Japan 2026

[Sbooker]

I am catching a train from Narita to Tokyo city (Ueno specifically) for a few tourist days in late January before going to the hills around Nagano. The car rental company Miki Car Rentals who are based in Narita are delivering me a car on the required day to my hotel for a fee of 5000yen (about 33USD). Fantastic value in my opinion. Car comes with proper winter tyres.

The reason for the delivery is obviously to avoid the unrequired cost of rental for the Tokyo tourist days and avoiding the peak hour drive from the airport to Tokyo city centre. Oh and the parking fees which can be substantial in Tokyo hotels.
Once I'm finished with the ski portion of the trip I will drive from Nagano area straight to Narita (bypassing the traffic bedlam of Tokyo) to drop the car off before taking the leisurely 9 hour flight direct south to Brisbane. Incidentally there is no time zone difference between us and Tokyo. (Maybe one hour some times of the year I think).

 

[Sbooker]

Presumably you mean Hakuba? In 2011 when I arrived in Tokyo I got a hotel near Shinjuku Station because there is a morning direct train to Hakuba from there. That hotel also stored my ski bag during the week I was diving in Palau.

We won’t go to Habuka in an endeavour to avoid the swathes of my fellow countrymen. We’ll stay in the valley somewhere around Nakano/Yudanaka. From there Nozawa Onsen, Madarao, Myoko are within striking distance. We’ll then stay on snow at Japan’s biggest and highest linked ski resort Shiga Kogen. It’s retro but devoid of crowds.

 

[Sbooker]

I’ll be there in late January/early February. It won’t be a long trip as I am heading to Europe (Milan) late March.
Anyone else have plans of getting to the land of the rising sun?

Anyway Japan has had their first snows. I’ll keep this thread updated.

 

[Sbooker]

I’ve ripped this off the Aussie ski forum -

“Storms" (low pressure troughs and cold fronts) are not really what determines normal heavy snowfalls, particularly in central Japan and northern Honshu.

The key is high pressure over eastern Siberia (around Lake Baikal / Mongolia), with a ridge of high pressure over southern China. This setup produces much stronger lake/sea effect snow, which is what produces the most snow in central Japan and northern Honshu:

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Incidentally there is no time zone difference between us and Tokyo.

To state the obvious -- that's a huge advantage when the trip is a week or less. I've mentioned how impressive it is that Sbooker and wife/kids repeatedly tackle that brutal 24-hour air itinerary to the Alps. If I were in his place, I'd give Japan serious consideration just from the shorter (and nonstop) flight and the lack of jet lag.

 

[Sbooker]

Sbooker and wife/kids

Very sadly the opportunities for the kids to ski with us are now really limited due to their relatively new found work schedules.

We have many great memories in the bank but I hope we can still get the stars to align in the future.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I’ll be there in late January/early February. It won’t be a long trip as I am heading to Europe (Milan) late March.
Anyone else have plans of getting to the land of the rising sun?

Anyway Japan has had their first snows. I’ll keep this thread updated.

yep
maybe in early may

 

[jasoncapecod]

I’ve ripped this off the Aussie ski forum -

“Storms" (low pressure troughs and cold fronts) are not really what determines normal heavy snowfalls, particularly in central Japan and northern Honshu.

The key is high pressure over eastern Siberia (around Lake Baikal / Mongolia), with a ridge of high pressure over southern China. This setup produces much stronger lake/sea effect snow, which is what produces the most snow in central Japan and northern Honshu:

View attachment 48063

did you notice the insanely low temps in NE China and Russia...classic LE set up....works here in NY too

 

[ChrisC]

If I were in his place, I'd give Japan serious consideration just from the shorter (and nonstop) flight and the lack of jet lag.

I don't mind changing time zones by 8-10 hours: SFO - London/Europe/Helsinki.

I do hate shorter (5-8 hr) redeye/overnight flights because I do not sleep on them.

Twelve hours on a plane? Great! I sleep for 5-6 hrs, do some work, watch a movie, etc.

 

[ChrisC]

One ski area in Japan of interest is Asahidake.

As I understand it, Asahidake is basically a single cable car; there are no 'tracks'/trails, one needs a guide to navigate, and the weather is horrible 24/7 - but it gets tons of snow! It's a volcano in the middle of Hokaiddo.

Asahidake

Asahidake ski resort in Hokkaido Japan has deep powder whilst Asahidake Onsen is a cute village at the base. See the review of the Asahi-dake skiing

www.powderhounds.com

The Ja-POW snow machine looks like it's in 'ON' mode for the next 100 days.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Nozawa Onsen, Madarao, Myoko

are close enough to the coast to get the "sea effect" snow. SnowJapan has Myoko with 500+ inch average snowfall for the past 13 years.

Shiga Kogen.

is farther inland, gets half as much snow per same SnowJapan website.

Nakano/Yudanaka

are in the valley between these regions, which explains the need for a rental car.

Asahidake

is occasionally visited by the Adventure Project. With just the one cable car that does not go to the top of the mountain, plan on considerable ski touring if you go there and not typical ChrisC verticals. The Powderhounds review makes this point clearly.

As for the Ja-POW forecast, notice the purple colors which mean a rain/snow mix like we have been having in the Pacific States. I suspect this is common because average November snowfalls in Japan are modest before exploding upwards in December with the Siberian cold. Nonetheless putting down a wet base now should be great when the midwinter powder ensues.

 

[Sbooker]

I don't mind changing time zones by 8-10 hours: SFO - London/Europe/Helsinki.

I do hate shorter (5-8 hr) redeye/overnight flights because I do not sleep on them.

Twelve hours on a plane? Great! I sleep for 5-6 hrs, do some work, watch a movie, etc.

I’m the same. Long haul is no great chore. I usually get between 7 and 9 hours sleep.

 

[Sbooker]

s farther inland, gets half as much snow per same SnowJapan website.

And due to higher elevation no rain unlike the other areas. Even when staying in the valley that will be the option if we get a very common mid winter warm up.
Drier snow up there too.