Conditions Report
Report from February 2025.
Snow Country, also known as Yukiguni in Japanese, is not only a place of beauty and a region with a tremendous amount of snowfall, but it is also the title of a famous novel by Japanese Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata. History lesson aside, transitioning from the previous five days of insane powder skiing in the Minakami region to the Yukiguni zones of Niigata was as simple as a quick one-hour van ride. If you happen to be navigating Japan by train, it would be much faster with a 30-minute Shinkansen blast to Yuzawa Station from Minakami. The train station is located within the ski resort’s base area building, and a short indoor walk leads directly to the gondola—more about that deeper in this trip report.
- Part 1: Trip Report: Skiing Japan During the Legendary Storm Cycle that Dropped 25 Feet of Snow in 12 Days
Back to the powder slaying for now! Day six took us to a lesser-known, yet super fun, ski area named Hakkaisan. Another 25″+ fell overnight, so another deep day of pow riding lay ahead. Lucky for our crew, we had plans to link up with local snowboard legend, guide, entrepreneur, and politician Takumi. Takumi is the founder of Voltage custom skis, snowboards, and splitboards, and conveniently holds the lease and guiding privileges for some killer terrain just outside the main ski resort at Hakkaisan. Get connected with Takumi and/or other Niigata adventures with the local experts at Canyons.
Exiting through the gate into Takumi’s private deep pow playground is fairly easy and requires a hike of approximately 1-2 minutes. The reward is great for those who get linked up with him or one of his guides. Approximately 800 feet of vert on playful, fun, and treed terrain had us shouting, laughing, and having an absolute blast. We took about 6-7 runs here and got to rip an old lift line area back to the bottom each time with close to 0.0 tracks on it. Keeping safe in this rural area is important, so being with Takumi or one of his guides is not only required, but also a good call. Plus, they get you to all the deep goods and back to the lift with minimal traversing and no walking at all. My favorite! A single tram ride brings you back to the top to access all the inbounds goods, or the private zone once again.
After riding at Hakkaisan, we got a tour of the Voltage factory. It was impressive to see what the fellas there have built out. An assortment of custom-made presses, graphics printers, cutting tools, and other engineering marvels has been assembled to create 100% customizable gear for snow sliding. You pick the dimensions, camber, flex, and graphics, and the team at Voltage will bring it all to life for you. I was like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what I would design. The brain overload got to me, so I decided to think about it for a year or two and get back to them with my design. Check them out in person if you’re in the area, or explore their website if you’re interested.
The precip continued, and day seven was the first day of the adventure that we got absolutely snowed out of the resorts. The intention was to ski at Kagura Snow Resort; however, strong winds and another 2-3 feet of snow overnight put the resort on hold for the day, giving our wrecked legs a mini break. Lucky for us, we were staying at the stellar Kaikake Onsen Ryokan. The outstanding rooms, gourmet food, snow-surrounded onsens, and overall ambiance of this high-end lodge made it a fantastic place to rest and recover for the day. As the snow piled to the sky, we took in these amenities and said thank you to the snow gods for their bounty and for the day of rest and relaxation. It was also time to move to our next unreal accommodation, Ryugon, in the center of the Snow Country zone. Once again, we were awestruck by the quality, comfort, and design elements of our accommodations. The culinary offerings at the Manor House-style hotel were well above the typical fare of a simple skier, but I was able to find a way to take it all in without overindulging too much.
Day eight brought a surprising sight to our weary eyes. The sun was poking out a bit and we were off to a 1/2 day shred at one of Niigata’s better known ski areas Gala Yuzawa. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, Gala Yuzawa probably wins for easiest transition from train to lift in all of Japan, and maybe the world. Clocking in at about 75-90 minutes from Tokyo Station to Gala Yuzawa, and with 12+ bullet train runs a day to pick from, the Japan Railpass option makes Gala one of the top destinations for Japanese skiers. Day trips from the greater Tokyo area are simple, but for those traveling to experience the snow and discover Japanese Snow Country culture, I suggest staying at least a few nights in the area. A week would likely be better for the mind, body, and spirit.
Let’s talk more about the skiing in Gala Yuzawa. Was it fun? Hell yeah! It was nice for us to be able to see and to take in the scenery of the greater Niigata region. We could pick out other ski areas across the valley, including Hakkain-san, and explore the wild backcountry areas available to hikers among us. There are slightly more stringent rules concerning tree riding and off-trail fun in Gala, so be aware of them. We kept it mostly on the groomed runs and found it refreshing to go fast, have visibility, and not choke on snow for a few minutes. I saw a ton of potential for ducking into side country runs here, but that wasn’t allowed this trip, and we kept it within the lines this day. With 11 lifts and 1,250 vertical feet of skiing, the resort isn’t mega; however, the terrain is steep enough to reach ripping speeds, and it’s totally worth spending a day or two of your trip at this unique ski hill.
After the turbo skiing day at Gala Yuzawa, our team got a bit onto the Saki Train. We had plans to tour the Hakkaisan Saki Brewery later that day, and we needed to get a little lubed up for that mission. Lucky for us, we went to the Echigo Yuzawa Station, a few minutes’ drive from the Gala Yuzawa Station, for another outstanding local experience. Inside the station, there is a Saki drinking establishment that blew our minds. You exchange yen for tokens, and then there is an entire wall of Saki dispensers that you insert the tokens into and pour your own Saki. There were over 100 options to choose from, and no apparent rules for queuing or proceeding. Fortunately, we had Mike with us to offer some guidance and advice on what to try. As you would expect, the more desirable drinks cost more tokens, but honestly, each flavor hit well for me. This is something you must try when you’re in the area!
On to the Hakkaisan Saki Brewery. Our group had taken a sake tour or two earlier on the trip, but Hakkaisan Brewery, with the same name as the ski hill and sourced from the same snowy slopes above, is a much larger operation that sells its goods internationally. They have a world-class production facility and take pride in the products they produce. Hakkaisan Brewery even has a special Saki that is aged in a huge room that is cooled year-round with a gigantic pile of snow. Give the Yukiguni version a try if you’re in the area or come across it at a store anywhere! After the tour, we were treated to a pairing dinner by the staff from Hakkaisan’s sales and marketing team, so the good times continued into the evening with new friends and outstanding beverages.
Overall Tips for Travel to the Niigata Snow Country (Yukiguni) Area:
1. Take the train: It’s fast, fun, and keeps you off the snow-covered roads.
2. Pick your stay: There are many lodging options near Gala Yuzawa and throughout the entire valley. Switch it up every 2-3 nights to get different flavors. Rooms of all sorts and prices are available.
If you want local advice and amazing concierge level trip planning service contact the good folks at Kodo Travel. Strong recommends for Kaikake Onsen Ryokan and Ryugon if you want to impress someone special, or treat yourself to high-end relaxation between face shots.
3. Make a plan: I usually don’t, but getting around Niigata once you’re there will require a little planning. A car would help, but it would negate the fun of the train part. Have an idea of your order of operations for ski resorts, but stay flexible in case of the frequent mega dump. You can work out shuttles, taxis, and buses to get where you need to go. Figuring that all out is part of the fun, no?
4. Eat well: Your accommodation will likely have fantastic food. However, here are a few rough suggestions for when you are out and about! Hit up a local Soba restaurant for insane local noodles. Go to Echigo Yuzawa Station for loads of local eatery options and sake options. Wander around and look for the red lanterns of a local Izikawa, a small bar with small bites and beers. Take yourself and your friends out and look around. Ditch Google and pick with your eyes, nose, and ears. Trust me, this will make memories that will last a lifetime.
