Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [435]
There are couple of daily kaisoku on the JR Bansetsu and Shinetsu lines between Niigata and Aizu-Wakamatsu (¥2210, 2¾ hours).
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MYŌKŌ KŌGEN
0255
A sprawling and loosely defined region containing more than 50 winter resorts along the Myōkō-shi mountain range, Myōkō Kōgen is the area’s largest package-holiday destination for skiers and snowboarders. For independent travellers, this region can be difficult to access as most resorts aren’t able to cater for guests who show up without reservations. However, with a bit of advanced planning, you can easily score an affordable ski package, and Myōkō Kōgen’s close proximity to Tokyo makes it a quick and easy-to-access destination.
Local tourist information, maps and ski reports are at Myōkō Kōgen Tourist Information (86-3911; 291-1 Ōaza Taguchi; 8.30am-6pm), which is just 100m to the right as you exit Myōkō Kōgen station.
The best place to arrange tour packages to Myōkō Kōgen is at any English-speaking travel agency in Tokyo (Click here). Prices vary considerably depending on the season, the size of your party, the length of your stay and the quality of the resort. Generally speaking, however, Myōkō Kōgen is one of the country’s more affordable destinations, and you’ll save a bit of money on transport by not having to haul all the way up to Hokkaidō.
One of the most famous resorts is the Myōkō Suginohara Sukī-jō (; 86-6211; http://ski.princehotels.co.jp/myoko, in Japanese; r per person incl meals & lift ticket from ¥9600), which is run by the extremely reputable Prince Hotel chain. Mt Myōkō provides a towering backdrop to this enormous resort, which has 17 different runs, the majority of them at the beginner and intermediate levels, with a handful of black diamonds and a snowboarding park to round things off. Wide and well groomed, the runs have good powder snow, are less crowded than other ski destinations in Tōhoku and Hokkaidō, and offer night skiing. Accommodation is available in either the Japanese-style minshuku, or in the more European-style ski lodge. Guests also have access to a number of restaurants and cafe-terias, as well as a nearby onsen that is just the antidote for a long day on the trails.
For off-piste excitement, check out the local telemark experts, Myōkō Backcountry Ski School (; 87-2392; fax 87-3278; www.myokokogen.org/mbss/english.php) for guided tours in English through the backwoods terrain, as well as personalised one-on-one instruction. Prices are variable depending on the length and type of tour or course, so contact the ski school for more information. If you sign up for a package, the school can also help you arrange local accommodation for the duration of your time in Myōkō Kōgen.
Getting There & Around
The Nagano shinkansen runs once or twice every hour between Tokyo and Nagano (¥7770, 1¾ hours). Nagano is connected to Myōkō Kōgen by the JR Shinetsu line; hourly kaisoku (¥960, 45 minutes) ply this route.
From Myōkō Kōgen JR station, shuttle buses run to the various ski resorts. If you have your own car, there is a network of narrow but decent roads running along the Myōkō-shi mountain range.
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SADO-GA-SHIMA
0259 / pop 69,500
Japan’s sixth-largest island, Sado-ga-shima has always been something of a far-flung destination, albeit not always a voluntary one. During the feudal era, Sado-ga-shima was a notorious penal colony where out-of-favour intellectuals were forever banished. The illustrious list of former prisoners includes Emperor Juntoku, nō master Ze-Ami, and Nichiren, the founder of one of Japan’s most influential Buddhist sects. When gold was discovered near the village of Aikawa in 1601, there was a sudden influx of gold-diggers, who were often vagrants press-ganged from the mainland and made to work like slaves.
Despite this history of ill repute, Sado is now one of Tōhoku