Nakazato Snow Carnival - Mar 9

March is a great time to enjoy yourself in the mountains in Japan. There is still good snow but the weather is getting more springlike and there area always plenty of off-snow events and festivals to participate in.

The evening of Saturday March 9th is the Nakazato Snow Carnival.

There will be mochi making, warming winter soups and drinks, fireworks, a torch light descent and plenty of other spectacles to enjoy.

If you have never been to Nakazato before you should definitely check it out. Good skiing, loads of accommodation close by and a very family friendly atmosphere. It is not one of the best known resorts in the area but people that go there often return.

Day Return Packages to Yuzawa Nakazato

The beauty of skiing in Snow Country is that it is so easy to get to and is therefore possible to do as a day trip from Tokyo. A day on the slopes can easily fit into the busiest itinerary and needs no special accommodation arrangements. Kagura and GALA are the well-known options for day return skiing but there are plenty of other resorts that offer the same package and have their own benefits. One great option that is off the radar is the day trip to Yuzawa Nakazato.

If you have ever driven in this area you will have seen this resort on your right as you approach the Yuzawa IC after the long tunnel. It also has its own JR line station right next to the resort. The slopes range across the slopes of the local mountains and there is plenty to explore with a good mix of terrain. There is lots of space for kids to play in the snow and some old train carriages make a novel place to take a breather. It is one of those resorts that people have heard of but never tried. Those that have given it a go often keep coming back.

The package makes everything as easy as possible for you.
Bullet train tickets, pick up from Echigo Yuzawa station, rental equipment, and lift passes.
For full details and prices by date, hit up the link.

Banana Week at Joetsu Kokusai & Iwappara

Joetsu Kokusai and Iwappara are both resorts that make a special effort for families. There are great learner areas, dedicated sledging zones and play areas just for the children. They also both have on-snow accommodation which is a great boon if you are having to deal with young ones and all the gear that comes with a winter holiday.

This winter they add another toy to their play chests with the arrival of a banana boat, which is sure to be a big hit.

Save the date - how often to you get to ride a banana with a giant cartoon pig???

Iwappara Opens Tomorrow - Dec 14th 2012

If you are a ski resort facing the uncertainties of early season snow you have a few choices as to your opening dates

• post an early one and face an embarrassing postponement in case of late snow
• post a late one and stick to it no matter what
• keep quiet and see what the snow does - react accordingly

This third option was the one Iwappara went for, keeping any trace of an opening date off their website this year. With all this early snow though they are ready for their 2012/13 winter opening - and it is tomorrow.

Good news indeed for fans of wide open runs and ski-in, ski-out accommodation. Or it also a great place for a quick day on the snow if you are planning a day-return ski trip.

Snow at the top of Iwappara

There is a bit of snow at the top of Iwappara Ski Resort this morning.

Still no news on their opening date. They were hoping on a mid-December start but will have to wait to see what the snow does first. We were up their recently and had a bit of a giggle at the vending machines. You better hope you do not get thirsty while you are up there! In preparation for the heavy winter snows, all the vending machines are raised off the ground and in some years have to be dug out a bit. Great foresight for winter  but not quite so handy if there is no snow.

Some pretty colors their too.

Back in the day....

History plays a big part in small town Japan, especially in Snow Country. Families have been here for generations, many of them running the same business which is passed down from parent to child. If you are lucky enough to stay in a ryokan in this area you are likely to see some photos from back in the day adorning the walls of the hotel. They are fascinating glimpses of the past and how the town used to look. The height of the snow next to some of the old buildings is staggering and makes you realize what a battle winter must have been. It is a far cry from the built up town we know today.

If you haven't seen some of these photos you can head on over to the website of Yuzawa Shoji, one of the real estate agents in Yuzawa (who'll also be able to help you if you are looking to buy or rent a holiday home in the mountains.

They have collected together a whole bunch of old photos and it is an amazing sight.

They have photos from several parts of Yuzawa, Iwappara, Nakazato, Futai and Naeba. If you have been to the area then you are sure to see some familiar sights. Today's resorts would do anything to have the crowds that you can see in some of the photos.

Yuzawa Area Ski Resort Videos

Heading to Yuzawa for a bit of snow action this winter but not sure where to go?

Or just looking for some shots of snow to get you pumped up for your turns when the snow falls?

Then check out these video intros to some of the ski resorts in the Yuzawa area of Snow Country. There are guides to Yuzawa Kogen, Snow Wood, NASPA, Nakazato, Naeba, Ludens, Yuzawa Kogen, Iwappara, Ipponsugi, GALA, and Yuzawa Park.

Start getting excited about the snow.....

Powder Ski Magazine Winter 2013

If you are getting excited about winter already then you probably want to start indulging your passion. The winter 2013 edition of PowderSki Magazine is out in Japan and Snow Country gets a mention.

Their cover story is all about tree runs. After some pretty mouthwatering glossy pictures they have a guide to the best tree runs in the country. As you would expect, Snow Country favorites Kagura and Tenjin get a mention but a few other lesser known resorts also make the cut. Houdaigi, Nakazato, Tsunan and Kandatsu all have column inches dedicated to them too.

If you are keen to find the best tree skiing and boarding this winter and discover some new stashes, this could well be a sound investment.

Nakazato Harvest Festival - October 6

It is a great time of year in Snow Country. The new rice is just around the corner - it is already starting to change color in the fields - and that means the round of harvest festivals will shortly follow. Harvest festivals involve food so are some of our favorite places to be. New rice, cooked in the traditional way, is something that everyone should taste, and having it cooked by the proud farmers who produced it is one of the best ways to sample it.

The Nakazato Harverst Festival is on Saturday October 6th. There'll be the ubiquitous freshly cooked rice and mushroom soup on offer, as well as other entertainment. There is also the chance to get out in the field, scythe in hand and learn how to harvest rice in the traditional manner. This is an amazing way to experience traditional Japan. There are only a limited number of spaces so you need to register in advance.

Riverside Jam Camp, Yuzawa - Sept 15-17

Calling all nature lovers! Following on from its success last year the Riverside Jam Camp is back again offering plenty of outdoors enjoyment, live music and fun activities. The main days are Saturday 15th September and Sunday 16th September, but with the Monday also being a public holiday there will be plenty going on then as well.

Bring a tent and camp by the riverside or if you prefer your creature comforts there is cheap accommodation available at the hotel.

There is an eclectic line up of musicians to keep you entertained. A skate ramp is a new addition this year, there is fishing and the hugely popular slacklines will be back again. There will also be a few different arts and crafts workshops.

This is a great little festival suitable for the whole family and is a fantastic way to get out there and enjoy the local countryside. And best of all it is FREE.

Kids' Days at Yuzawa Resorts

"Kodomo no hi" or Kids' Day is a great initiative that has been taken up by almost every resort in the Yuzawa area. On the third Sunday of every month over winter elementary school students and younger receive a free ski pass.

This is bound to be a hit with the parents.

The following resorts offer a free lift ticket for children of the right age: Naeba, Kagura, Kandatsu Kogen, Ludens, Echigo Nakazato, Iwappara, Yuzawa Kogen, GALA Yuzawa.

NASPA Ski Garden offers 50% off to elementary school age children on Kids' Day, and Ipponsugi offers entry into a prize draw.

Time your trip right and the savings will get Mummy a bottle of wine.

Fireworks in Yuzawa

Winter festivals are not complete without a bit of fire. Be it candles, bonfires or fireworks, there is normally something burning somewhere. The light on the snow creates a beautiful effect.

There have been plenty of fireworks so far this season and there are a few more planned.

Saturday February 25th - Mitsumata Yuki Akari

Saturday February 25th - Nakazato Snow Wood Snow Candle

Saturday March 3rd - Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort, Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival

Saturday March 10th - Tashiro Yuki Akari

Saturday March 24th - Ipponsugi Ski Resort Event

Saturday March 31st - Ludens Yuzawa Ski Resort "Pray for Japan"

Sledging at Centleisure-Maiko

Maiko is one of those resorts that doesn't seem to get lots of mentions but if you talk to anyone who has been there you tend to hear nothing but praise.

It is definitely aimed at families and has a great range of terrain that is ideal for beginners and intermediates, with long, cruisy runs. They work hard at providing interesting features for the younger ones with plenty of sculpted wave runs and some little jumps to get the little ones interested. There is also a decent terrain park there for those looking for a challenge.

They also have a sledging run (with sledges available to rent) that spans the length of an entire lift and is a big hit with the youngsters. They offer banana boat rides if you are looking for something different to do.

It can be a bit of a confusing resort on your first visit as it has two areas linked by a connecting horizontal lift. From the top of the gondola side you can see the top lift of Iwappara resort just a few hundred meters away. Many people have wondered why it isn't linked to create one of the region's larger areas. Apparently the land between the two lifts is owned by a third resort who do not like the idea of Maiko and Iwappara joining forces.

If you haven't been you should definitely put this one on the list. Great runs, ski-in, ski-out accommodation and very child friendly.

Sledge Racing

A few days ago we mentioned the great sledging facilities at Joetsu Kokusai and it seems that they are taking full advantage of it this season. For those of you who fancy yourselves as world class sledgers, there is now the opportunity to be able to put that to the test with the Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai Sledge Race Series. Both ski resorts have great kids play parks and also dedicated sledge areas so you can head there for a bit of practice before the big day.

The race series has a few different options. An individual time trial if you just want to race the clock, a dual race for head to head challenges and then a group race for several people to do battle at the same time.

The sledge race takes place twice a month - once in Iwappara and once in Joetsu Kokusai - so check out the Sledge Race website for the full schedule and get yourself registered for some high thrills sledge action.

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.

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.

Aurora - Waterslides and Family Fun

Staying cool this summer this summer is high on the agenda for most people, and one of the best ways in Yuzawa is to head along to the Aurora pools in Iwappara.

2 water slides, 3 pools (both indoor and outdoor) and plenty of room to lounge around make this another fantastic option for the family over the summer holidays in Japan. The Aurora Leisure pools are part of the Chuo Koen which also has tennis courts, a baseball ground, football pitch and running track.