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Hakuba Travel Guide
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Hakuba Ski Resort © Travis Sanders |
Overview At the heart of the Japanese Alps is Hakuba, a popular ski
resort only three hours' drive from downtown Tokyo. Hakuba is among
the largest skiing resorts in Japan, incorporating 10 resorts and
seven ski areas. It played host to the 1998 Winter Olympics (as
part of the Nagano prefecture), and some of the facilities are
still in use, including the Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium and the
Hakuba Olympic Village Memorial Hall.
With a variety of après ski activities, Hakuba is a fun
place off the slopes as well. There are a number of good
restaurants serving both western and Asian cuisine, and many hotels
have relaxing hot spring baths. The main nightlife area in Hakuba
is in Echoland.
Hakuba is also a popular summer resort, and is a good place for
outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, rock
climbing, and white water rafting. Day tours to Matsumoto Castle
are a popular excursion.
Skiing Averaging 36 feet (11m) of snow per year, Hakuba is known for
its reliable weather. The resort has more than 200 runs with a wide
variety of difficulty, with 30 percent rated for beginners, 40
percent for intermediates, and 30 percent for advanced skiers. 138
ski lifts and five gondolas operate from 8:30am to 8:30pm daily
throughout the season, which runs from December to April.
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