Snow Glamping & Beginner-Friendly Ski Resort 🏂❄️ Niigata, Japan
This time, we’re going to a ski resort near Tokyo for our first snowboarding and snow glamping trip! Hi, we’re currently at JR Ueno Station. We’ll be taking the Joetsu Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Echigo Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture. First, we need to buy our train tickets at the JR East Japan Travel Service Center.
We have two train options: Toki and Tanigawa. Each with a frequency of 1-2 trains per hour. You can choose between reserved seats or non-reserved seats. For just 500 yen extra, you can secure a reserved seat. Highly recommended if you’re carrying luggage or ski equipment. One-way fare is 6,580 JPY (46.7 USD).
Usually, the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo Yuzawa departs from platform 19. After passing through the ticket gate, you’ll find some restaurants and convenience stores, so don’t worries about going hungry. The ride from Ueno to Echigo Yuzawa takes around 80 minutes.
We’ll be staying in Echigo Yuzawa for four days, skiing at the Ishiuchi Maruyama and exploring the surrounding attractions. In fact, Echigo Yuzawa is famously known as “Snow Country”. From Echigo Yuzawa Station, you can easily access 16 ski resorts, including Gala Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama, Maiko Kogen, and Naeba.
Yuzawa is also renowned for its hot springs, delicious cuisine, and stunning landscapes. No wonder it’s a popular destination for locals looking for winter day trip. Here we are! We’ve arrived at Echigo Yuzawa Station. Woah, the station is buzzing with skiers. Even the station itself is a popular attraction.
It offers a wide variety of local products from Niigata that are tasty and worth buying. There’s even a sake museum where you can sample over 100 different types of sake. Alright, we’ll explore the station later. For now, let’s catch the free shuttle bus from the east exit to the ski resort.
We need to head to bus stop number 5. The shuttle bus runs only once per hour. You can check the timetable from description below. Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in the Echigo Yuzawa area, boasting a whopping 24 ski runs which suit all skiing levels.
The resort has extended operating hours from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Even if you’re not a skier, there’s still a ton of snow activities to enjoy. Here’s the main entrance of Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort. This modern and luxurious building right here is the Resort Centre.
The Resort Center is a warm and cozy oasis in the snow. You can purchase the lift tickets, rent ski gears, store your belongings, or take a break here. There are also shops where you can also buy ski accessories and souvenirs. Ishiuchi’s gondola-styled souvenior! It’s super cute!
The second floor is resting area and changing rooms. In fact, Ishiuchi Maruyama has been opened for over 70 years. Recently, the resort has been upgraded and introduced with observation deck and most advanced lift chairs. The changing rooms here are spacious and clean, with lots of lockers.
They’ve got hairdryers and a large mirror, so you can freshen up after skiing. Let’s begin our snowboarding tomorrow, good night😴. We meet up our snowboard instructor at the Hatsuka Ishiguchi Entrance, which is on the left side of the main entrance. It has fewer crowds, so no worries about bumping into others.😂
We rented a set of snowboarding gear for two days, costing 14,200 JPY (100 USD) for each person. We are complete beginners to snowboarding. In our morning lesson, we learned the basics, from the right movements to sliding and turning. Basically, we repeated the cycle of sliding, falling, sliding, and falling again.
Phew~ Time flies! It’s time to give our tired legs a break. This restaurant is conveniently located right next to the ski run. A cozy log cabin in the snow. It’s so romantic, isn’t it?🤍 A piping hot cocoa is best suited to cold and snowy! We ordered a curry hamburger steak and pancakes.
Can you see that rising steam? The curry is steaming hot. The hamburger steak is a hearty portion. Juicy and delicious! Hehe, while everyone else is having a proper meal, I diving straight into dessert. These pancakes are fluffy and full of eggy goodness. It tastes so good!
Considering we’re at a ski resort, the prices here are pretty reasonable, and the food is downright delicious. The only downside is that there’s only one staff taking orders and cooking, so you might have to be a little patient. Alright, we’re fully charged up! Let’s continue practicing! 🔥
We’re putting all our morning lessons into practice, slides and turns. Watch me attempt a cool turn! Oops… failed. On that day, we had a total of 5 hours of snowboarding lessons. We finally managed to get the hang of basic riding and different types of turns.
Considering we started from scratch, I’d say we’re doing pretty darn good! Practice makes perfect. We’ll better and better! As we make our way back, we have to tackle the slope below. But for beginners like us, it’s a bit too steep. 😅 I can’t get up! 😭
In the end, I managed to slowly crawl down the slope. Phew… I didn’t expect it to be so tiring. On our second day, we go snow glamping. The glamping site is located halfway up the mountain. To get there, we had to take the Sunrise Express Gondola.
The lift is located behind the Resort Center at the main entrance. Woah, the gondola looks so luxurious. The Sunrise Express was introduced in 2018. It’s an advanced combination lift with chair-type lift and a cabin-type gondola that hang on the same overhead wire. To ride the Sunrise Express, you’ll need 3 passes.
But if you already have a 4-hour lift ticket or a day pass, you can also ride it directly. The ride takes about 5 minutes. It’s truly an advanced gondola. Smooth, quiet, and so comfortable. As ascending, you can easily enjoy the spectacular view of Uonuma Plain and the Echigo Moutains.
Suddenly, heavy snow starts to fall☃️. See those adorable Lego houses up front? They’re actually restaurants. We have to check-in at The Verande. The reception is located below the restaurant. When you check in, the staff will ask if you want to order takeout from the restaurant.
If yes, they’ll hand you a picnic basket 🧺. The menu offers sandwiches, curry, french fries, and pancakes. Just hand over your picnic basket when you place your order. It’s real fire🙌🏻🔥 It’s also a good idea to have a seat at the balcony under good weather.
Well, it’s so snowy now that the view might be a bit…covered.😂 Now, let’s make our way to the glamping site! There are six tents available, each with a capacity of 2 – 8 people . Booking is available from 10 AM to 4 PM. Each session lasts for one hour.
Welcome to our tent~ Seriously, it’s so comfy in here. We can’t believe it’s only -5°C outside.🥰 Plus, the tent is transparent! You can enjoy the snowy scenery while feeling connected to nature! If you really feel cold, you can wrap yourself up in a blanket.
We can’t figure out how to turn on the camping light 😂. Let’s start eating 🧺! We also ordered hot cocoa this time. I came for the Dutch baby pancake! 😍 Clam Chowder We’ve also got cheese fries and crispy fried chicken. The fries are so crispy, and they pair perfectly with the cheese.
Ever since I saw the Dutch baby on a TV show, I’ve been dreaming about it. Who knew I’d find it at a ski resort? It’s like a fluffy slice of heaven!! You can even sit outside for some sunbathing… or should I say freezing? 😂
The mountaintop of Ishiuchi Maruyama is connected to GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort and Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort. For advanced skiers, you can get a ticket that allow you to move between the 3 resorts. The sun came out in the afternoon ☀️. Just with this beautiful panormic view, the gondola ticket is already worth it.
For skiing novices like us, Ishiuchi Maruyama is very beginner-friendly and enjoyable. It’s as accessible as other famous Yuzawa ski resort like Gala Yuzawa and Naeba, but you don’t have to worry about the crowds Plus, the food is inexpensive and delicious.
When you’re feeling a bit tired from all the skiing, you can also go sightseeing. I will share another video introducing the attractions nearby. So make sure you stay tuned for that! If you enjoyed this journey, don’t forget to subscribe and give it a thumbs up! 🤗 See you in the next video!
We went to an uncrowded, beginner-friendly ski resort – Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort (石打丸山スキー場). Located in major city of Niigata, Japan (新潟, 日本). it’s only 90 minutes from Tokyo.
Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort offers speactular snowy views and gentle slopes perect for beginners. Beyond skiing, you can also enjoy affordable local cuisine and explore a range of snow activities, like snow glamping and snowmobile rides.
After an exhilarating day on the slopes, you can unwind and rejuvenate in the nearby hot springs and traditional Japanese ryokan accommodations.
📍Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort (石打丸山スキー場)
Day Skiing Opening Hours: 8:30 ~ 17:00
Night Skiing Opening Hours: 16:00 ~ 20:30
Pricing: https://ishiuchi.or.jp/ticket-hour/
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6SMmhr5cqBnmSm6B7
Official Site: https://ishiuchi.or.jp/
Public Transport: 80 min from JR Tokyo Station to JR Echigo Yuzawa Station by Joetsu Shinkansen (Bullet Train) ➡️ Shuttle Bus
Shuttle Bus Timetable: https://ishiuchi.or.jp/access/#access2
❄️Dome Tent
Opening Hours: 10:00～16:00 (Last Entrance: 15:00)
Official Site: https://ishiuchi.or.jp/topics/38603
Dome tent use (60 min): 2,000 JPY
Reservation: https://www.kkday.com/product/136704
Gondola round-trip ticket + Dome tent use (60 minutes): 4,500 JPY
Reservation https://www.kkday.com/product/136687
※ Same-day tickets cannot be used.
※ You can order takeout from the cafe on 2/F and enjoy in the dome tent
♨️Hatsukaishi Hot Spring Yungparunas
Opening Hours: 10:00 ~ 8:00 (next day)
Fee: 900 JPY
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UA5WfWs7s9xgDS7A7
Our Stay
🕰️Contents
0:00 Intro
0:07 How to go to Ishiuchi Maruyama
2:40 Main Entrance (中央口)
3:30 Hatsukaishi Entrance (ハツカ石口)
5:37 Snow Glamping
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🎵Music
Winter Magic by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-winter-magic
Music promoted by Audio Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBZPlSvscQc&t=0s
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*Titles, descriptions and subtitles are automatically translated using Google Translate. There may be mistranslation or misinterpretation.
*Prices may change depending on the season or other conditions.
*The information in the video is as of the time we visited and may differ from the current situation.
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#Ishiuchimaruyama #JapanSkiResort #Niigata #JapanWinterTravel #JapanTravelVlog