Where’s the Snow?

Snowboarding in Japan is not only fun, but is also amazingly convenient.
During the winter, one of the only fun things about the cold is the snow. Japan, seems to have a great abundance of mountains, and places to ski or snowbard during the winter.

Part of this convenience derives from the Takkyubin Service here. If you haven’t yet discovered the benefits of Takkyubin in Japan then you are most definitely missing out.

Even if you don’t speak a lot of Japanese, it is not difficult to send ski/snowboarding equipment or even general luggage via this method. All that is required is to take the baggage that you want to send down to your local convenience store, along with the address of the destination. This service generally takes around two to three days depending on the locality. Takkyubin costs between 1000~2000 Yen which is an absolute bargain for the hassle free ability to leave work on a Friday evening, and go straight to the slopes via the Shinkansen without having to drag snowboards or skis around Tokyo and along to your final destination.

Snowboarding in Japan is also great as the ski fields are generally not very crowded, and I have only once in two years had to queue for a lift. As there are an incredible number of ski fields in Japan, most easily accessible from Tokyo, it seems that avid skiers and snowboarders tend to disperse for the weekends to the multitude of different ski fields on offer here, thereby creating an environment where the mountains and runs never seem to be overcrowded.

Last year saw the greatest snowfall in Japan for over 80 years, which lent itself to a fantastic season. This year however, has been rather unusually, and unseasonably warm, thereby creating a somewhat early end to the season, although the cold snap of the last few days may change this.

One of the only good places left to frequent between now and May, when the season ends, is Hokkaido. If you can read Japanese, or have a friend/colleague who can read Japanese, the local carriers JAL and ANA often have packages or special offers to Hokkaido. If you are organised enough to be able to book two months in advance, it is possible to book a trip for 10,000 Yen each way. However these fares cannot be altered once booked. If you are lucky enough to have a birthday in the winter season, the domestic airlines often offer special birthday campaign fares for you and three friends at a cost of around 20,000 with return.

All in all, the skiing season in Japan has a lot going for it. Once you know a few tips, it’s easy to send any equipment in advance, saving the hassle of carrying it on the train, all you need to do from there is get a group of friends together and decide on a destination. Here’s hoping for a great season next year!