If a tailored, bespoke and authentic Japanese snow trip sounds appealing, discovering the secrets of Aizu, writes Phil Osborn, should be on your radar.
Japan offers so many experiences for international snow travellers, but matching the experience to your expectations, is an artform. If you are like me, and love discovering and exploring Japan, you know that the hidden gems often need quality research to find and piece together. On our most recent trip to Japan, our Aizu experience in Fukushima, felt adventurous and unique. We crafted an experience in Aizu that combined great skiing and snowboarding, with cultural experiences, stunning onsens and Japanese Kaiseki dining. To learn more, check out our short film and read on for more travel ideas and advice.
Where is Aizu, Japan?
Aizu is situated in the mountain area of Fukushima Prefecture, and is located in Tohoku region of the main island of Honshu, north of Tokyo. Fukushima Prefecture is the third largest prefecture of Japan.
How did we get there and travel around?
We started our trip in Tokyo, staying at Apartment Hotel Mimaru in Ueno. We caught the JR Shinkansen from Ueno to Koriyama station, Fukushima. The trip took 1 hour and 15 minutes on the train. One-way tickets are 7,600 Japanese yen for an adult. For the next part of our journey, we hired a van at Koriyama. The van was our ticket to explore the Aizu region at our own pace and explore a variety of the 12 ski resorts in the area.
A Hire Van – Ticket to Freedom!
Before leaving Australia, I organised an international drivers licence to hire a van in Koriyama. You must have an international drivers licence, you cannot just show your Australian licence. The Toyota HiAce van comes equipped with snow tyres, 4WD and will seat 6 people. Expect to pay around 16,500 yen per day, which is currently around $150 per day. Our van was fitted with ETC – the electronic toll collection as well, so we could drive directly through tolling booths. We hired our van through Toyota Rent a Car.
Black Cat – Hassle Free travel
As we spent two nights in Tokyo, before heading out to Aizu, we directly transferred our skis and snowboards from Haneda Airport to our first night of accommodation in Aizu. For 4 large bags, it was around $180 Australian to be delivered. It allowed us to navigate Tokyo metro and the Shinkansen without our bulky snow luggage.
Where did we stay?
We stayed in three locations in Aizu, so we could experience a variety of destinations and ski resorts.
Our first location for two nights was Numajiri Kogen Lodge, situated in Inawashiro and within the Bandai-Asahi National Park a 1 hour drive, or 39kms from Koriyama station. The original owner of Numajiri Kogen Lodge, Junko Tabei, a famous Japanese mountaineer, was the first women to summit Mt Everest. The lodge experience is warm and cozy and is filled with memorabilia of Junko’s famous climbing photos and gear. The lodge has 12 guest rooms, that are well appointed and comfortable. Most visitors staying at Numajiri Kogen Lodge are from Tokyo and are staying at the Lodge for its famous high quality Kaiseki dinners. A kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course, haute-cuisine meal that features meticulously prepared seasonal ingredients. Our Kaiseki dinner at the Lodge was over 10 courses and was all locally sourced from organic and in-season produce. Every course is described in intricate detail of where the produce was sourced locally. The other key reason people choose to stay at Numajiri Kogen Lodge is for its acidic sulfur hot spring onsens, where you can look out towards stunning snow-covered forest and simply relax. When staying at Numajiri Kogen Lodge we chose to ski at En Resort Grandeco, a 36 minute, drive south east of the Lodge.
Where did we ski from Numajiri Kogen Lodge?
We packed our Toyota Hiace van with our skis and snowboards into the back of the van and hit the road to En Resort Grandeco. We drove 26 kilometes, winding through stunning snow-covered landscapes and arrived at En Resort Grandeco carpark ready to hit the slopes. Parking is 1,000 yen, or roughly $10 per day. I find driving in Japan enjoyable as it allows me to view local life, streetscapes and daily life as I navigate my way around.
En Resort Grandeco
We scored excellent snow at En Resort Grandeco. It’s a compact resort with 3 lifts and 1 gondola. It’s a perfect destination for families looking to build their ski or snowboard confidence. The mountain terrain is split 40% beginner, 40% intermediate and 20% advanced. The top elevation is 1590 metres. As a family, everyone gave En Resort Grandeco the thumbs up. We had a blast lapping the resort, finding side hits and enjoying the great snow conditions.
We loved seeing locals skiing with their dogs on one of the runs close to the base area. The dogs had goggles on and seemed to be loving their time on the snow!
The En Resort Grandeco Hotel is excellent and offers ski-in, ski-out accommodation, restaurants and onsen. You can access ski lessons and ski hire. We hired skis for our 13 year-old, and they were in excellent condition and well maintained. We enjoyed eating at the cafeteria at the resort, the local Japanese food is excellent.
AizuWakamatsu
Our next stop on our road trip was Aizuwakamatsu, a famous “Samurai City” with a population of 120,000. The highlight of Aizuwakamatsu is Tsuruga Castle, known for its distinctive red-tiled roof. The city is a hub for traditional sake, lacquerware and pottery and is surrounded by mountains. Around the city are many onsen resorts, and given their relatively close proximity to ski resorts are worth considering to give you a truly unique Japanese holiday experience.
Ookawaso
We stayed for two nights in Ookawaso, a deluxe Japanese onsen hotel, perched on a cliff top overlooking the stunning Ookawa Valley below. What we loved about this onsen hotel, was the live shamisen performances in the hotel foyer. As you can see in the pictures, the red carpet lowered platform and talented musician playing her instrument in such a unique setting, became a highlight of our trip to Japan. Another key highlight was our Kaiseki evening meals showcasing local produce, in a private dining room. The outdoor onsens, in true Japanese fashion, are excellent. From this hotel location, we planned to explore the small resorts in the southern region of Aizu and the postal town of OochiJuku.
South Aizu Resorts
Travelling south of Aizuwakamatsu, you can find over half a dozen smaller local ski resorts. If you want to experience skiing in Japan with low crowds and undiscovered by most international skiers, then heading to local resorts would be a worthy adventure for your next ski trip.
We had a really fun day at Aizu Kogen Daikura Ski Area. The top elevation of the resort is 1240m and the base is 800m. The vertical drop is 300m. And most of the resort’s slopes are facing north east, which is great for snow quality. The 5 lifts work well and are well positioned to maximise your fun at this resort. We really enjoyed the relaxed vibe at the resort. All the skiers and snowboarders were local Japanese people enjoying their favourite local mountain. The cafeteria was serving hearty, delicious food at a reasonable price. Lift tickets here are 5,000 yen or if purchased in advance 3,400 yen.
Other resorts in the area worth exploring; Aizu Highlands Takatsue Ski Resort and Aizu Kogen Takahata. Go to Aizu Ski Japan to learn more about the resorts in Aizu.
OuchiJuku
Heading back from Aizu Kogen Daikura Ski Area to Aizuwakamatsu, we stopped at Ouchijuku, a former post town along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route. The shogunate required travellers to make long journeys on foot and as a result post towns developed to provide travellers with food, accommodation and rest. Today, Ouchijuku is fully restored with thick thatched roof buildings, now filled with shops and restaurants. Make sure you put Ouchijuku on your places to visit in Japan.
Hoshino Resorts – Nekoma Mountain
The jewel in the Aizu crown is Nekoma Mountain. I’ve had the pleasure to experience this resort on previous occasions before the two mountains of Alts Bandai and Urabandai Nekoma were joined by a new lift in 2024. The new lift is excellent and has definitely improved the mountain experience. You now can ride all day and keep finding fun new runs and trees.
Nekoma Mountain has 13 lifts, 33 pistes and covers 189 hectares, helping create one of Japan’s larger snow resorts. Nekoma is a popular resort with young snowboarders and skiers from Tokyo. It gets busier on weekends but is much quieter during the week. Nekoma has a great energy and is definitely worth visiting on your next Japanese ski trip.
Urabandai Lake Resort
On our trip, we stayed at the Urabandai Lake Resort. The resort is located in a national park, overlooking Lake Hibara and Mount Bandai. The hotel is divided into two wings and we can recommend staying in the Geihinkan wing of the hotel, which has private access to newly renovated boutique hot spring onsens, with a choice of inside or outside onsens. Saunas and cold plunge pools help soothe your aching muscles from skiing or snowboarding. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. Nekoma Mountain is a short 5 minute drive away or you can catch the resort shuttle to the mountain.
Verdict:
Aizu ticks a lot of boxes for me. You feel like you are immersed in real Japan. You can find boutique accommodation, experience premium dining, discover fantastic ski resorts that are not overrun with crowds or international visitors. The best way to see Aizu is to explore the region and build an itinerary that embraces discovering Japanese culture and chasing epic snow at the wide variety of ski resorts. Aizu is truly one of Japan’s last ski frontiers and worth discovering if you want to explore deeper inside Japan on your next ski trip.