Winter fun in Minakami

Minakami has a fantastic reputation as an outdoor adventure paradise. Much of its fame comes from the abundance of activities in summer. It is sometimes overlooked as a great winter destination too. Whether you are looking for fun on the slopes, a gondola ride to the top of the mountains, some extreme backcountry riding or a peaceful snowshoe tour, there is plenty to keep everyone in the family occupied.

There are lots of ski resorts in the area too. In fact, did you know that Minakmi boasts 10 resorts in all? And though you may not have heard of all of them, each of them is worth a visit.

Tenjindaira has already opened but the other resorts won't be far behind. Below are the planned opening dates for the other 9 Minakami ski resorts.

Dec 15th - Houdaigi
Dec 20th - Norn
Dec 21st - White Valley, and Okutone
Dec 22nd - Minakami Kogen, Fujiwara, Oana, and Akasawa
Depending on snow - Kanosawa

There is also plenty of great accommodation in Minakami if you are looking for a memorable stay.

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.

Unusual Onsen

Taking a long soak in a volcanic hot spring bath is one of the essential Japanese experiences and Snow Country is blessed with an abundance of onsen. Pretty much anywhere you stay will have an onsen either in-house or close by. (For those of you that are not au fait with the ins and outs of taking a bath Japanese style, check out this handy guide.)

There are some really famous onsen in these parts that have been soothing away aches and pain for centuries. Onsen have played an important role in both curative and preventative medicine is Japan. The different kinds of water all have different affects and there will usually be a notice on the wall explaining the benefits of each particular bath.

Here are a couple of the more unusual onsen on offer in these parts.

Yusenkaku

This accommodation backs onto the river. The river has hot springs pumping into it. You can dig around and create your own personal onsen pool right there. It doesn't get more natural than that.

Kanzan

Their bath has a giant picture window that offers a stunning vista of Mount Tanigawa towering above you.

Takahan

The source of the hot spring is the reason the ryokan is here. It sits atop its own onsen source with the water completely refilling the bath every 3 hours.

Chitose

This ryokan in Matsunoyama has a really famous outdoor bath that is high on the list of onsen aficionados. It really comes in to its own in winter when it is almost buried in snow.

Ryugon

This ryokan is one of the oldest ryokan around and also have great onsen. Their outdoor bath backs right onto the local mountains and is so famous that it was the location for a beer commercial a few years ago.

Minakami Happiness Campaign

The Minakami marketing machine has gone into overdrive this summer showcasing the many attractions of their town under the banner of the Minakami Happiness Campaign. They have put together a bit of a teaser video to tempt you into a visit. Check it out below.

The outdoor sports are famous with bungy jumping, canyoning, rafting, paragliding, canoeing and mountain biking all on offer, and snow sports also well represented.

It is also well-known for its stunning natural beauty with some great shots in the promo video.

Check out the video. (.wmv download)

Tempted?

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.

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...

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.

Literary Snow Country - Osamu Dazai

Takahan is not the only ryokan in Snow Country who have links with famous Japanese writers. Ryokan Tanigawa played host to the novelist Osamu Dazai.

His stay was in the original building before it became the modern, high class ryokan it is today, but they have a mock up of his room in one of their salons. They also have an impressive collection of his works and some of his possessions.

His life was pretty turbulent and reads like a novel in itself, with attempted suicides, elopements, alcoholism, illegitimate children and depression. There is even rumor of a mysterious death. Some of his best known books are available in English translation, making them the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing stay in this beautiful mountain ryokan.

Visit Japan Campaign

Japan is trying really hard to boost its tourist numbers at the moment which have suffered a downturn of late due to the events of the last year. One of the big pushes is the Visit Japan campaign.

Part of this is local businesses all over the country proffering small offers as incentives to travelers as part of the Super Saver Coupons. There are a whole load of these under different categories but if you are in Japan it is probably worth having a quick browse to see if there is anything offered in your area.

There are several ways of getting hold of the coupons; you can download an Android app, carry a Visit Japan card or download a paper copy.

If you are up in Snow Country some of the offers available are free gifts, free onsen entries, free late check outs, free drinks and cash discounts from the likes of Takahan, Hatago Isen, Canyons, Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and Kandatsu Kogen Ski Resort.

Keep your eyes open and there are usually some deals around.

Takaragawa Onsen

Snow Country is blessed with an abundance of hot springs and there are several that are well known across the whole of Japan. Two of these are Hoshi Onsen in Sarugakyo, and Kaikake Onsen in Mikuni which we have mentioned previously. Another great onsen that any connoisseur of volcanic hot springs should pay a visit to is Takaragawa Onsen, close to Minakami.

This is the largest outdoor natural hot spring bath in Japan and often appears on the list of top ten most desirable destinations in this country for foreign visitors. It is an amazing experience with bathers getting a true feel for the Japanese onsen customs and being able to enjoy the stunning views and nature around it.

Like many of the top onsen it has a long history, with the baths having a reputation for offering curative and restorative effects to those that made the effort to find it out. Even today it is quite isolated so it must have been quite a feat to get there back in the day and would have made the experience even more enjoyable when you finally made it to the soothing waters.

It is slightly unusual in that many of the outdoor areas are mixed with men and women sharing the same baths (though unlike the normal onsen you are allowed to wear your towel to preserve your modesty.) There are also uni-sex areas if you don't like the idea of mixed bathing. The outdoor onsen really are the highlight of Takaragawa so it is well worth going outside for a soak.

There is an amazing traditional ryokan at Takaragawa aswell so if you are looking for the complete experience, an night here with the onsen, great cuisine and comfy futon on the tatami mat floor will make for a very memorable stay.

Outdoor Onsen - Rotemburo

Snow Country has masses of hot spring sources and soaking in one of these natural volcanic hot springs is one of the joys of visiting this area. Each water source has its own chemical composition with resulting benefits for the skin and body. Another great favorite that is worth tracking down is the outdoor onsen, otherwise known as the rotemburo.

There is something magical about being in a hot spring outside, especially when the snow is falling. The outside air temperature is cold but you are toasty warm up to your ears in hot water. Admiring the natural scenery or the perfectly sculptured garden just helps you relax further.

There are many places with rotemburo to check out. Most ryokan will have one and specialist onsen are likely to have several different types for you to enjoy. The changing of the seasons from an onsen are a joy to behold, whether it be the autumn colors, snowcapped peaks, cherry blossoms or the greens of summer.

Kawabata's Snow Country

Snow Country (Yukiguni in Japanese) can refer to any place that gets high quantities of snow, but it has become associated with this area of Japan thanks in part to the novel of that name by Yasunari Kawabata finished in 1948 (though a work in progress for much longer.) He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968 (the first Japanese writer to receive the prize) and his Snow Country novel played a large part in that.

The novel itself is about a stark love affair between a Tokyo-ite and an onsen town geisha set against the bleak backdrop of a Niigata winter. There is a good English translation available for those interested in the story which is full of understated feeling and symbolism.

The novel begins with the train coming out of the Shimizu tunnel, the long tunnel under the mountains that connects Niigata to the Kanto Plains. It emerges into a different world blanketed in snow, and this is an experience that is not uncommon to modern travellers. It is still possible to come by that train but most visitors now arrive by shinkansen, though it is a similar experience. It is not uncommon to see no snow at all as you head up from Tokyo but after passing under the mountains you emerge into Snow Country and the change in scenery is surprising.

Kawabata spent time in Yuzawa writing the book and is familiar with the area. He stayed at Takahan Ryokan, a traditional inn set on a hill at the far end of Yuzawa that conducts great views down the valley. It has been remodelled since his day but they have kept his room and also have a small museum dedicated to the book and resulting films.

The museum is open to non-guests and offers some great period photographs and details about the author. While you are there you should take an onsen too as the source of the spring is right underneath the ryokan giving it some of the best water in the whole area.

The book is an interesting read and gives some insight into what life was like living in such a snowy area before many of our modern conveniences, as well as interesting information about the culture of the day. If you are in Yuzawa itself, the ground floor of the Yukigunikan also has a mock up of the room and some belongings of Kawabata, who committed suicide in 1972. Also as you come into Echigo Yuzawa Station you will see the main female character in the book, the onsen town geisha Komako, represented by the West Exit. The character was based on an actual geisha.

Traditional Japanese Ryokans

Japanese hospitality is rightly famous, and no trip to Snow Country would be complete without sampling it. The ryokan (Japanese inns) leads the way with stunning service, immaculately presented food and a unique style of accommodation that you must try, at least for one night. No trip is complete without it.

There are many styles of ryokan with some keeping to the traditional model and others updating the concept a touch, but wherever you go you will be able to expect variations on a tried and tested theme.

You stay in a tatami room and may even choose to take your dinner in the room. At night the table is moved aside and thick, comfy futons are laid out on the tatami mat floor. You can truly shed the worries of the world along with your clothes as the ryokan will provide you with a yukata robe to wear while you are there.

Most ryokan take pride in their onsen, and there are people who travel around to sample the different styles of these hot spring baths. The outdoor ones are a fantastic way to relax and enjoy the stunning views on offer.

The other big attraction of a ryokan stay is the food. Typically you can expect your dinner to be an elaborate affair of many small dishes which keep on arriving. You may not know what everything is but it will have been lovingly plated up and look so good it almost seems a shame to tuck into it. These miniature works of art taste even better than they look. Wash it all down with a few glasses of the local sake and  your relaxation will be complete.

There is a huge choice of ryokan in most areas of Snow Country so no matter where you decide to go, there should be an amazing option for you to experience the very best of Japanese hospitality. Onsen, dinner, another onsen, best sleep ever, and then an amazing breakfast before the adventure continues.