Snow Country Radiation Checks - All Resorts Safe

Radiation has been big in the news over the past year and it has been a concern for many visitors, especially from overseas. The powers that be have been keen to allay any fears and have been conducting test on all tourist spots in the region. Geiger counter wielding scientists have been a bit of a common site over the past few months here.

The good news is that everywhere has been given the all clear with radiation levels sitting well within the acceptable zone. With that fear out of the way you can head to Snow Country and enjoy the amazing snow that has fallen of late.

We've just been hit by almost 6 days of snow, giving us a very White Christmas and masses of the fluffy stuff piling up everywhere. Lots of work for the locals as they get their houses clear and dig the car out, but awesome for those here to enjoy it. Tsunan even made the news as one of the heaviest hit.

For those of you of a scientific bent the radiation results for each area can be found here:

Minami Uonuma

http://www.city.minamiuonuma.niigata.jp/site/tohoku-taiheiyooki-jishin/ski-dadiation-kekka.html

Uonuma

http://www.city.uonuma.niigata.jp/modules/momenttopic/index.php?content_id=218

Minakami

http://www.town.minakami.gunma.jp/01news/2011/files/163sokuteikekka.pdf

Yuzawa

http://snowcountryjapan.blogspot.com/2011/12/yuzawa-resorts-radiation-checks-no.html

Head up soon for some awesome snow conditions. Snow Country fully living up to its name.

Minakami Ryokan on CNN.com

We've long been recommending a stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan and a soak in a hot spring as an essential experience if you come to Japan. It seems CNN.com also think that the Japanese ryokan is a great way to experience the relaxing effects of hot spring bathing. Of all the ryokan in Japan, the one that made it into their article was Senjyuan in Minakami.

Senjyuan is a stunning example of the modern ryokan. The design of the building and the rooms takes the very best of the ryokan tradition and brings it up-to-date with the best materials and beautiful styling. They have hot spring baths in the rooms as well as the main bath area, and if natural is your favorite, their is even one down on the banks of the river. The views are always mentioned as well for good reason.

For the full article check out the link -

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/21/travel/five-hot-springs/index.html

or check out their English website for some great views of the ryokan

http://www.senjyuan.jp/e/

Matsunoyama Onsen Power

Matsunoyama Onsen was in the news tonight for their new geo-thermal power generation steam. They are using some of their abundant hot spring resources to produce renewable, environmentally sound energy. Today they had the opening ceremony for their power generation facility amidst plenty of press interest. With the power issues caused as a result of the events in March, safe,renewable energy sources have been much in the news. For a country rich in volcanic hot springs, projects like this seem to be a natural choice and many towns will be watching this with interest.

Matsunoyama Onsen falls under Tokamachi and was originally a staging post on the troop route from Snow Country to Joetsu. It is a quaint little spa town tucked away in the mountains and home to the fantastic Chitose Ryokan which has an amazing outdoor bath which alone is worth the trip when the snow is falling.

It is also home to one of those quirky local festivals that let you see a different side of Japan. This one sees newly wed grooms tossed into a snowdrift.

Taste of Snow Country Tour - Jan 21-22

Occasionally offers come around that are almost too good to be true and this is certainly one of them. In an effort to convince people that there is more to Snow Country than skiing and snowboarding, the Niigata Prefectual Government is sponsoring a tour to introduce international visitors to some of the other highlights of the region - festivals, food, culture and sake.

As it is being subsidised, it is a crazy 1,000 yen per person. This includes 1 night of accommodation, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, all tour fees and insurance. Too good to be true, right? The only thing you have to do is go home and wax lyrical about the wonders of Snow Country. Pretty fair swap if you ask me.

There are only 20 spots on this tour available so get in early. And you have to be signed up before Jan 10th.

So if you like snow festivals, shrines, food fresh from the Sea of Japan and dining out in izakayas drop us a line.

Staying at a Ryokan

We've written before about the joys of staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan with their great food, onsen and awesome hospitality. At least one night in a ryokan should be on your list if you are visiting Japan. There is an association for ryokans over here - the Japan Ryokan Association - and they have a great guide on the ins and outs of staying in a ryokan. There are good tips on how to choose one, what to expect and important things you should know.

It is always good to be prepared but no one is expecting you to be au fait with the intricacies of Japanese etiquette - people are just happy that you have come to their country and are keen to introduce you to their culture.

The Japan Ryokan Association's guide is an interesting read with lots of good tips to make your stay a more enjoyable one. If you really want to come prepared they also have a printable guide that you can keep at hand during your stay, so if you can't remember how to tie your yukata...

Belnatio Snow Paradise

Belnatio is plush resort hotel just outside Tokamachi. It is a little off the beaten track as it sits on its own large estate. Come winter time this estate turns into a Snow Paradise offering a whole host of family activities.

There is a snow park for the kids to play in. Tubing. Snowmobiling. Snowshoe trekking and nature walks. Sled rides. Snow Rafting. And that is just some of the outdoor fun.

There are also extensive activity facilities inside with a pool, craft workshops and kids room, as well as an onsen and plenty of places to grab refreshments. It's an action packed day out if you only have one day but it is best as a base for the family vacation. Plenty to do in and around the hotel as well as daily shuttles to local resorts - you could be happy here for weeks.

Adaptive Snow Sports

As the flyer for the adaptive ski program at Neige notes, "Anyone can enjoy the snow." They have a highly trained cast of instructors who specialize in teaching all aspects of adaptive snow sports. People with all manner of disabilities have the opportunity to hit the slopes and experience the freedom of sliding down the mountain.

You may well have seen a sit-ski of some design rip past you on the slopes or seen a blind skier being led down the slopes by their guide while you are out in a resort. With the right equipment and instructor snow sports can be accessible to almost anyone, and just a glance at the top-level athletes in adaptive snowsports show you how dynamic it can be.

Neige have a full range of equipment from mono- and bi-skis, tethers, speakers for visually impaired skiers, outriggers for 3 and 4 track, and of course highly trained instructors who are equally comfortable introducing people to adaptive snow sports or honing already developed skills. They were previous based at Kayama Coast but due to the closure of that resort, they have made Yuzawa Nakazato their new home for this season.

Happy My Birthday in Yuzawa

If you are lucky enough to have a birthday between 10th December and 30th April you are in line for some free stuff in Yuzawa this winter. It's the Happy My Birthday Campaign.

Head to the Tourist Information Office on the West Side of Echigo Yuzawa Station on your actual birthday to register and you will get your birthday card (and lanyard if you are one of the first 500.) You are now set to pick up a whole bunch of free stuff from resorts, restaurants, shops and hotels in the area.

There are 8 resorts offering free lift passes (Nakazato, Yuzawa Park, Iwappara, Kandatsu, NASPA, Ipponsugi, Yuzawa Kogen and GALA) and a whole host of accommodations and shops offering free drinks, cakes, discounts, etc. Some pretty good bargains to be had among the 40 odd establishments taking part so well worth trying to get the day off and head up to Yuzawa on your birthday.

Happy My Birthday Campaign flyer - you are going to need to produce some official photo ID with your birthday on to get the goodies.

It's Snowing in Snow Country

Winter has well and truly descended on Snow Country. The snow started falling last night and has continued all day today, covering everywhere in white.

It is great timing as tomorrow is due to be the opening day of several resorts including Naeba, Tashiro and Tenjindaira.

You can keep an eye on opening day at Naeba on their live webcams

Snowshoe Tours

As part of our series of other winter activities to take part in while you visit Snow Country, today's offering is snowshoeing.

Snowshoeing is another one of those activities that is suitable for almost anybody of any age. Snowshoes strap to your boots and increase the surface area of your footstep, allowing you to hike across the snow. This opens up a whole new world as you can head off into the woods to explore the beauty of the winter environment.

It is incredibly peaceful. All around you is white and quiet as you break trail deeper into nature. There is plenty of wildlife around and even if you don't see an animal you will definitely see their tracks. The guides are very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna, as well as local legends, so will make sure you get the most out of your time in the snow.

Snow Country has a wealth of great snowshoeing locations, so no matter where you find yourself there is a good chance that there is a tour close by.

Walking through Japan

Hitting the news at the moment is the story of a Swiss travel agent who has just finished walking the length of Japan. It is a self-funded mission to demonstrate to people that Japan is still a great destination, the food is safe and the people are as friendly and welcoming as ever - you can read the backstory here. It is an amazing undertaking and also makes for a great read as Thomas Köhler writes a daily update of his adventures with plenty of photos.

Mr. Köhler also briefly passed through Snow Country on his trek back in October even making it onto the radio in Tokamachi.

It is a fantastic effort and deserves to be applauded. Hopefully it helps spread the message that Japan should still be on your list as a place to visit.

Ski Resort Opening Dates - Sakae, Tsunan & Tokamachi

Rounding off the opening dates for resorts in Snow Country. Again - planned dates only at this date. It has been snowing today in the region but all the resorts need more snow yet so it is possible that certain places may have to postpone their opening or receive one of Snow Country's legendary dumps.

Sakae

Sakae Club - 23 December


Tsunan

Greenpia Tsunan - 17 December
Mountain Park Tsunan - 23 Tsunan


Tokamachi

Matsunoyama Onsen - TBC
Nakasato Kiyotsu - 23 December

Ski Resort Opening Dates - Uonuma

The schedule dates for the resort in Uonuma. If you are looking for other resorts in the area you can try the posts for the Minami Uonuma area or the Yuzawa town area. All dates are the planned opening and will depend on there being enough snow for the resort to open. If the conditions aren't right they will push this date back a bit.

Okutadami Maruyama - as soon as there is enough snow
Yakushi - 17 December
Suhara - 23 December
Ohara - 23 December
Koide - 23 December
Oyu Onsen - 23 December

Ski Resort Opening Dates - Minami Uonuma

We have listed the opening dates for resorts in the Yuzawa area and here are the planned opening dates for resorts that are further up the valley in the Minami Uonuma City district. Again it is worth noting that these are the planned days and will depend on there being enough snow for the resort to open. Delays are likely if the weather does not cooperate.

Joetsu Kokusai - 10 December
Ishiuchi Maruyama - 17 December
Centreleisure Maiko - 17 December
Muikamachi Hakkaisan - 23 December
Itsukamachi - 23 December
Mt. Grand View - 23 December
Muikamachi Ski Resort - 23 December
Hakkaisan Sanroku - 23 December
Chateau Shiozawa - 24 December
Ishiuchi Hanaoka - 29 December

Ski Resort Opening Dates - Yuzawa Town

List of some of the planned opening dates for the upcoming winter. As always, it is snow dependent so subject to change. It has been pretty cold recently but the snow is still quite high up. Many of the resorts listed below will need quite a bit of snow lower down to be able to open on these dates so some postponements are looking highly likely.

Kagura (Mitsumata) - 23 November
Kagura (Tashiro) - 10 December
Naeba - 10 December
Iwappara - 10 December
Yuzawa Kogen - 10 December
Kandatsu Kogen - 16 December
Yuzawa Nakazato - 17 December
Ludens Yuzawa - 17 December
Nakazato Snow Wood - 17 December
GALA Yuzawa - 17 December
Yuzawa Park - 22 December
NASPA Ski Garden - 23 December
Nunoba - 23 December
Ipponsugi - 23 December

Yuzawa Resorts Radiation Checks - No worries

The Geiger counters were out this week in Yuzawa as checks were done on all the ski resorts before the snow falls to see what current radiation levels were. Everywhere was given a clean bill of health with readings within the range of 0.016 - 0.160 uSV/h, so you can hit the slopes with peace of mind this winter. For a run down of results by resort in English have a looks at this document or if you would like to check the full results (in Japanese) head to the Yuzawa Town homepage.

Snowmobiling

All the surrounding peaks are snow-capped now and there is the definite winter feel around Snow Country at the moment. The first resorts are already opening their doors for the winter and the other resorts are just waiting for the snow line to creep a little lower down. Skiing and snowboarding are hugely popular but there are plenty of other things to keep you amused if these are not your thing.

One great activity for thrill seekers is snowmobiling. Hurtling around the winter landscape on a specially designed machine definitely gets the pulse racing.

One of the great things about is that no special skills are needed to have an amazing time on a snowmobile. With a few pointers from the experienced instructors you are soon up and away, throttling your machine through the powder. It is also a good day out for the kids as there are smaller machines for the young ones or they often get a kick out of riding on the same sled as their parents.

RSS Snowmobiling run tours in Yuzawa and in Naeba. The course in Naeba is particularly good as there is a trail through the forest so you get a real feeling of exploration.

Parties in Naeba - SnowSplash and FIS World Cup After Party

Winter in Japan means some of the best snow in the world but one aspect of the winter sports vacation that people from abroad often lament is the lack of a apres-ski party scene. Most areas have a couple of bars in town but they are not as popular as their European resort counterparts. If you are going to do it like a local you will either crash back in your room with some beers and a good soak in the onsen, or head to an izakaya - a drinking restaurant. Later at night you might wander out to sing a bit of karaoke.

There are plenty of parties and events around though you probably have to make sure you are in the right place at the right time so as not to miss out. Naeba is a good place to go if you are looking for some apres action and there are a couple of dates you need to keep free for 2012.

SnowSplash - Saturday January 21st

This is a popular annual party that does the rounds in Minakami, Naeba and Hakuba that draws some big name foreign acts, DJs and performance artists.


There is also a World Cup Mogul Event in Naeba this year and there is nothing highly trained athletes in the peak of the physical condition like more than to let their hair down and party after a tough day at the office. The official after party will be on Saturday February 18th.

Full details on both of these to follow...