Press Releases

Skiing in Japan 2008

New York, NY … February 4, 2008 –  If you’ve been dreaming of skiing Japan’s great powders snow, since you watched the Nagano Olympics on TV ten years ago or maybe even the Sapporo Olympics in 1972, now’s the time!  A number of value-oriented ski packages are available and Japan is hosting Reggae Snow Splash 2008.

Ski Packages

East Japan Railways Group, in conjunction with JALPAK International and Japan Airlines, is offering a variety of ski packages in Northern Honshu Island. These include: GALA Yuzawa and Joetsu Kokusai Resorts in Niigata, Appi Ski Resort in Aomori, and Karuizawa Resort in Nagano Prefecture. Packages are available through March 20, 2008. GALA Yuzawa is just a 77 minute Shinkansen bullet train ride from Tokyo. A basic GALA Yuzawa ski package costs just 14,200 yen ($120) including round-trip Shinkansen tickets, lift ticket, locker and ski rental per adult ; 7,500 yen ($70) for kids – Very family friendly! www.jalpak.com/tours/tour_detail_e.aspx?Tour_id=332

 JTB USA has created packages to the world class Niseko Ski Resort in Hokkaido. These packages are available through March 25, 2008.  Niseko is just a two-hour bus ride from Sapporo City.  Prices start at $499 for 4 nights land only ($1435 air + land) http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/campaign/07_niseko/

Holidaze Ski Tours …For eight years, Holidaze has been offering comprehensive ski tours to Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture with cultural day excursions and extensions to other parts of Japan. Prices start at $1,523 per person double occupancy for 7 nights, including airfare from Los Angeles. http://www.holidaze.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?current=11&subcurrent=85&site=holidaze

Reggae Snowsplash 2008 

Outdoor Japan, publishers of the bi-monthly English-language (and bi-lingual) Outdoor Japan Magazine and www.outdoorjapan.com, has once again organized Reggae Snow Splash!  Continuing but building upon the tradition of their first highly successful Snow Splash in 2006,

this year’s wintry music in the mountains matsuri (festival) will feature the best of Japan’s reggae, ska and calypso for two unforgettable ski and snowboard weekends!

*Saturday, Feb. 16 at Canyons Alpine Lodge in Minakami, Gunma Pref.

*Saturday, March 8 at Tracks Bar in Hakuba, Nagano Pref.

 Round-trip transportation by chartered bus from Harajuku, Tokyo is available for both dates.

Advance tickets are 3,150 yen (about $28) and include one free drink.

Tickets at the door are 3,500 yen (about $32) and include one free drink.

Tickets can be purchased on the Reggae Snow Splash website at: www.reaggaesnowsplash.com  

More information 

Day and Overnight trips to GALA Yuzawa from Tokyo:

*GALA Yuzawa Official site: http://www.GALA.co.jp/about.html (Mostly in Japanese)

*GALA Yuzawa created by the WeLoveSnow company, UK: 
 http://www.welovesnow.com/eng/japan-ski-resorts/GALA-yuzawa-ski-resort.html 

 Stay overnight in a combination Japanese/western-style room in Hotel Sporea or Japanese Ryokan Shogetsukaku. Relax in a wide, open-air, rooftop hot-spring bath overlooking the ski slopes.  Hotel Sporea: http://www.sporea.co.jp/ (japanese only)

Overnight trip to Appi Ski resort from Tokyo

Located in the heart of Aomori Prefecture, in Northern Honshu, Appi is 3 hours and 30 min. from Tokyo by Tohoku Shinkansen to Morioka, where skiers make an easy transfer to a direct bus to the resort.  Appi will host several music festivals this winter: http://www.appi.co.jp/foreign_country/english/

Day and Overnight trips to Karuizawa, Nagano Pref. from Tokyo

Karuizawa is one of Japan’s most popular summer resorts. An easy commute by Nagano Shinkansen, the resort is only 1 hour and  30 minutes from Tokyo. Both day and overnight ski

trip are available. Overnight accommodations at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel: http://www.princejapan.com/KaruizawaPrinceHotel/index.asp

Overnight trips to Joetsu Kokusai Resort in Niigata from Tokyo

Joetsu Kokusai is north of GALA Yuzawa, toward the Japan Sea. Direct buses depart JR GALA Yuzawa station to this resort. The whole trip takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Overnight

accommodations are right in front of the slopes at the Green Plaza Hotel Joetsu, famous for its old-world European-style exterior and charm.  http://www.jkokusai.co.jp/pdf/eng.pdf

For more general information about skiing in Japan visit the following links on the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) website:

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/features/features_item.php?featuresid=91

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/features/features_item.php?featuresid=67

The Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), the tourism promotion board for the country of Japan, is a key member of the Visit Japan Campaign, a public-private partnership under the Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, with the mission to encourage and promote international travel to Japan and support Japanese travel suppliers. JNTO is the main representative for the Visit Japan Campaign abroad.

-- END --