Plan the Perfect Ski Trip in Japan: Nagano or Hokkaido? (With Snowfall Stats!)

Whether you’re an experienced or beginner skier, this video will give you information and practical tips to help you plan your ski holiday in Japan. I’ll be comparing the most relevant aspects of the two most popular skiing destinations in Japan: Hokkaido and Nagano, including sharing with you some data on snow quality, bluebird days and many more. Happy planning!

✅ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:11 Comparison 1
05:00 Comparison 2
07:19 Comparison 3
08:05 Comparison 4
11:29 Comparison 5
13:29 Bonus tips!

Active Life Madarao Japan (Nagano):

#skiing #nagano #hokkaido #japantravel #japantrip #japan #skiresorts

Hi guys welcome back to my channel I have been  skiing in Europe for the past few years but   this year I had the chance to ski in Japan for  the first time even though we planned the trip  

Quite late everything came together at the end we  even got to experience a once in a decade blizzard if you’re considering about skiing in Japan and  want some tips on how to plan it and avoid some   of the mistakes that I made then this video  is for you whether you’re an experienced gear  

Or a beginner Japan has some of the best skiing  destinations in the world in this video I’ll be   comparing two of most popular skiing destinations  in Japan they are Hokkaido and Nagano and I’ll be   giving you tips on how to make the most out  of your trip so let’s get started there are  

A few things that you want to bear in mind  when deciding where to go between Hokkaido   and Nagano this video will be divided into five  sections location and ease of access snow quality   and blueberries terrain and your ski level  accommodation and cultural experiences when to  

Go and suggested itinerary I will also be sharing  with you some bonus tips at the end of this video   so make sure you stay to the end location and  ease of access Hokkaido is the largest out of  

The 47 prefectures in Japan and it is located at  the northernmost tip it is known for its natural   beauty and outdoor activities skiing being one and  it is very famous for its no consistency with some  

Of the richest snowfall in the world Nagano on  the other hand is located in the Japanese Alps in   central Japan it is very close to Tokyo and other  major cities such as Kyoto and Osaka Nagano also   has excellent powdered snow and it also hosted the  1998 Winter Olympic Games because of the location  

Hokkaido’s weather is much colder with winter  temperatures ranging from around negative 4 to   negative 12 degrees versus naganos three degrees  to maybe negative 5 degrees both destinations are   excellent and have their merits ease of access if  you’re going to Hokkaido from Tokyo it will take  

A little bit more effort because it is isolated  up north and away from the main island of Japan   the easiest way is to fly and it’s an hour and  a half flight time from Tokyo to Sapporo which   is the capital city of the Hokkaido prefecture  from their onwards it takes another 1.5 hours  

To 3 hours Road Transport to Major ski resorts  like niseko furano rusuzu and kiroro the total   traveling time is around three to four and a half  hours excluding waiting time if you are flying in   from overseas that’s also very doable because  there are three major airports in Hokkaido that  

Have international flights the new shitase airport  is the largest and the busiest airport in Hokkaido   for those of you who are more adventurous and  if time is not a concern then another option   is to take the bullet train or the shinkansen from  Tokyo to Hokkaido however the shinkansen line from  

Tokyo to Sapporo is not available until 2030 or  so they say but there is a train that will take   you to the shin hakodate hokuto station which is  Southern Hokkaido the ride is around 4 hours from  

There onwards you will need to take another three  to four hours on Express train to get to Sapporo   or multiple land transfers to go to the major  ski resorts the total estimated travel time can  

Be around seven to eight hours or even more going  to Nagano is a lot more convenient you can simply   just hop on the bullet train or shinkansen from  Tokyo and the ride is one hour and 40 minutes  

And this is exactly what we did the shinkansen  station may be a little bit daunting for some   Travelers but we found it very manageable so it’s  not any more difficult than traveling in Europe   on TJ Bay or Eurostar and people are often very  helpful in Japan as well the seats on shinkansen  

Are also very comfortable not to mention extremely  clean and super quiet depending on where you want   to go in Nagano for skiing you will need to take  Road Transport to take you to your ski resort from  

My experience is skiing in madurai in Nagano this  time we got off at the iyama station and noticed   that there are actually buses that run from the  station to where we stayed which was active live   battle round it took 30 minutes to get there  and we literally stopped steps away from active  

Live’s main entrance you can also reach nozawa  Onsen within 30 minutes from the Yama station   and I’m sure there are other ways to go to these  and other ski resorts the total traveling time   is around 2 hours 10 minutes from Tokyo excluding  waiting time so my recommendation is if you don’t  

Mind the cold and the longer traveling time then  I suggest you to head to Hokkaido this destination   attracts so many International tourists every year  and is definitely worth checking out if you just   don’t want to spend so much time on transport or  you simply prefer a slightly warmer place which  

Is also near other major cities to answer your  holiday experience and Nagano would be perfect   for you two snow quality and blue birthdays before  I jump into comparing both destinations let’s take   a look at the duration of the ski season I was  going to compare madurao in Nagano which was where  

I went and iseko in Hokkaido but I couldn’t find  comparable data between these two specific areas   without having to pay to become a registered  member of some statistics site so if you look   at these two charts on the left hand side you’ll  see Sun Valley in agono and on the right hand side  

That’s Sapporo teenage the charts summarized  15 years of data taken between 2007 and 2022   at the bottom you’ll see months across and on the  vertical axes are the number of days per week you   will see that Hokkaido usually starts to snow in  mid-october and can sometimes last until early May  

That’s almost seven months of ski season you’re  also likely going to get windier days which you   see here would be the red dotted line and you’ll  also get more whiteout days in Hokkaido which   are represented by the white bars so in conclusion  because of the heavy snowing in Hokkaido sometimes  

The weather could be a little bit temperamental  for Nagano the ski season starts around three   weeks later than in Hokkaido which is in early  November and ends in early May so that’s around   six months compared to who avocado’s seven months  of ski season which is not a big difference in my  

Opinion especially because most people go on ski  trips from December to March not gonna also gets   excellent powdered snow but you’ll see here that  it offers more blooper powder days and bluebird   days when compared to Hokkaido Nagano also has  less windy days in terms of snow quality both  

Destinations are excellent but Hokkaido tends  to have lighter and drier snow due to its colder   temperatures which can make it easier to ski for  beginners regarding annual snowfall most Hokkaido   Resorts get around 15 meters of snow for naganal  the area has an average snowfall between 10 to  

13 meters my recommendation is if you’re on a  quest for fresh powder and don’t mind so much   whether it is windy or sunny and definitely head  to Hokkaido for the crazy pow but if you care more   about sunny days with less winds then definitely  go to Nagano where the weather is more stable  

And just all around more pleasant number three  terrain and your ski level Hokkaido and Nagano   have different terrain characteristics overall  Hokkaido has more gentle slopes and Nagano has   deeper terrain because it’s up on the Alps that’s  not to say Nagano has no gentle slopes because I  

Still found sufficient beginner trails and madarau  which was where we went this year if you’re a   beginner or have more beginners in your travel  group Hokkaido may be a better option as it has   more beginner-friendly slopes compared to Nagano  if you are an experienced skier looking for a  

Challenge then Nagano is perfect because there are  plenty of advanced slopes and also off-paced areas   to explore for example madarau is very famous  for its three runs so if that’s something on your   list then you should head to Nagano instead four  accommodation and cultural experiences so here’s  

The big picture there are more than 80 resorts in  Nagano and when combined with the nearby nigata   region there are over 130 plus ski resorts for  you to choose from compared to the 50 plus options   in Hokkaido however Hokkaido has always been a  magnet for international tourists and skiers alive  

Especially famous ski resorts like niseko which  all my friends often talk about and it has become   pretty crowded over the years this also means that  ski resorts in Hokkaido are much better catered   for Western tourists and they are better developed  and also very well run however the international  

Crowd and world-class facilities also mean that  you’ll be paying a premium for a fast free holiday   diagonal on the other hand attracts a lot more  local tourists in ski places like Madara nazawa   Onsen and also Shiga kogan except for hakuba  which is also very International and caters to  

English-speaking crowds this means you’ll get  a lot more local culture in Nagano and also   different experiences there such as the many  onsens and of course Nagano snow monkeys so   that is a big plus if it’s what you’re looking for  after all you’re in Japan so for some people they  

Might also want to feel the local culture for a  more diverse holiday as a Chinese saying goes you   learn so much more by traveling than by reading  travel books so why not make the most out of  

It while you’re there regardless of where you’re  going the first thing you want to decide in terms   of accommodation is whether you’d like to stay  in a more western style Resort or the more local   Japanese style traditional Inn which is called a  ryokan obviously if you want to feel at home and  

Prefer not to go too much outside of your comfort  zone then I recommend you to go to Hokkaido or   hakuba in Nagano but if you want to enjoy the full  immersive Japanese experience definitely opt for   the ryokan and listen up this is an interesting  one because when we started looking at the booking  

Sites in Nagano where we went we noticed many  of the ryokans that we looked at have shared   bathrooms down the corridor which seemed like the  usual package now don’t get me wrong they are all   very clean as all my friends tell me because Japan  is an extremely clean country and many many people  

Don’t mind it at all but if you do prefer to  have your own bathroom inside your room then   you better book early and buffer some time to  do your research by the way we were also quite   fascinated by the tiny pre-fabricated bathroom  units at where we stayed not to mention the very  

Famous heated toilet seats and many automated  functions which I still haven’t tried every   single one myself another major difference staying  in a ryokan versus a western Sound Resort is the   FMB most ryokans offer traditional Japanese  meals including hot breakfast such as rice  

Miso soup pickles and egg dish and sometimes  even fish dinner is often kaiseki which is a   delicate multi-course meal so if you or anyone  in your group prefer to stick with continental   breakfast cereal and bacon and eggs and Western  dinners then ryokans are not for you unless you  

Opt to eat out lastly if you you stay at a ryokan  you’ll be sleeping on tatamis or futons where the   host will normally set up for you so if you prefer  your soft fluffy bed then opt for the western  

Style resorts to minimize cultural shock when to  go and suggested itinerary regardless of whether   you go to Hokkaido or Nagano always plan early for  skiing in Japan or actually anywhere in the world   really it is a favorite destination especially  for Asians and Australians so think about what  

Facilities you need which depends on who you’re  traveling with going with the group of skiing   Fanatics versus going with family and young kids  have very different requirements the best hotels   for ryokans are usually booked up to at least six  months to even one year ahead of time this year  

We booked our accommodation a couple of months  before our Japan trip which was very late that   said we were still very happy with active life not  around and I’ll add a link Down Below in case you  

Want to check it out active live matter out is not  a sponsor of this video but we did have a decent   Stater so make sure you take a look the best time  to ski in Japan is usually January and February  

Which is when you get the best Note regardless  of where you go but that’s also the peak season   because it’s usually Chinese New Year which means  school holidays and that translates to steeper   prices and that you’ll also see many crowds and  many children if you’re not going with children  

Then you might want to consider early March when  there’s a lot less people and when prices come   down you might also consider booking your spot at  a ski school for yourself your kids or kids in the  

Travel group or consider booking in the private  lessons ahead of time it would also be a good idea   as well to ask about ski passes and familiarize  yourself with the area such as pre-booking any   famous local restaurants and other activities as  well as planning the local short trips to nearby  

Areas if you’re going to Nagano whether you’re  heading to Hokkaido or Nagano I’d recommend to   have at least a couple of days in Tokyo before you  fly out or when you fly in so you’ll get to see  

Japan’s capital city which has lots to do and it  also happens to be the biggest city in the world   by population if you’ve made this far to the video  let me throw in a few bonus tips for you first  

Bring extra cash as many of you may know Japan is  still very much a cash society as of the date of   this video still credit cards are already a lot  more widely acceptable than before but quite a   lot of places still prefer cash especially some of  the more local and small family-round restaurants  

So make sure you bring enough Yen with you just in  case we were very lucky that we happened to have   just enough cash with us otherwise we wouldn’t  be able to go into a couple of the very local   restaurants in madaram second download a good  translation app although the people in bigger  

Cities and popular Resorts can speak good English  you can still encounter challenging and some very   interesting experiences due to the language  barrier we actually still managed to get into   a local restaurant in Tokyo although everything on  the menu was in Japanese but luckily there was a  

Waitress who spoke basic English so we were still  able to order some really great dishes and we had   a great meal third learn some basic phrases in  Japanese Japan is a country that highly values   manners and even if it weren’t I always try to  respect the local culture whenever I travel by  

Learning to speak some simple words in the local  language in Japan you might also want to refrain   from littering or eating or drinking while  you’re walking on the street because these   are thought to be the ultimate rude behaviors  in Japan try to be quiet or keep your voices  

Low when in public spaces including on trains  metros inside Hotel lifts Japan is also a high   trust country so don’t count your change because  it conveys low trust and no tipping in Japan   when the weather says there’s going to be a  blizzard stay indoors especially if you’re a  

Beginner skier or if you’re skiing with kids and  especially if you know that this was going to be   a once in a decade crazy snow blizzard so here  is our story we were advised a few days before  

That there will be a snowstorm and that it was  going to be a huge one and the weather report   one day before was this we still want to do  some skiing in the morning on the day which  

Was all fine so we decided to ski down one  last time after lunch before the storm came   in bad decision when we were in the middle of  our ski lift ride going up to the mountain the  

Snow very quickly intensified and the sky became  much darker when we were at the top of the slope   the wind was pretty much gusting with full force  and heavy snow was hitting on our faces we braved  

Our way down the slope together with some Brave  snowboarders and I’d have to say Midway down it   was just all white and visibility like was near  zero I could 1 meter in France skiing blind down   the slow luckily we made it to the bottom  safely and no one crashed into us [Music]  

That same evening when the blizzard was there  we also decided to hop across the Stream   which was like a three minute walk for a quick  Burger dinner at a place highly recommended by   one of the ski instructors that matter out totally  regretted not wearing my ski goggles and face mask  

For that short walk as I couldn’t even open  my eyes and my face was hurting from the snow   in the Gusty wind I completely understood why  some people would get lost in the snow we took   a shortcut rather than walking on the main road  the fresh snow was actually up to our thighs  

It was a very memorable experience  and the burger dinner at the end   was all worth it but would I do  it again in that snow condition   if you guys find this video helpful please give  me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel I’ve  

Been looking at this for like the tenth time  I can’t get myself to just do it [Music]