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Awesome Japanese Ski Resort

NichigoPress

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Probably the most popular ski area in Japan for skiers and snowboarders from other countries is Niseko in Hokkaido. International skiers have also now begun venturing into Nagano and other popular areas in pursuit of additional appealing spots, and Niseko, Nagano and recently areas in Niigata are gaining in popularity. In this feature we will introduce to you some new areas that are attracting a following.

Words: Kazuya Baba

Translation: Heather Glass

Believe it or not, there are over 500 ski resorts in Japan!

ski

Do you know how many ski resorts there are in Japan? Believe it or not, there are over 500. Each has its own identifying features, incorporating huge resorts where skiers can enjoy powder snow to their heart’s content, to ski resorts embracing huge ski parks where skiers can enjoy mogul and extreme forms of ski-ing. There are many ski resorts that have become known to international visitors, starting with Niseko, which is a gathering point for many skiers and snowboarders from around the world, and extending to ski resorts in Nagano Prefecture. Nevertheless, there are still many appealing ski destinations in Japan of which those outside Japan know nothing. In this feature we will focus on spots buried deep in Japan that enjoy popularity with Japanese ski fans, but are as yet unknown to visitors from abroad. Broadly, we will introduce you to three areas. We start with ski resorts in the Tohoku area, which in terms of potential is definitely not outdone by Hokkaido or Nagano-Niigata. We will take a close look at Okushiga Kogen, which is enjoying particular popularity among the ski resorts in the already popular Shiga Kogen in Nagano Prefecture. We will also focus on the ‘powder belt’ in Hokkaido’s central region, which is drawing attention as the spot for powder snow, the likes of which are rarely seen anywhere in the world.

TOHOKU AREA: ZAO ONSEN, APPI KOGEN, HAKKODA

An area on a par with Hokkaido and Nagano-Niigata, if probably having the potential to surpass them, is Tohoku. Tohoku is located at the northernmost point of Japan’s central island of Honshu, and in winter, is a region of heavy snows. There are many ski resorts in the area, but let’s look at the appeal the area offers by focusing on three ski resorts that are actively welcoming international skiers and snowboarders.

NAGANO AREA: SHIGA KOGEN

Known to be a popular area on a par with Hakuba and Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen in Nagano Prefecture boasts Japan’s largest gelande ski run. There are many ski resorts on the extensive slopes inside Shiga Kogen, but most are connected to each other and skiers can come and go between them. We will take a close look at Okushiga Kogen, which is located the furthest back of several resorts and is particularly popular with skiers.

HOKKAIDO AREA: POWDER BELT

Mention Hokkaido and the strongest association that comes to mind is Niseko, but the area about which there is growing awareness that it is the up and coming spot in Hokkaido to enjoy Japan’s best powder snow, is the area dubbed the ‘powder belt’, located in the centre of Hokkaido. There are several ski resorts there, including Asahidake, Kurodake and Furano, which all boast very satisfying powder snow.

Touring Kanazawa Recommended Tourist Route

NichigoPress

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Touring Kanazawa

Recommended Tourist Route

Kanazawa retains the atmosphere of a castle town and boasts a collection of topical tourist spots of international interest. Here we describe the recommended tourist route for the major tourist experiences you should try at least once if you come to Kanazawa, including strolling the streets, shopping, and good food. You can get around Kanazawa efficiently in a day. All you need is about five hours.

yuki-no-otani

1 KANAZAWA STATION

When you alight at Kanazawa Station you will be greeted by the Motenashi Dome, completed in 2005 from feature glass. Hop on a bus and head for our first destination, Higashi Chayagai District.

CHAYAGAI
shima

2 HIGASHI CHAYAGAI DISTRICT

One of Kanazawa’s three chaya districts, with their charming tea houses, the streets are lined
with buildings housing vendors of gold leaf and traditional sweets, souvenir shops selling cute Kanazawa ornaments, and classy cafés. Don’t miss Shima, the only tea house structure in Japan to be designated a nationally Important Cultural Property. Built in 1820, the tea house has been immaculately preserved in its original form. As it was built to house the general arts of singing, music and dancing, it is unique for the fact that its upper storey guest rooms have no cupboards or dividing walls.

CHAYAGAI

3 KENROKUEN GARDEN

Kenrokuen is one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. It is a chisen kaiyu, ‘strolling pond’, style garden typical of the Edo period and has its origins as the clan residence constructed in the outer blocks of Kanazawa Castle by the Kaga clan. Its charm transforms with the seasons, offering different views with the changing seasons. A must see is the Kotoji stone lantern for which the garden is known. After a Address: leisurely stroll around the garden, enjoy a snack at one of the tea shops lining the exit.

Address: 1-4 Kenroku-machi, Kanazawa-shi

castle

Address: 1-1 Marunouchi, Kanazawa-shi

4 KANAZAWA CASTLE PARK

The huge park was created around the restored ruins of Kanazawa Castle, which was the stronghold of the Million Koku of Kaga, dating from when Maeda Toshiie moved into the castle in the Edo period. The symbol of Kanazawa Castle, the famous Ishikawamon Gate, is designated a nationally Important Cultural Property. In spring the park is also very popular as a famous spot for cherry blossom viewing.

castle

5 KANAZAWA 21ST CENTURY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

The concept of the Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, which is a gallery that has many fans around Japan, was for it to be open to the town and in essence a ‘park- like art gallery’. Leandro Erlich’s Swimming Pool is one popular spot in which a boundary created by the surface of a pool becomes a natural source of interaction.

Address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka,Kanazawa-shi

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6 OHMICHO MARKETS

For our final stop we go to the Ohmicho Markets, which are popular with tourists. This is the kitchen of the people of Kanazawa, where shoppers can buy fresh seafood products and Kaga vegetables. Across the 2.8 hectare site there are 170 or so shops, including stores selling fresh food and commercial goods, and food and beverage outlets. Shop and taste test as you are surrounded by in a swirl of energetic cries of ‘It’s fresh!’, or ‘It’s cheap!’, and being on the coast of the Japan Sea, do not go past the seafood. Sushi eaten at the markets is unforgettable.

Address: 50 Kami Ohmicho, Kanazawa- shi

The circuit or shuttle bus from Ohmicho Markets to Kanazawa Station takes about five minutes. Pop into the souvenir stores at Kanazawa Station to buy famous local sweets, seafood products, or gold leaf craft items. You can savour the delights of Kanazawa in just one day.

Rediscovering Hokuriku

NichigoPress

hokuriku

Higashi Chayagai ©JNTO

Words:Haruka Osoegawa Translation:Heather Glass

Rediscovering

Hokuriku

The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train began operating in March 2015. Japan’s Hokuriku region incorporates the three prefectures of Ishikawa, Toyama and Fukui. The many tourist destinations dotted throughout the area include traditional Japanese locations, hot springs and beautiful castle towns. This article focuses on Kanazawa, the gateway to Hokuriku, with tips about tourist spots you may want to visit.

yuki-no-otani

Yuki-no-otani Snow Corridor

The Nagano Shinkansen that formerly operated between Tokyo and Nagano was extended from Nagano to Kanazawa and was reborn as the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March. With the launch of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, an overland journey to Kanazawa that once took close to four hours can now be completed – at top speed – in two hours and 28 minutes.

During the Edo period – from the beginning of the 17th to the 19th century – Kanazawa boasted the highest rice stipend of the 300 feudal domains, making it the wealthiest domain within the country. The city was a castle town, governed by the Maeda family, who were the rulers of the Kaga clan and whose stipend is spoken of as ‘Hyakumangoku (one million koku) of Kaga’. At the city’s centre is Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, facing which is Kanazawa Castle Park and the ruins of the feudal Maeda castle. A massive structure, Kanazawa Castle enjoys popularity as the epitome of the majesty of the Hyakumangoku of Kaga.

West of Korinbo, the busy shopping district, are the cobbled roads and earthen walls of the Nagamachi Buke Yashiki, or samurai residence district, which features the former homes of the Kaga clan’s retainers. The eastern street of chaya teahouses north-east of the castle, fairly close to the Asanogawa River, was born in 1820. The traditional town houses lining the streets are unique for their latticed bay windows on the ground floor, and the plumb of their upper floors, which is high enough to accommodate Japanese-style zashiki drawing rooms, where guests sit on the floor. In the present day there is a growing number of tea shops, galleries and modern bars that all preserve the teahouse architecture.

Kanazawa is not the only area of interest. Ishikawa Prefecture’s neighbouring prefecture, Toyama, also has many attractions. Kurobe- Unazukionsen Station, newly built for the Hokuriku Shinkansen, is the gateway to the Kurobe and Unazuki onsen hot springs area with its famously prolific springs that flow from the Northern Alps.

The prefecture is also known for the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpen Route, which is a mountainous tourist route passing through the Northern Alps, comprising peak after peak reaching 3,000 metres above sea level and visited by tourists from at home and abroad. The Tateyama-Kurobe Alpen Route is the mountain traffic route linking Tateyama Station in Toyama Prefecture and Ougizawa Station in Nagano Prefecture.

The route is famous for the ‘snow corridor’ that appears when snow walls of around 20 metres in height form along both sides of the road. Each year from mid April to late June there is a ‘snow walk’, when it is possible to experience the Yuki- no-otani Snow Corridor. The walls of snow soaring on both sides are amazing as it shows the power of mother nature. The walk is an opportunity to get up close and personal with the wonders of nature at its mightiest.

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INTRODUCING NEW ROLLING STOCK – WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE W7 CARRIAGE

The comfortable interior space features a strong sense of both design and functionality. The ordinary carriages incorporate a lattice design that is classically wa in taste. The green cars are elegant, and the gran class has reclining leather seats and in-built electric functionality.
The train fit out is the latest, incorporating barrier free universal design elements, equipment designed for comfort, such as power points in all seats, attention to energy conservation, with LED in-carriage lights, and beefed up security, with surveillance cameras covering the aisles.

seats

shinkansen-set Chubu region, Ski / Snowboarding, Transport, Vol.2015-16 ,