07:30
Leave Nagoya Station
10:00
Arrive at the ski resort
Free time
17:30
Leave Ski resort
20:00
Arrive at Nagoya Station
So I used this offer and went snowboarding last month. Following a recommendation from a friend of mine, I picked a ski resort called Dynaland & Takase Snow Park. The experience was very good.
If you rent a car you can reach even faster.
It rarely snows in Nagoya, but if you drive to the north a little bit and once you pass a couple of tunnels, you feel like you are suddenly in a different country.
Make sure to buy a lift ticket for both Dynaland and Takasu Snow Park, a ski resort located right next to Dynaland.
It was a very crowded day, so the slopes for beginners were a little bit crowded. But those for intermediate and advanced snowboarders were relatively empty. Since it snows a lot in this region, the resort often has fresh snow, which makes a great skiing condition.
On my way back to Nagoya, reflecting on my snowboarding experience, one thought hit me: An easy access to ski resorts is one of the big advantages of living in Nagoya compared to living in Tokyo. If you want to go skiing from Tokyo by public transportation, either you have to go to Shinjuku Sta. to take a bus or go to Tokyo Sta. and take a Shinkansen. The first option takes at least 4 hours to get to a ski resort (as opposed to 2.5~3 hours) and the second option costs at least 20,000 JPY (as opposed to 9,000 JPY). This one hour difference makes a big difference in accessibility. After all, if you have to spend more time on sitting in the bus than on skiing, it is not as much fun. And 20,000 JPY is not cheap for a one day ski trip.