also a bit better in inclement weather because there are longer tunnels traveling through the mountains. The dining options in Nagano are also more convenient than traveling into Matsumoto. The advantage on the southern route are seeing Mt. Fuji and if you have a lot of time, swing through Matsumoto and check out the castle.

It's cheaper and more convenient to just get the van in Tokyo and drive but you may struggle finding a company that provides winter tires and AWD. Also get an ETC if that's an option, despite the optimism of Gaijin you'll most likely find driving on the expressways challenging in Tokyo and will probably get lost or take the wrong exit at least once or twice. There are several areas where GPS isn't reliable since there are multiple expressways above/below one another and a mapping app can't determine which one you're on. If you end up underground for more than 60 seconds you'll almost certainly get lost so just accept your fate (impress your travel partners by muttering "shouganai" repeatedly) and enjoy the experience of seeing some of the engineering marvels of the city. If you don't have an ETC then it's necessary to carry a large amount of cash to get through all of the tolls you'll encounter. It's about 6-8000 yen each way depending on what time you're doing the drive, assuming no extra tolls from getting lost. The northern route also requires a 210 yen toll to get into Hakuba that's cash only.

In summary, if you can find a rental company in Tokyo that provides AWD and snow tires then that's your best choice. However, if that's not an option, since most companies aren't catering to skiers or winter enthusiasts, then you may need to look into catching the shinkansen to Nagano City and then renting there. It's more expensive and it'll be difficult to get a bunch of ski gear onto the train but there's less risk involved of not having a vehicle that can handle icy roads. A potential start to your search for the elusive Tokyo winter van is here but there's no filter for winter tires:
https://www.powderhounds.com/Ski-Sho.../Car-Hire.aspx

One last point, while getting into Hakuba isn't particularly challenging, the roads for the northern resorts in the valley or some of the backcountry spots can be very steep and icy. As the roads increase in pitch and iciness you'll need to be aware that some of the common sense driving procedures that you take for granted aren't so common in Japan. It's not unlikely to see minivans stopped on a blind hairpin turn with several people outside the vehicle installing chains. Leave early to avoid the clownshow on pow days and always be ready to react to someone doing something stupid.

[Iowagriz]

Not skiing related, but I recently watched this cyclist tour from south to north in Japan, and it reminded me of this thread.

https://youtu.be/RpH8vt5WLV0?si=HCGQKF8FCsGDq1mU

[boltonoutlaw]

Been running snowfall numbers on Northern Hokkaido for a project … and man does it get me thinking.

Last year was the second lowest snow year in the city of Kutchan (closest to Niseko) since nineteen-fifty-nine.

However, in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, this town regularly registered the kinda snow seen in Utah, and edged on the records for Mount Baker. And it’s barely above sea level!

That’s taking measurements well below the summit of Mt. Annupuri, which is three thousand feet higher. You do the guess work…

Wonder if the resort ever bothered to total its snowfall back in the day?

I’m betting Niseko stands as the all-time record holder for snowfall when the nearby town of Kutchan logged over two-thousand centimeters in the winter of sixty nine.

That’s almost eight hundred inches at nearly sea level.

Attachment 506564

I have ridden every day since this post. Most amazing December I have witnessed anywhere, and snowfall totals setting records for the month. Great start

[summit]

Buddy wants to go in March this year. I told him "remember how it was borderline too late when we went at the end of Feb?"

What do you all say?

[Dhelihiker]

Thank you guys for the info, Im all set. If any Mags are in the zone the first week of Feb, hit me up, beer is on me.

That Mr Yuk sticker brings me back to the 80's in Washington. That was when being a kid was actually dangerous.

[beer30]

I have ridden every day since this post. Most amazing December I have witnessed anywhere, and snowfall totals setting records for the month. Great start

Good to hear, looking forward to getting deep into it

[muted reborn]

I have ridden every day since this post. Most amazing December I have witnessed anywhere, and snowfall totals setting records for the month. Great start

Awesome! Where are you based out of this season?

[BFD]

https://skiasia.com/news/68-year-nis...ff-to-a-flyer/

[m2711c]

Geto Kogen killin’ it as usual… love that place.

[ishamazon@gmail.com]

Flying into NRT on Christmas Eve for a last minute solo ski trip. Going to stay until Jan 1 and debating between Niseko and Hakuba. Curious what you guys would suggest based on the forecast and conditions - thanks!!

[m2711c]

Tohoku…


fact.

[Mike Pow]

Buddy wants to go in March this year. I told him "remember how it was borderline too late when we went at the end of Feb?"

What do you all say?

I've had some of my deepest days ever in March, or Jarch as it's known on Hokkaido.

[boltonoutlaw]

Awesome! Where are you based out of this season?

Rankoshi

[gaijin]

Flying into NRT on Christmas Eve for a last minute solo ski trip. Going to stay until Jan 1 and debating between Niseko and Hakuba. Curious what you guys would suggest based on the forecast and conditions - thanks!!

Hakuba has steeper chairs. I think Hokkaido’s getting nuked. Their forests might be open.

Hakuba Cortina has some of the best trees in Japan if it’s filled in yet. Only downside is all the tree skiers know this.

Tohoku…


fact.

We do have snow in the forecast for Zao, but the forest isn’t really rideable until late January. Decent front side high-speed quad laps though when it’s snowing. Just beware of the non-skier tourists that flood the gondola. Line up early for first tram to get you up high. There’s also a new fast-pass this year for an extra 1000¥. Skip the lines. I haven’t tried it yet— super curious.

Also check Madarao and see if their trees are open yet.

I've had some of my deepest days ever in March, or Jarch as it's known on Hokkaido.

This. March is my favorite month.

[boltonoutlaw]

#sasabashing

[NBABUCKS1]

Anyone on here speak Japanese available to try and call a few hotels to see if they have any availability around Ani? Joining a few from here and the lodging is full. There is one place that does not seem to have any web presence but has a phone, and another that says it's full but I can't find any kind of contact/email address.

Big ask but not sure what else to do. PM me if you are willing to help to not clutter up the thread.

Thanks in advance!

[BFD]

I used a travel agent in Tokyo for that purpose. I think it was around $30. Called it a concierge service. British guy. If nobody else is better help can try and find his number
.

[CascadeCrudSkier]

Thank you guys for the info, Im all set. If any Mags are in the zone the first week of Feb, hit me up, beer is on me.

That Mr Yuk sticker brings me back to the 80's in Washington. That was when being a kid was actually dangerous.

Yeah, I saw that image several years back, laughed, and used it as my avatar. Now I don't seem to be able to change it so it's here to stay.

[boltonoutlaw]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEKEjh3pGtF/

[byates1]

Killing it dude. FKNA

[boltonoutlaw]

Killing it dude. FKNA

TY. Git sum

IG is where I'll be this season

[Pinned]

We're heading to Japan for the first two weeks of February. Our plan is to start in Sapporo (which we did last year, and it was awesome) and spend roughly a week there. We're debating going out to Furano / Asahikawa for a few nights before returning to Tokyo and heading home. Although I am curious about skiing further south just to have a different experience and see more - being able to do so and then just take a train back to Tokyo would be awesome too. The options are almost overwhelming - any recommendations that'd be good for 2-3 nights and easy to get to from CTS or Sapporo without transiting through Tokyo?