Yairo Children's Snow Festival - Mar 10

Spring is just around the corner and it is a great time to visit the mountains, especially if you have kids. Whether they ski or not, there is always plenty to do to keep them occupied. The warmer weather in March makes it a great time to come and have some fun in the snow, and that is the driving force behind the 7th Yairo Forest Park Children's Snow Festival on Sunday March 10th.

Yairo has one of the best parks in the area for most of the year but most people don't head there in the winter. All that will change for the Snow Festival. There are loads of fun, free activities to play around with. Banana boating on the snow, igloos, snowshoeing, tubing, bamboo skis, mini games, snow sculptures and plenty more. It is always loads of fun, and the little ones will love it. There will be plenty of food as well to keep them full of energy.

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.

Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway

Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway is a popular spot for tourists visiting Yuzawa in all seasons. Once the largest gondola in the world, holding 160 passengers, it whisks you up to the top of the mountains that flank Yuzawa town. From there you get an amazing view of the Uonuma valley below.

It pretty much runs all year round with a few short breaks for routine maintenance. They have just finished operation for Green Season 2012 and will shortly be up and running for Winter 2012/2013 - the maintenance period is set for Nov 26 2012 - Dec 14 2012.

Head up to the top to enjoy the views, or have a play in the snow. If you are a skier or snowboarder you can spend some time at Yuzawa Kogen ski resort, which has a run all the way back down to village level. It also has a gondola that takes you across to GALA Yuzawa resort as part of the 3 Mountains area. There are some great restaurants at the top of the ropeway too.

Being right in the center of Yuzawa it couldn't be more convenient...

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.....

Snow Country Ski Resort

One of the joys of living in Snow Country is that you have a huge range of options when it comes to snow sports. But as with everything, too much choice can lead to difficulty with making decisions. Fear not though, there is a hand Ski Resort Guide to the rescue.

It has a couple of helpful features that will aid you in figuring out where is the best place to spend you days of fun on the slopes. You can search Snow Country resorts by activity - if your thing is nordic skiing or snow biking this guide will tell where to head. Or if great facilities for kids are top of your list, look no further.

Have a play with the guide or comparison chart and you are well on your way to winter happiness. Of course, checking them all out over the course of the winter would also be a pretty good option.

Bring on the snow!

Hot Air Balloon at Joetsu Kokusai - May 3-6

We're all about getting a new perspective on things, and this Golden Week Joetsu Kokusai are giving you the opportunity to see the surrounding area in a way you probably haven't before. They have a hot air balloon and can send you up into the clouds to get a great view of the valley and surrounding mountains.

It's an awesome experience and the views are stunning - check out the video for a bit of a taster.

There is plenty more to keep the whole family amused. As well as the great facilities of the hotel there, the Joetsu Kokusai Playland will also be open, and if you are yearning for the snow they also have a snow play area with sledging and snowmobiles to enjoy.

Sakae Club Ski Field

The beauty of skiing in Japan, apart from the great snow, is the sheer number of resorts. Snow Country has its fair share with a wide range of resorts across the whole region. Many people tend to head to the same one over and over but it is well worth heading out to explore a new area from time to time.

One of the better kept secrets is Sakae Club Ski Field just over in Nagano. It has a good range of runs and is ideal for the family with some easy, open runs. There are also great views from the top.

There are plenty of events going on throughout the season. One of our favorites is their Lucky Monday which happens every Monday from mid-January to mid-March; a day ticket is just 1,000 yen on Mondays. At that price you really have no excuse not to check out Sakae Club Ski Field.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this weekend will see Valentine's chocolate up for grabs with a chocolate lucky dip.

There are lots of great accommodation options close by if you fancy a slightly longer stay.

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.

Super Sledging at Joetsu Kokusai

One of the most fun things you can do on snow is sledging. Mix kids and snow and the two things you are likely to get every time are snowballs and sledging. Sliding down the white stuff seems to be built into us. Joetsu Kokusai, already known for their fantastic summer kids play park, have turned their attention to winter this year and opened a new sledging area that is billed as one of the best in Japan.

They have a dedicated sledging area that is the perfect pitch for some fast sledging and also a selection of different sledges and toboggans so you can experiment to find your perfect ride.

The sledging area or "SoriLand" boasts 500 metres of run - more than enough for even the most adventurous sledger. You are not likely to tire of SoriLand but if the little ones do fancy something different there is also a kids' play land to enjoy.