a skiing mecca in Japan’s Niigata prefecture There are a dozen ski resorts in and around Yuzawa which can also be reached by bullet train from Tokyo Station in around 80 minutes It’s one of the most accessible snow sports destinations for U.S troops stationed in or near Japan’s capital and a regular stop for base outdoor recreation day and weekend bus trips because the roads are often icy once you get into the mountains Snow and ice mean checkpoints on the expressway where authorities make sure vehicles are equipped for the conditions there are numerous places to hone your skills in the vicinity of Yuzawa which hosts the Fuji Rock festival in summer has something for everyone including “magic carpet” ski lifts on relatively flat terrain a play area for the very young and a pair of gondolas servicing steeper slopes Gala Yuzawa ski area is particularly easy to get to since its lift terminates in a train station but it has plenty of restaurants and fantastic views The same can be said of nearby resorts such as Kandatsu Snow Resort which has an impressive terrain park where skiers and snowboarders practice tricks beside the central slope Expert skiers might want to head up to Kagura which is linked to Naeba via the Dragondola lift The ski area regularly boasts some of the lightest but the easiest is via the Mitsumata Ropeway food vendors and gear rental near the parking area but it’s not easily accessible from the slopes The prime terrain at Kagura is reached by traversing from the top of the quad chairlift to another two-seater just a couple of vast bowls that include open hillsides and tree runs The top lift is only open until noon in January so it pays to leave the parking area by 8 a.m Ski tourers can hike through a gate that leads into the backcountry so safety equipment and traveling in a group are a must it’s nice to relax at one of Yuzawa’s many onsens or hot springs There’s a basic bathhouse at Mitsumata but at the bottom of the hill there are some more impressive facilities has all the bells and whistles you expect from a top-notch Japanese hot spring There are big indoor pools and outdoor baths with amazing views of the surrounding mountains An often-snow-covered tree decorates one of the outdoor bathing areas It’s the perfect place to recover from a hard workout on the slopes but don’t get too drowsy if you plan to drive home that night take the Kanetsu Expressway and exit at the Yuzawa interchange Turn left for Kandatsu and Kagura ski areas Turn right for Gala Yuzawa and Ishiuchi Maruyama Parking at Mitsumata costs 1,000 yen on weekends Costs: An adult day pass at Kagura has increased to 7,200 yen Elementary school children and younger ride for free The ski area’s website offers discounts including coupons that can be redeemed for a free lunch at restaurants on the slopes Food: Kagura has eight restaurants and food vendors The Snowman Cafe serves Japanese and Western meals and has large windows with a view of the nearby slope A large full-depth avalanche has taken out the top section of Niigata prefecture’s Iwappara ski resort, a popular resort in Yuzawa town that is frequented by visitors from Tokyo. Dramatic photos show a large crown and debris field on the resort’s “Giant” run, estimated to be close to 100 metres in width The incident occurred just after 2:30pm on March 8 mere hours after the resort’s ski patrol had closed the slope after finding cracks during an inspection Ski resort officials said that recent high temperatures in the area may have had an impact on the snowpack According to reports by local media Image: Facebook Japanese commenters praised the resort’s foresight while others lamented the impact the avalanche would have on operations for the remainder of the season “I’m grateful for the ski resort’s decision not to operate the appropriate lift due to the risk of avalanche the day before [translated]” “Iwappara Ski Area is over for the season Keep an eye out for nearby ski areas” wrote another Resorts in Yuzawa have just made it through one of their heaviest months of snowfall on record, with figures kept by Snow Japan showing the highest February total in the last 13 years at 5.49 metres Monthly observed snowfall at Yuzawa Town, as reported by Snow Japan NASPA Ski Garden, a nearby resort, had only recently closed two lifts due to “the large amount of snowfall … and the increasing risk of avalanches due to rising temperatures.” Voting is now open – your chance to support the resorts accommodation and service providers that have delivered the best experiences to their guests You’ll also have the chance to win a $150 eGift voucher from backcountry.com VOTE NOW Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Ski Asia’s bi-monthly newsletter with the latest news Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Akita Prefecture—As a taxi driver escorted three Australians into JR Yuzawa Station's tourist information center here an employee was hit with an unfortunate sense of deja vu The young couple and their kindergartener were all clad in ski gear on Dec That told her their intended destination was JR Echigo-Yuzawa Station in the town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture a landing point for large ski resorts that attract many overseas visitors The problem was that the two stations are several hundreds of kilometers apart it takes at least four hours to get to Yuzawa Station from Tokyo when foreign tourists depart from Tokyo Station in the morning they typically turn up at the center a little past 3 p.m. mistakenly believing they have arrived at Echigo-Yuzawa Station the only way to correct course and get to Echigo-Yuzawa Station is to backtrack by boarding the Akita Shinkansen Line for Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture and then transfer to the Joetsu Shinkansen Line you will arrive at Echigo-Yuzawa Station late at night no matter how hard you try,” she said so I would rather refer you to a hotel or an onsen inn here."  There are no ski slopes in the city of Yuzawa What it is famous for are its hot spring resorts that are lesser known among tourists from abroad The staffer added it is not rare for inbound visitors to mistake Yuzawa Station for Echigo-Yuzawa Station As for the Australian family who showed up on Dec "I think the taxi driver and employees at the JR station were all kind to them The family left Yuzawa Station the next day looking happy," she said a young French couple sought help at the tourist information center to find a hotel they thought they booked in "Yuzawa." They said they came to see the Nishimonai Bon odori dance festival which is held in the neighboring town of Ugo and registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list The employee helping them then discovered that the couple had made a reservation at a hotel in the Echigo-Yuzawa area in Niigata Prefecture With all hotels almost fully booked during the Bon odori season staffers called one accommodation facility after another to secure a room for the couple in the city Staff also called the Echigo-Yuzawa hotel to cancel their reservation The couple deeply appreciated their efforts Doroyu and Akinomiya hot spring resorts in the Yuzawa area," the employee said “As there are many foreign visitors in many areas in Japan nowadays Japanese customers say they feel ‘relieved’ in Yuzawa where there are few foreigners Officials of the tourism and geopark promotion division at the Yuzawa city government said the number of international visitors staying overnight between January and September 2024 was 1,479 the tourist information center at Echigo-Yuzawa Station receives inquiries from non-Japanese visitors once a day or less According to a staffer working for the center non-Japanese seemingly account for 70 to 80 percent of its patrons depending on the day When asked whether there are people who mistake Echigo-Yuzawa Station for Yuzawa Station Singapore fund buys ski resorts in Niigata SDF asked to assist motorists stuck by snowfall in Niigata Ageing and empty: Suga’s hometown highlights challenges ahead Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) 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Snow has caused chaos for people in Yuzawa in Japan's Niigata prefecture which has been blanketed by heavy snow as a cold front set in The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy snow advisory on Wednesday morning forecasting up to 70cm (2ft) of snowfall within 24 hours in areas along the Sea of Japan coast Fresh snowfall was seen in Niigata prefecture parts of which have already had more than three metres (10ft) of snow this winter Many places will see 30 to 50cm (1 to 1.6ft) of new snowfall by the end of the weekend with some spots seeing up to a metre (3.3ft) including higher parts of Niigata prefecture The peak of the winter weather is expected on Wednesday with temperatures predicted to rise early next week and the wind moving from the north to the west Any snow showers will then be restricted to more northern areas WATCH: Huge snowfall causes chaos in Japan FeaturesWhat role did weather forecasters play in WW2 victory UV – how to stay safe in the sun Which pollen is making you sneeze Watch: How Turner's masterpieces inspired a BBC Weather forecaster The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived Louis Theroux visits the West Bank to meet Israeli settlers Copyright © 2025 BBC. 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GALA QUEST PARK will open at the bottom of Broadway in the north area We will have large kickers and jibs that even advanced riders can enjoy as well as a popular level-up park that even beginners can enjoy with confidence The latest layout will be posted on QUEST PARK's Instagram GALA QUEST PARK will be used as a lesson space for QUEST Academy Ski School specializing in jumping held at Saitama Quest QUEST Academy is a snowboarding school that has a program specialized in training future Japanese national team athletes and professional snowboarders where futureSnowboard Ski School can practice safely under excellent Coach GALA QUEST PARK will fully support future athletes The Ludens Yuzawa Ski Resort in Niigata prefecture has been nonoperational since 2018 It is one of many suffering the same fate due to waning snowfalls Japan -- With Japan's ski season right around the corner inbound visitors are already showing up at some of the country's resorts for decades one of Japan's best ski destinations in the northern part of the mountainous prefecture will close its doors after the 2024-25 season and during the 1990-91 season hosted as many as 20,000 visitors Now there’s no excuse not to hit the slopes on your winter weekends off By These ski spots are all close enough to Tokyo for you to take a day trip or weekend trip Infrastructure is second to none with changing rooms you can explore two other connected resorts making your slope choices practically endless Couple that with decent annual snowfall and Yuzawa town just a moment’s stroll away and you’ve got yourself a damn good spontaneous ski trip GALA Yuzawa Snow Resort  – Access from Tokyo: 74 minutes by Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station As one of only two ski resorts that are technically on Mount Fuji Fujiten Snow Resort takes the metaphorical cake in terms of legendary ski destinations it provides unparalleled views of the immortal mountain you can turn up with absolutely nothing and hire all your gear at the rental shop the slopes are primarily for beginners: but ski schools and even the chance to ride on a snow groomer ensures you’ll have fun whatever level of skier you are Also make sure to visit the neighboring village Fujiten Snow Resort  – Access from Tokyo: 90 Minutes by Car From Shinjuku Japan’s oldest ski resort; filled to the brim with character and a heck of a lot of snow but that’s part of the charm of this place Expect basic and outdated rental equipment and all the intrigue that comes with a tiny family-run ski resort and a must-visit resort for those who live and breathe skiing.  Seki Onsen  – Access from Tokyo: Under three hours from Shinjuku (train and bus) If you’d prefer something still off the beaten track but with a little more infrastructure It thrived as a hot spring area since 1272 but it wasn’t until a student of Iiyama Junior High School skied there in 1897 that things changed Once you’ve had your fill of the 45km worth of ski slopes pop by the famous bathing macaques at Jogokudani Monkey park or take a dip in one of 13 public onsen in the village the most unforgettable event of the year held annually on Jan Nozawa Onsen  – Access from Tokyo: Three hours by car two and a half hours by Hokuriku Shinkansen and bus Uncrowded slopes and reliable snowfall each year provides beginners and kids the perfect canvas to improve its convenient links with bullet trains from Tokyo mean very little hassle ‘Kids land’ at the base station features a snow escalator and other activities for younger ones to enjoy It also has many easy runs for newbies and a few challenging ones when you’ve improved Ski and wear rental is available but may not be ultra-modern Hodaigi  – Access from Tokyo: Two hours 40 minutes from Tokyo by car Inconvenience is the nemesis of a family ski holiday Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Area features Ski in-ski out accommodation you can visit Onioshidashi Park and witness the power of Mount Asama’s great eruption in 1783 This might not be the resort to come to if you’re looking for authentic Japanese culture but having everything you need in one place is perhaps most important for families but also enough to keep the whole family happy Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Area  – Access from Tokyo: 90 minutes by Hokuriku-Shinkansen (+10 miuntes walk) If cruising through Japow isn’t enough for you adrenaline junkies then Fujimi Panorama Resort is where you should head to Not only does it provide top-quality slopes for all levels but they also offer ice climbing and snow trekking take a 1-minute car journey to Fujimi Onsen “Yutoron Suijin no Yu” where 8 open-air baths are ready to help relax (11 am – 8:30 pm) Expect plenty of food options and fairly modern rental shops which can provide both clothing and equipment Fujimi Panorama Resort  – Access from Tokyo: Two hours 25 minutes from Shinjuku by train For those of you who haven’t yet experienced it Norn Minakami Ski Resort gives you that opportunity until midnight every Friday and Saturday during the winter season The resort has great infrastructure and is able to deal with a number of skiers thanks to its quad lifts It’s also great for kids with its “snow land” providing a number of options like snowball fights and sledding experiences.  Snowfall isn’t as frequent here as some of the others on this list but it makes up for it with 60 snow machines Norn Minakami Ski Resort  – Access from Tokyo: 1 hour 50 minutes by train from Tokyo If you liked these ski spots close to Tokyo, you might also be interested in our article “Skiing Inside a Volcano”. From purple sweet potatoes to wild horse sightings here’s how to make the most of Okinawa’s tropical escape Explore the best local brands shaping Tokyo’s fashion scene From vintage clothing to Hawaiian-themed goods here’s what’s worth checking out before it’s gone From buying and registering a bike to key rules of the road Collagen staples for beauty and health in Japan Our handpicked list of the best events going on this month and the untold tales of Japan’s queer community Everything you need to know before and during a natural disaster Stay up to date with Tokyo news and events A female university student was confirmed dead after she was found buried in snow at Kagura Ski Resort in Yuzawa She was admitted to the hospital in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest with her death confirmed eight hours later please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent a resident of Minami-Aoyama in Tokyo’s Minato Ward She went snowboarding down a slope and her father waited for her at the base He became worried and went to look for her only to find her outside the skiing course area Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp Echigo Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes historic hot springs and deep snowy winters which set the backdrop for the acclaimed novel “Snow Country” by Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata Summer sees the iconic Fuji Rock Festival grace Naeba Ski Resort as Japanese and international music acts and their fans descend upon the grounds for a three-day festival of dancing A region famed for its abundance of rice and sake Echigo Yuzawa is approximately 80 minutes from Tokyo on the Joetsu Shinkansen Take a moment to hop off for a little overnight detour after gliding down the winter slopes and soft powder or travel up for a weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo during the other seasons to delve deeper into the delights Echigo Yuzawa has to offer wide open spaces and quaint countryside scenes till you turn down a small road where after alighting from the car walking down a moss-covered path framed with wild flowers and sweeping tall trees you will catch your first glimpse of Keyaki-En Named after the giant 1,500 year old Zelkova (Keyaki in Japanese) tree in the garden this 150 year old kominka was once the ancestral home of the wealthy Nagumo merchant family who decided to turn it into a restaurant showcasing Shojin Ryori (traditional Buddhist vegetarian cooking) one can heartily enjoy all of the region’s seasonal vegetables and mountain plants wonderfully prepared by the family A hearty vegetable stew known as Niigata’s “soul comfort food”; every family has their own individual recipe which is often eaten at special occasions such as oshogatsu (Japanese New Year) and always includes at least carrots and yams Keyaki-En also offers accommodations in a separate villa property within its garden lies the Tomioka White Museum of Art which celebrates the intricately detailed work of painter Soichiro Tomioka Tomioka was entranced by the prefecture’s abundance of snow (Niigata sees some of the highest snowfalls in the country) and was determined to capture this “white world” in all its beauty and mystery His dedication to accurately depict the fresh starkness and pure white hue of snow in his works led him to develop his own type of paint known as “Tomioka White” which would never age or turn yellow This resoluteness also led him to collaborate with several sword-smiths to create his own custom-made knives which he applied to canvas’ painted in his “Tomioka White” to carve out the blank spaces building his images of the natural scenery His most iconic works are shown in the museum on rotation to the winding bird’s eye view of the Shinano River and the Fireworks of Nagaoka and Katanai Within Niigata’s Snow Country are three revered mountains Hakkaisan has been treasured as a sacred mountain for over one thousand years an ascetics belief system where practitioners are known as Shugenja or Yamabushi Several shrines are dedicated to Hakkaisan; the most impressive being Hakkaisanson a beautiful shrine with a large torii gate made of white granite stone gracing its entrance it is believed that Hakkaisan is home to a dragon deity and the legend tells that the founder Taiken Gyoja was able to subdue a raging dragon and calm a violent thunderstorm by using his divine power as he ascended up the steps of the shrine one should clap their hands in greeting and the stone steps will ring out to you emitting the spirit of the trees and a sign of the Dragon God's joy The sound that resonates is known as Ryumei to the locals is a charming soba restaurant popular with the locals step inside and be instantly greeted by the smiling staff and the warmth of the traditional wooden interiors Miyanoya Soba is a perfect respite after visiting Hakkaisanson to feast on some delicious local soba One can choose the simple sets of cold soba hot soba with the usual popular side dishes however if you want to truly indulge and experience the mountain cuisine order the soba kaiseki set where your tastebuds will be delighted by the abundance of flavourful accompanying dishes such as marinated mountain vegetables lightly battered tempura finished with both types of their famed soba where one grinds fresh walnuts to add a richer Renowned globally for their sake production one should definitely include a visit to a Niigata sake brewery and perhaps none is held in such high esteem by the locals than Tamagawa Shuzo a small family run brewery that’s been in existence for 350 years the brewery is currently helmed by the 19th generation family head (jūkyudaime) Kazama Hayato who has continued on the practice of ageing and storing their sake in snow i.e Tamagawa Shuzo was the first brewery to implement using Niigata’s high snowfall to allow their sake ‘to sleep’ and keep its flavour purity rather than relying on the coldness of refrigerator light to maintain temperature which resulted in the taste changing detrimentally Besides their delicious Daiginjo Echigo Yukikura the brewery also produces a special collection called Echigo Samurai which is aged in casks like traditional wines and whiskies heady taste and aroma where the alcohol content can go up to 43% instead of sake’s maximum of 16% surrounded by towering pines and mountainscapes a 150 year old kominka beautifully restored into a boutique onsen accommodation with only 13 rooms contemporary artworks and rooms paired with vintage modern designer furniture make it a design aficionado’s dream the food and the seasons into an all-encompassing discovery from when you set barefoot onto their warm wooden floors take in the breathtaking views from one’s spacious room whilst soaking in your own private open air onsen or their glorious public open air onsen to sitting down to savour the exquisite tastes of Chef Keiko Kuwakino natural ingredients from her beginnings as a therapist and Ayurvedic cuisine background the restaurant Sanaburi celebrates Kuwakino’s passion for locally sourced traditional mountain vegetables her handmade sauces using no artificial additives or preservatives and a minimal amount of meat and fish Fully vegetarian and vegan dining options are available reconstructing vintage Japanese silk kimonos into bespoke pieces for herself and others Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Today's print edition Home Delivery As pressure mounts to decarbonize the power sector amid the threat of climate change the government has proposed greatly expanding renewables' share of electricity generation to up to 50% by 2040 Critics have argued that’s not nearly enough for the world’s No but major investments in renewables will still be required even if the target is relatively modest.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); While the largest sources are expected to be solar (22-29% of total electricity supply) hydro (8-10%) and from on and offshore wind (4-8%) the plan also calls for raising geothermal energy to 1%-2% of total power a reflection of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s stated desire to see Japan develop a renewable energy source it has in abundance Rules regarding drilling for geothermal in national parks have presented significant legal and administrative barriers over the years to taking full advantage of this resource although recent changes have opened the door to further development starting with individual owners in an industry who worry about the impact geothermal will have on an experience that is almost synonymous with rural tourism in Japan: Hot spring resorts Past political debate on renewable energy has usually centered on increasing just two sources: solar and wind Ishiba’s interest in geothermal is not without merit: Japan sits on some of the world’s most abundant geothermal resources It boasts the world’s third-largest potential supply of the energy resource behind only the United States and Indonesia according to the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) which is in charge of developing geothermal The country’s estimated reserves are equivalent to roughly 23 nuclear reactors The idea of geothermal for electricity generation in Japan is not new: The first geothermal power plant began operation in 1919 in the hot springs resort town of Beppu But despite its long history and potential geothermal provided just 0.3% of the overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023 the industry ministry said in a report this month 7.6% for hydropower and 1.1% for on and offshore wind Japan was ranked 10th for geothermal power generation capacity in 2023 by ThinkGeoEnergy In a report published earlier this month on geothermal energy’s future the International Energy Agency said that with technology improvements and project cost reductions currently supplying 1% of global energy demand A separate IEA report published earlier this year also puts in plain view how the renewable source has struggled to catch on in Japan The IEA notes that Japan's total geothermal power plant capacity as of March 2023 was about 500 megawatts (MW) — roughly half the power of one conventional nuclear power plant That figure is virtually unchanged since 1995 when capacity reached 500 MW for the first time — in fact capacity actually decreased between 2017 and 2023 unlike every other country the IEA surveyed The current long-term energy plan for 2030 had called for raising that total to 1.5 GW — about the size of one large nuclear power plant and a miniscule 1% of total electricity supply But Ishiba sees geothermal energy as a key component of Japan’s push to decarbonize and meet its 2050 carbon neutrality goal as well as a way to spur regional revitalization which may have prompted the government to raise the target for 2040 to up to 2% “Expanding the number of regions that are leading the way in decarbonization through the use of local forest resources and developing geothermal and small- and medium-scale hydropower will bring benefits to local economies,” Ishiba told a meeting of the government’s green transformation (GX) committee on Oct Ishiba appears to have a solid base of political support for his effort nearly 100 parliamentary members belonged to a group pushing for the use of more geothermal energy with over half from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito The rest were mostly from the major opposition parties including Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan the Democratic Party for the People and Nippon Ishin no Kai One of the core members of the group is the LDP’s Goshi Hosono “The parliamentary group supporting geothermal is quite broad in terms of its membership and has a lot of political power Former LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai (the titular head of the association) so the group has to make a new start,” Hosono said “But Ishiba has long been a strong supporter of geothermal energy because it can lead to regional revitalization,” he added especially since geothermal resources are often located in rural areas of the country While the potential for Japan to greatly expand geothermal power is widely recognized there have traditionally been several barriers standing in the way of tapping this clean energy source Many of the ideal locations for setting up geothermal plants are located in national or quasi-national park areas — an estimated 80% of the country’s geothermal energy potential falls within these jurisdictions strict environmental regulations on drilling inside parks made developing their geothermal resources all but impossible Hosono said that after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami which caused a massive meltdown at the Fukushima No calls have grown to make better use of renewable energy the government issued new directives that relaxed restrictions on drilling in national parks a significant step toward removing that obstacle the more intractable problem has been from local onsen (hot spring) owners who fear that damage to water quality due to geothermal drilling in their neighborhood would drive away customers was established in 1929 and is the largest lobby group for the industry saying it opposed geothermal power development “There have been reports from hot springs resorts of problems such as the drying up of hot spring water sources changes in water quality and a decrease in water due to geothermal development We believe geothermal development through large-scale deep drilling will definitely have an impact on hot spring sources,” the petition said says it is not opposed to geothermal development in and of itself Small-scale geothermal power plants could revitalize local communities Binary-cycle geothermal power plants use lower temperature geothermal resources than other types of power generation These geothermal fluids pass through a heat exchanger along with a secondary or "binary," fluid that has a lower boiling point than water The result from the modest geothermal resource heat is a vapor that drives the turbines spins the generators and creates electricity “Unlike the standards for deep drilling and large-scale geothermal power generation the regulatory standards for binary generation are loose Heat sources in shallower layers of the Earth are often used and this is why there have been some problems with hot spring owners,” the group said The association listed five things it wanted from the government in order to get on board with geothermal development: as the Ishiba administration makes its plans for geothermal development the above five proposals will be followed,” the association said in a written statement to The Japan Times are taking it upon themselves to discourage more geothermal development a popular destination for holidaymakers due to its hot spring resorts passed an ordinance in 2022 that forbids drilling in certain areas claiming that geothermal generation was lowering water temperatures an associate professor at the University of Hyogo’s School of Human Science and Environment who has written about disputes over geothermal power says that while it’s said there are no reported cases in Japan of hot springs drying up due to geothermal power generation “It’s difficult to gain the understanding of people involved with hot springs resorts are more diverse in their views on geothermal Those that generally service more rural areas with lots of geothermal reserves are more keen on development than utilities that service customers in the country’s largest urban centers Tohoku Electric and Hokkaido Electric are supportive of geothermal Even Chubu Electric is becoming more keen on it,” Hosono says utilities like Tokyo Electric and Kansai Electric partially due to their huge investments in other energy forms such as nuclear power are less passionate about developing geothermal resources the government is backing a plan that will allow JOGMEC to conduct surveys of sites where geothermal drilling and development might be possible and Industry will choose candidate sites for the surveys in fiscal 2025 and carry them out in fiscal 2026 An IEA report published earlier this year notes that JOGMEC has been developing cost-effective and highly accurate geothermal exploration technologies to improve how geothermal sources are identified Some geothermal sites have also seen their capacity reduced over the years because of a shortage of water in the reservoir the METI-affiliated organization has started to develop technology for “more appropriate water recharge into geothermal reservoirs,” which could help optimize and stabilize stream production Japanese scientists are also researching “thermal-shock drilling,” in which rocks are rapidly heated and cooled in order to create cracks and make drilling into them easier and more efficient “Next-generation geothermal could also play a significant role in Japan which has high-quality resources and significant opportunities to cut fossil fuel imports and enhance its energy independence,” the IEA noted in its December report But ultimately convincing local communities that the initial surveys — and the drilling and use of geothermal resources — will not negatively impact either the business at surrounding hot springs locations or create environmental damage will be up to the government That may require more than just dry assurances from engineering experts about improved technological developments Nobody doubts that Japan has the potential to become a geothermal superpower The question is whether it has the political will to do so In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Kagura Ski Resort’s Facebook post on February 20 A Facebook post from Kagura on February 20 which has now had more than 4,000 engagements apologised for the interruption and pleaded with followers for their understanding “We are experiencing record breaking snow and our staff are exhausted A buried chairlift at Kagura Ski Resort on February 19, 2025. Image: Facebook The public response to the post has been overwhelmingly positive with users thanking the resort for its efforts and encouraging management to prioritise safety “Thank you for your hard work so that we can operate safely” “Work safety is important so be careful.” Another user saw the positive side to the heavy storms “I have a feeling that we’ll still enjoy live snow during Golden Week [a Japanese national holiday beginning at the end of April] this year!” The aftermath. Image: Facebook Snow Japan’s Yuzawa Now report which takes daily snowfall readings from the central town area of Yuzawa Town It will needs just 13cm from the last six days of the month to set a 13-year record (the length of time daily records have been kept by Snow Japan) While Japan’s heavy snowfalls and powder conditions are responsible for attracting skiers from all corners of the globe each winter there comes a point at which one wonders: “How much is too much?” Remarks from the Yuzawa Now report on February 20 indicate that we may have found our answer “I can’t remember there ever being as much snow piled up in my garden as there is right now It’s getting to be pretty ridiculous and there is now probably above 4 metres in some places this unusually heavy snowfall is affecting peoples lives in many ways it feels more like ‘survival’ than thinking about skiing “The ski areas are troubled too… I think it’s fair to say that they all now very much want it to stop!” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page ここ数年GALA湯沢のポスタービジュアルには新進気鋭のイラストレーターを起用してきました。今シーズンはaz_waldさんという方に依頼しました。az_waldさんは、美術系の学校に通う現在高校3年生です。 GALA湯沢のビジュアル担当チームは今シーズンのポスタービジュアル制作に向け、イラストレータさんを探していた時に、SNSで紹介されていたaz_waldさんの作品に目が留まり、制作を依頼するに至りました。ゲレンデの空気感や瞳の奥に描かれた人物など細部にこだわったイラストは、首都圏各駅などを中心にポスター掲示など展開しております。 キャッチコピーの「白に染まれ」もご本人の直筆です。ぜひ首都圏の各駅で見かけたら、ポスターサイズもインパクトがありますので近くまで寄ってご覧ください。 また、GALA湯沢ではこのポスタービジュアルをゴンドラ通路の入口に【フォトジェニックウォール】としても展開をしております。ここのフォトジェニックウォールは撮影スポットとして大人気なんです！今シーズンGALAに来場した際は、ぜひ記念撮影をしてください。 Metrics details Microbial production of fuels and commodity chemicals has been performed primarily using natural or slightly modified enzymes which inherently limits the types of molecules that can be produced Type I modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) are multi-domain enzymes that can produce unique and diverse molecular structures by combining particular types of catalytic domains in a specific order This catalytic mechanism offers a wealth of engineering opportunities Here we report engineered microbes that produce various short-chain (C5–C7) ketones using hybrid PKSs Introduction of the genes into the chromosome of Streptomyces albus enables it to produce >1 g · l−1 of C6 and C7 ethyl ketones and several hundred mg · l−1 of C5 and C6 methyl ketones from plant biomass hydrolysates Engine tests indicate these short-chain ketones can be added to gasoline as oxygenates to increase the octane of gasoline it demonstrates the efficient and renewable microbial production of biogasolines by hybrid enzymes According to the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have increased by >500% since 1950 and reached approximately 10 billion tonnes in 2014 (https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data) The transportation sector contributed about 15% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with 95% of that coming from petroleum-based fuels The US industrial sector also contributed approximately 20% of GHG emission from the burning of fossil fuels for energy and the production of commodity chemicals from fossil resources Fuels and commodity chemicals produced from renewable sources Although this CoA dependent chain elongation pathway which resembles the reversed β-oxidation pathway is one of the promising routes to produce methyl ketones it is not known if the β-keto-thiolase can utilize branched-chain acyl-CoAs to produce other types of methyl ketones or produce ethyl ketones using propionyl-CoA in chain elongation Hybrid polyketide synthases engineered to produce short-chain ketones Short-chain ketone-producing polyketide synthases (PKSs) were created by engineering of LipPks1 Catalytic domains of LipPks1 are shown in green The non-catalytic domains are shown in gray The TE domain (blue) is derived from the erythromycin PKS The AT domain shown in magenta is derived from the borrelidin PKS module 1 Enzymatic products that can be produced by each PKS were shown in the same box and short-chain ketone-production levels were determined as discussed below To compare different Streptomyces strains for short-chain ketone production venezuelae was also examined because the parental PKS gene (LipPks1 + TE) was well-expressed in this host after optimizing the TSS as mentioned above since the majority of the ethyl and methyl ketone-generating PKSs originates from LipPks1 aureofaciens was also included in the experiments described below Short-chain ketone production in engineered Streptomyces strains each strain was cultured in Medium 042 (M042) for 5 days at 30 °C and short-chain ketone production was measured by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and AUR21) were used as a negative control a Ethyl ketone production from 4 different Streptomyces hosts (COE188 2-Methyl-3-pentanone and 4-methyl-3-hexanone are shown in blue and orange 4-Methyl-3-hexanone was quantified as 5-methyl-3-hexanone equivalent because 4-methyl-3-hexanone is not commercially available b Methyl ketone production from four different Streptomyces hosts (COE189 3-Methyl-2-butanone and 3-methyl-2-pentanone are shown in yellow and green and PkasO*) were compared for ethyl ketone production in S d Three different promoters were compared for methyl ketone production in S e Two different genome locations (specific attB sites for ΦC31 and VWB) were compared for ethyl ketone production in S f Two different genome locations were compared for methyl ketone production in S g Ethyl ketone production by ALB188 in modified medium 042 (MM042) or MM042 supplemented with amino acids (Val h Methyl ketone production by ALB191 in M042 i Relative cell density of ALB188 and ALB191 grown in M042 or MM042 + amino acids were estimated by the Bradford assay each strain was cultured for 9 days at 30 °C Although we could detect similar levels of short-chain ketones from strains that encode PKS genes under the kasO* promoter it appears that the strength of ermE* promoter is very low in S Although the amount of 3-methyl-2-butanone was similar (18 ± 6 mg · l−1 vs ca.fourfold higher production was observed for 3-methyl-2-pentanone and these data suggest that the increased levels of short-chain ketones were mainly achieved by the increased amounts of cell mass generated in media containing plant biomass We also tested whether we could produce short-chain ketones in a bioreactor. Significant evaporation of target ketones prevented the use of the system, however (Supplementary Fig. 10) The reason is still unclear but one possible reason is that higher mass transfer of oxygen in the bioreactor results in more rapid conversion of sugars to 3-keto acids which could be converted to the corresponding ketones at a faster rate because of more intense aeration and agitation These conditions would also accelerate stripping of ketones from the fermentation broth resulting in more rapidly decreasing titers once the ketone removal rate exceeds the production rate Ethanol is a renewable oxygenate added to gasoline no more than 15% ethanol can be added to the gasoline due to EPA regulation Because there are few flex-fuel vehicles in the US there is a limited amount of ethanol needed which the US has more than enough capacity to produce Having oxygenates that can be blended into gasoline at greater than 15% would allow more renewable substitutes in gasoline and would lower GHG emissions Octane numbers of short-chain ketones blended into a model gasoline and 1-butanol (gray circle) were added into CARBOB at 10 b Research octane numbers (a) and Motor octane numbers (b) were measured by ASTM methods D2699 and D2700 Short-chain ketones produced by engineered S CARBOB Reformulated Blend-stock for Oxygenate Blending formula mandated by the state of California Because most bioactive PKS products originate from Strepromyces more accurate gene-finding tools would facilitate heterologous expression of the PKSs We further demonstrated that organisms engineered with these PKSs could utilize cellulosic biomass to produce the target molecules our work suggests that precisely engineered PKSs could be used to produce a broad range of hydrocarbons that we currently derive from fossil resources plus many molecules that we could never produce from fossil resources in an efficient manner from renewable carbon sources All chemicals were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (United States) unless otherwise described Plasmids and strains used in this study are listed in Supplementary Table 4 The plasmids and strains have been deposited in the public version of JBEI registry (http://public-registry.jbei.org) and are physically available from the corresponding author upon request venezuelae) or Mannitol Soy (MS) agar plate (S coelicolor) with 5 ml of 2x YT and incubated at 50 °C for 10 min MS agar was prepared by adding 20 g of agar and 20 g of soybean flour to 1 l of tap water and autoclaved coli cells (500 µl) were mixed and briefly spun down at 3000 × g for 2 min Most of the supernatant was poured off and spread on MS agar After addition of 1 ml of water containing nalidixic acid (0.5 g · l−1) and apramycin (1.25 g · l−1) the plate was further incubated for 3–5 days to permit sporulation A single colony was inoculated into 3 mL of Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) non-animal origin (EMD Millipore United States) containing nalidixic acid (25 mg · l−1) and apramycin (25 mg · l−1) 100 µl of the culture was spread onto glycerol-arginine agar (S The plate was incubated for 4–7 days at 30 °C Spores were collected from the plate by adding 5 mL of water The spore suspension was filtered using a syringe containing a piece of cotton wool The resulting suspension was mixed with equal volume of glycerol Gene integration was assessed by amplifying the corresponding DNA regions using primers listed in Supplementary Table 2 PCR was carried out in 50 µl total reaction volumes The reaction mixture was heated to 98 °C for 2 min each consisting of 5 sec denaturation at 98 °C The sequence of each PCR fragment containing the promoter was also confirmed The culture was grown for 5 days at 30 °C at 200 rpm on a Kuhner ISG-1-W shaker (Kuhner 300 µl of supernatant was collected from the culture and then incubated at 50 °C overnight (the tube was covered with parafilm) and then filtered using an Amicon Ultra Centrifugal filter 0.5 mL device at 10000 × g for 10 min (EMD Millipore The flow-through was analyzed by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF) The same experimental procedures were used to produce and extract ketones from engineered S albus strains grown in modified Medium 042 except that the culture was grown for 9 days to fully consume sugars derived from plant biomass albus spores were grown in 3 ml of TSB containing nalidixic acid (25 mg · l−1) and apramycin (25 mg · l−1) for 2–4 days at 30 °C Seed culture grown on TSB was used to inoculate the second seed with 50 ml of Medium 042 (inoculum size was 8 Vol%) The second seed was grown in shake flasks for overnight at 30 °C 20 ml of overnight culture was transferred to a 2 l bioreactor containing 700 ml of 042 medium nalidixic acid (25 mg · l−1) and apramycin (25 mg · l−1) Fermentation conditions were controlled to achieve a temperature of 30 °C and to dissolve oxygen at 40% of dissolved oxygen saturation Dissolved oxygen was controlled by setting up a cascade on agitation and air flow The minimum and maximum cascade range for agitation was 200 and 400 rpm respectively; for aeration the range was 0.5 and 1.0 LPM The cascade controlled the dissolved oxygen by first changing the agitation speed and then air flow rate The pH was controlled at 7.2 by addition of 2 M NaOH The foaming issue was controlled by addition of 5 Vol% of Antifoam 204 Growth of Streptomyces cells was measured using the Bradford assay Upon harvest of shake flasks 1 ml of the culture was spun down at 10,000 × g for 5 min and supernatant was decanted Cells were then washed with deionized water once and resuspended in deionized water to final volume of 1 ml 20 μl of washed cells were mixed with 1 ml of Quick Start Bradford 1x Dye Reagent (BIO-RAD United States) and absorbance of the mixture was measured at 595 nm immediately at room temperature LC separation of ketones was conducted on a Kinetex XB-C18 reversed phase column (100 mm length United States) using an Agilent 1200 Rapid Resolution LC system (Agilent Technologies The mobile phase was composed of water (solvent A) and methanol (solvent B) Ketones were each separated via the following gradient: increased from 35 to 90.4% B in 4.4 min and held at 35% B for an additional 2.7 min The flow rate was held at 0.18 ml · min−1 for 4.4 min increased from 0.18 to 0.4 ml · min−1 in 0.2 min and held at 0.4 ml · min−1 for an additional 4.9 min The column compartment and autosampler temperatures were set to 50°C and 6°C Samples were injected into the LC column at a volume of 10 μl The Agilent 1200 Rapid Resolution LC system was coupled to an Agilent 6210 TOF (Agilent Technologies Nitrogen gas was used as both the nebulizing and drying gas to facilitate the production of gas-phase ions The drying and nebulizing gases were set to 10 l · min−1 and 25 l · bin−2 and a drying gas temperature of 325°C was used throughout Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization was conducted in the positive-ion mode with capillary and fragmentor voltages of 3.5 kV and 100 V Ketones were detected via [M + H]+ ions: m/z = 87.08044; m/z = 101.09609; m/z = 115.11174 The analysis was performed using an m/z range of 66 to 166 Data acquisition and processing were performed using MassHunter software (Agilent Technologies because the authentic standard is not commercially available 5-methyl-3-hexanone was used to quantify the product A mixture containing 15% corn stover biomass (7% w/w moisture) and 83.5% water was pretreated by autoclaving at 121 °C for 1 h the biomass was wrapped in cheesecloth and dried in a laundry centrifuge to approximately 30% w/w solids and biomass was re-suspended and soaked in deionized water overnight with pH adjusted to 5.0 The preparation was then centrifuged a second time to remove excess salt and moisture Pretreated biomass was saccharified in 2-L LR-2.ST IKA reactors (IKA United States) using commercially available enzymes CTec2 and HTec2 (Novozymes Enzymes with following loadings were added to the reactor: 64 mg CTec2 · g−1 dry biomass and 8 mg HTec2 · g−1 dry biomass Enzymatic saccharification was performed at 50 °C with pH in the range of 4.5 to 5.5 for 96 h Upon completion of the saccharification reactions the unhydrolyzed biomass was separated from the hydrolysate by centrifugation at 4000 × g for 30 min The hydrolysate was filtered with 0.7 μm and then 0.45 µm filter papers to separate any remaining particles and finally sterilized by passing through 0.2-μm filters and stored at 4 °C for further use The final hydrolysate contained 86.5 g · l−1 of free glucose and 38.1 g · l−1 of free xylose Glucose and xylose concentrations in the aqueous portion of fermentation samples were quantified by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) This method is suitable for detection and quantification of individual sugars The apparatus used was Ultimate 3000 HPLC system® (Thermo Scientific United States) equipped with a Shodex Refractive Index® detector (Shoko Scientific Co. The carbohydrates were separated on an Aminex HPX-87H (Bio-Rad United States) column with 9 μm particle size and 300 mm × 7.8 mm dimensions A standard cartridge holder was used to protect the column The mobile phase was 0.01 N sulfuric acid with a flow rate of 0.6 ml · min−1 Integration and analysis of samples was performed using Dionex Chromeleon® software (Thermo Scientific Identification of monosaccharide content was determined relative to known standards Limits of detection for glucose and xylose were .80 mg · l−1 A special Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending formulae mandated by the state of California (CARBOB) was used as a base gasoline Each ketone (or alcohol) purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (United States) or TCI (Japan) was blended at 10 Research octane number and Motor octane number for ketone or alcohol-blended gasolines were determined using ASTM methods D2699 and D2700 2-Methyl-3-pentanone and 3-methyl-2-butanone purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (United States) or TCI (Japan) were analyzed using ASTM methods E659 by Alcor Petrolab (United States) After the decane or the dodecane layers were sampled they were analysed by GC-FID (Thermo Focus with FID) equipped with a DB-5 column (30 m using a the corresponding standard curve using the following conditions: inlet at 250 °C The DNA sequences of plasmids and strains used in this study have been deposited in the public version of JBEI registry (http://public-registry.jbei.org). Please refer to Supplementary Table 4 for accession codes Maxon, M. & Robinson, E. National Bioeconomy Blueprint. The White House, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2012/04/26/national-bioeconomy-blueprint-released (2012) Substantial improvements in methyl ketone production in E coli and insights on the pathway from in vitro studies Engineering of Ralstonia eutropha H16 for autotrophic and heterotrophic production of methyl ketones Expanding the product portfolio of fungal type I fatty acid synthases Engineering high-level production of fatty alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae from lignocellulosic feedstocks Development of an orthogonal fatty acid biosynthesis system in E Non-fermentative pathways for synthesis of branched-chain higher alcohols as biofuels Engineering a synthetic pathway in cyanobacteria for isopropanol production directly from carbon dioxide and light Integrative genomic mining for enzyme function to enable engineering of a non-natural biosynthetic pathway Engineered reversal of the beta-oxidation cycle for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals Microbial production of short-chain alkanes Engineering 1-alkene biosynthesis and secretion by dynamic regulation in Yeast Selection criteria and screening of potential biomass-derived streams as fuel blendstocks for advanced spark-ignitionengines Metabolic engineering of 2-pentanone synthesis in Escherichia coli Engineering Escherichia coli for microbial production of butanone Comprehensive in vitro analysis of acyltransferase domain exchanges in modular polyketide synthases and its application for short-chain ketone production Producing 3-hydroxycarboxylic acid and ketone using polyketide synthase Biosynthetic gene cluster for the polyenoyltetramic acid alpha-lipomycin Heterologous gene expression of N-terminally truncated variants of LipPks1 suggests a functionally critical structural motif in the N-terminus of modular polyketide synthase Minimum information about a biosynthetic gene cluster Streptomyces and Saccharopolyspora hosts for heterologous expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters Development of next generation synthetic biology tools for uUse in Streptomyces venezuelae Exploiting a precise design of universal synthetic modular regulatory elements to unlock the microbial natural products in Streptomyces 17944 for tirandamycin B production and isolation and structural elucidation of tirandamycins H The mRNA for the 23S rRNA methylase encoded by the ermE gene of Saccharopolyspora erythraea is translated in the absence of a conventional ribosome-binding site An engineered strong promoter for streptomycetes Broad substrate specificity of the loading didomain of the lipomycin polyketide synthase Enzyme analysis of the polyketide synthase leads to the discovery of a novel analog of the antibiotic alpha-lipomycin High-level production of amorpha-4,11-diene in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor of metabolically engineered Escherichia coli Engineering Escherichia coli for conversion of glucose to medium-chain omega-hydroxy fatty acids and alpha,omega-dicarboxylic acids Microbial synthesis of medium-chain chemicals from renewables Probing the flexibility of an iterative modular polyketide synthase with non-native substrates in vitro Prodigal: prokaryotic gene recognition and translation initiation site identification Download references This work was funded by the Joint BioEnergy Institute Office of Biological and Environmental Research and the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines project sponsored by the U.S DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Bioenergy Technologies and Vehicle Technologies Offices under Contract DEAC02-05CH11231 between DOE and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory This work was also funded by the National Science Foundation under award MCB-1442724 Present address: Biotechnology Research Center These authors contributed equally: Satoshi Yuzawa Advanced Biofuels & Bioproducts Process Development Unit Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Department of Biomass Science and Conversion Technologies Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies constructed plasmids and engineered Streptomyces strains and E.E.K.B conducted metabolite analysis by LC-TOF All authors contributed to the preparation of the manuscript All other authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07040-0 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology Please sign in with your Snow-Forecast account details below Create a free account to receive instant Snow-Alerts and save your favourite resorts on your personal MySnow page Gala Yuzawa Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Gala Yuzawa is: Heavy rain (total 48.0mm) Gala Yuzawa Weather (Days 4-6): Moderate rain (total 16.0mm) Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Fri night Several North American ski areas that are still open plan to celebrate the unofficial Star Wars Day tomorrow The above table gives the weather forecast for Gala Yuzawa at the specific elevation of 990 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Gala Yuzawa. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Japan Click here to read further information on freezing levels and how we forecast our temperatures Overall 3.6 Based on 4 votes and 2 reviews I went to Gala Yuzawa yesterday and had an awesome time They had recieved up to 60cms the previous day and when I rolled into the area on the early morning Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo The upper slope of the central area was powder heaven hardly anyone there and face shots at every turn I don't know if I lucked out on the weather but the snow was as good as anywhere else I've been the resort has its own Shinkansen station built into the Base Station Get on the train in Tokyo and 90 mins later you are slashing up the mountain! change clothes then get on the Gondola......its that easy 1000 yen for a locker is a bit steep IMO and the same again for the onsen is also a bit much for what is a glorified bath The runs are a little short and there are some weird flat run outs that are not good for me and my fellow snowboarders BUT the quality of the snow made these all insignificant Yuzawa is a great area with a big choice of resorts all easily accessed from the Train Station in town....Kagura and Naeba are the heavyweights but the other smaller resorts are definitely worth a day's riding to check out Overall: 3.6 Based on 4 votes and 2 reviews I don't know if I lucked out on the weather but the snow was as good as anywhere else I've been Yuzawa is a great area with a big choice of resorts all easily accessed from the Train Station in town....Kagura and Naeba are the heavyweights but the other smaller resorts are definitely worth a day's riding to check out Read 1 more reviews of Gala Yuzawa or submit your own View detailed snow forecast for Gala Yuzawa at:snow-forecast.com Akita — The Inukko Matsuri (Yuzawa Inukko Dog Festival) a traditional Lunar New Year festival in which people make snow sculptures of dogs shrines and temples to pray for good health and other blessings was recently held around a municipal gymnasium in Yuzawa The festival is said to have originated about 400 years ago when a local feudal lord who had fought off bandits installed small dog sculptures made of rice flour at the entrance and windows of his house to pray for protection from similar incidents the venue was lined with 15 snow sculptures of shrines and temples with dog sculptures on both sides of them Many people came to the venue with their dogs and some children enjoyed climbing on the dog sculptures “I was surprised there were so many people with their dogs,” said Yosuke Tanaka a company employee from Akita City who visited the festival for the first time “The snow sculptures were beautiful and magnificent.” Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba is: Heavy rain (total 47.0mm) Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba Weather (Days 4-6): Moderate rain (total 18.0mm) Latest snow reports near Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba: The above table gives the weather forecast for Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba at the specific elevation of 750 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Japan Be the first to write a review! View detailed snow forecast for Yuzawa Kogen - Nunoba at:snow-forecast.com Kawabata Yasunari (1899–1972) was the first Japanese writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968 is set in the onsen (hot spring) area of Echigo Yuzawa* Here we introduce locations where you can immerse yourself in the world of his literary creation a representative author of modern and contemporary Japanese literature "The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country,"** from his famous masterpiece The narrative revolves around the complex human relationships between Shimamura a writer living off an inherited fortune with a family a geisha he encounters in the snow country It is a lyrical tale depicting complex human relationships The long tunnel mentioned in the novel refers to the Shimizu Tunnel*** which connects Gunma and Niigata Prefectures Kawabata himself passed through this long tunnel on a locomotive in 1934 and visited Yuzawa Town in Echigo Yuzawa We spoke with the staff of Yuzawa Museum of History and Folklore (Yukiguni-kan) where exhibits focus on Snow Country and the life and history of Yuzawa "Impressed by the high-quality hot springs and delicious cuisine during his first visit Kawabata developed a strong liking for Yuzawa I believe that it was during this visit that Kawabata may have encountered Matsue the geisha believed to be the inspiration for the heroine Komako he visited Yuzawa three more times before completing Snow Country." where Kawabata stayed when he visited Yuzawa is still in operation today as Yukiguni no Yado Takahan Visitors can even tour the Kasumi no Ma room Snow Country has received high acclaim both domestically and internationally It is currently translated and published worldwide attracting many fans from abroad to visit Yuzawa "While the title of the book is Snow Country the entire story doesn't exclusively take place during the snowy season Kawabata himself didn't visit Yuzawa during times of heavy snowfall and there are not many depictions of scenes where life is buried under snow the phrase 'The earth lay white under the night sky'** that follows the opening passage conveys the subdued darkness and heaviness specific to the snowy landscape It suggests a cold village isolated by the deep mountains with its inhabitants persisting with determination as snow softly blankets their surroundings This evocative scene captivates the imagination even if you've never seen snow or experienced such a landscape somehow the image of a silvery world comes to mind and you might feel a sense of nostalgia for snowy landscapes." Kawabata revised Snow Country multiple times until his later years Kawabata left behind a handwritten piece titled Yukiguni-sho based on the novel It seems he had a special attachment to this work." there are other notable places where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of the novel it is extremely easy to travel to Echigo Yuzawa taking just one hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen Why not take the opportunity to visit and witness the snowy landscapes beyond the tunnel No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons the last of cicadas singing their songs in solitude can only signify the beginning of autumn But the end of summer doesn’t mean we have nothing to celebrate autumn itself is one of the best times of year to be in Japan as the trees and plants lining the mountain peaks turn to red What better place is there to witness this explosion of colors than up in the Japanese alps For the most spectacular burst of color this autumn, head up to Yuzawa Kogen Panorama Park where you’ll be greeted by fields full of red kokia plants and tree top canopies painted with shades of golden brown The Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway is one of the world’s largest seated ropeways with a capacity of up to 166 passengers and a height of 1000 meters It takes seven minutes to climb up to the plateau area from where you can see the surrounding autumn peaks tainted with hues of red as well as the city of Echigo Yuzawa stretching out below It is up here that you’ll find the Alp No Sato plant garden which features Japan’s largest collection of Alpine plants this garden showcases more than 200 species of plants and currently features fields full of bright red kokia juxtaposed against the surrounding greenery of the Ayame pond In addition to the kokia that are currently in full bloom the area surrounding the Ayame pond is encompassed by a sea of trees The foliage of these trees are gradually changing from their strong summery greens into shades of gold red and brown which reflect like a mirror image on the water of the pond be sure to check out the Monument Chair installation which perfectly frames the reflected colous of the trees on the pond water for that ultimate autumn scenery instagram shot and also doubles up as a great location for a mug of warm coffee Yuzawa Kogen Panorama Park has a Zipline course which will have you gliding through the autumn leaves like Tarzan The zipline is scheduled to remain open until the 14th of November after which it will close for the winter season The course includes access to five ziplines you can enjoy at your own leisure for an hour The ropeway up to Yuzawa Kogen Panorama Park begins operations at 8:40 a.m. with the last uphill ride commencing at 4:40 p.m A return-ticket for the ropeway costs 2,200 yen for adults and 1,100 yen for children To get to the park it’s best to arrive by car which from Tokyo Nerima IC takes around 120 minutes Alternatively the entrance for the ropeway can be reached by foot after riding the Joetsu shinkansen to Echigo Yuzawa Station -- Photographer shows that Kyoto’s non-major attractions are just as gorgeous with stunning autumn shots -- Experience the real and virtual Akihabara! -- Sentō-turned-cafe Rebon Kaisaiyu teams up with Fuku-no-yu for ‘Sentō Day’ event Join the leading Asian tourist attraction to assist our diverse range of customers Please correct the article - Yuzawa is not in the Japanese Alps "What better place is there to witness this explosion of colors than up in the Japanese Alps?" Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts A mix of what's trending on our other sites This year’s must-see shows range from a Nordic Pavilion exploring transgender spaces to a compelling Lebanese project confronting the realities of ecocide Frieze returns to The Shed in May with more than 65 of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries and the acclaimed Focus section led by Lumi Tan the artist used the Japanese paper-making technique of washi to connect with rural histories With the current pandemic prompting many of us to reflect on the fragility of the relationship between nature and humanity a show of work by Tetsuya Takizawa – whose practice is undergirded by such concerns – feels especially timely Takizawa mastered the craft of washi (Japanese paper-making) – fundamental to almost all traditional Japanese art forms – later incorporating the process into his practice the artist interweaves layers of meaning by employing natural materials and utilizing water as a means of ‘drawing’ images onto canvas by visualizing nature’s attempts to communicate with us we can discover new perspectives for achieving a sustainable co-existence between humans and the environment Established 150 years ago in the Iwasaki region the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewing Company recently found itself at an historical juncture Japan’s nationwide rural depopulation has heavily impacted family-run local businesses and many of them have had to look to tap into new markets has been exploring new avenues by re-envisaging the brand’s rustic image and promoting its products under the rubric of hakko culture – fermented foods that have recently been recognized as superfoods one of the major elements of this rebrand has been the launch of I.L.A with Tahakashi selecting Takizawa to be the company’s first artist-in-residence and to produce work for the space’s inaugural exhibition Takizawa waded chest-deep into rivers to collect the water required to make washi paper because he wanted to connect physically with the natural environment in order to understand the spirit of the place in which he was working Takizawa set out to identify the specific ‘DNA’ of Yuzawa the artist cultured koji-kin mould (yellow aspergillus) he made washi to cover the floor of the gallery using a combination of water from the nearby Minasegawa River and found paper left over from the gallery space’s former incarnation as a school for Japanese calligraphy Takizawa spread the washi over the gallery floor on top of a layer of rice and soybeans (the ingredients for miso and soy sauce) mixed with soil wall from the building as if to invoke the room’s strata of memory Takizawa silkscreen-printed onto canvas the photographs he had taken of the koji-kin mould as well as historical maps and landscapes of the Iwasaki region Having primed the canvas several times with a milky he then applied a layer of ink made from koji-kin mould the mould turned a dense ochre over time; Takizawa coated the surface with a final layer of transparent acrylic and gel to prevent the mould from developing further when he felt the work was complete Many who know Takizawa call him yamabushi – mountain priest – for the way in which he explores the meaning of life through his daily activities: planting He follows the traditional Japanese path of living in harmony with nature allowing his intuition to guide him to discover new moments of beauty and awe Main Image: Tetsuya Takizawa, Fermented Painting, 2018 Featuring an expanded video installation and wall-mounted works incorporating solar cells the artist’s show at SCAI The Bathhouse A new play by Gillian Solvo highlights the lives of those who survived the devastating fire The eighth edition makes novel use of cacophony We spoke with the artists representing Japan and South Korea about their Venice exhibitions and the obsolescence of national divisions An exhibition in Toyko sees the artist engage one of the earliest forms of photography to capture quiet From Nerhol’s impressionistic abstractions to Cai Guo-Qiang’s AI generated firework explosions The poet and artist creates works that occupy a transitional state between life and death reaffirms the Malagasy artist as the star of the show a retrospective showcases the late postwar artist and theorist’s dedication to transforming polarized media representations 19 artists mine local histories and draw out contradictions in the area’s development This year’s edition focuses on historical relations of resistance and liberation which survive beyond the archive the artist’s readymade sculptures prompt a strange empathy between viewer and object A new book by Ian Penman grapples with the filmmaker’s gargantuan appetites impossible productivity and heartbreaking melancholy is stripped down to its bare bones to reveal the play’s central spirit © FRIEZE 2025 Cookie Settings | Do Not Sell My Personal Information catching an 87-minute bullet train straight from downtown Tokyo to the slopes Gala Yuzama—where The Slippery Slope skis in this video—boasts a gondola that picks up skiers directly from the train station The resort is part of a group comprising two other smaller ski areas: Ishiuchi and Yuzawa Kogen The Slippery Slope stops in Ishiuchi for lunch where he finds a bevy of restaurants that rival most North American ski resorts While he doesn't specify exactly what he has for lunch he hits an onsen at the resort's base The Slippery Slope only paid $65 for the train and lift tickets I can't imagine it was much more.  Whenever I watch a ski video filmed in Japan that includes extra logistical details Skiing in Japan is so unlike the North American ski experience.  From public onsens to incredibly convenient transportation And that doesn't even mention Japan's primary draw: the bottomless powder.  But that’s not how the band got its name.”  a Chicago-based band set to release its debut album this year Drummer Dean Sinclair ’18 studied history at Hillsdale College.  Singers Beni Yuzawa and Paxton Long met in 2012 during freshman year at Williamsburg University in an a cappella group Long was already in the group and took Yuzawa up to her audition in an elevator “We made the connection that we met in an elevator six months after we created our band,” Yuzawa said.  The two started writing music together three years ago and formed Midamerican Elevator a year and a half ago.  “I’m still kind of shocked at how we came together,” Long said “I think it’s a fun story about how we found each other We found everyone through friends of friends and then we found Dean through Reddit.”  Sinclair has returned to Hillsdale for homecomings and weddings “Hillsdale reminds me a lot of Virginia where I went to school,” Long said Though Sinclair loved his time at Hillsdale—especially Professor of history David Stewart’s lectures—he said he doesn’t see himself ever coming back permanently.  “Crossing over the Michigan border always hits me with some serious nostalgia but I can’t say I truly miss it,” Sinclair said “I miss the memories I created for myself there and so many people still in town it would just be a separate experience for me entirely.” As the band members set up shop in Rough Draft Sunday their soundcheck teased the audience with rich soft vocals and hints of an indie acoustic band.  this band went above and beyond a normal indie set Yuzawa and Long’s harmonic duos blended together perfectly Moments passed by where the band would pause all instruments Electric guitarist Greg Taylor even leaned in to join on Yuzawa’s mic occasionally The rhythm of his electric guitar pushed the band along.  “They’re like Phoebe Bridgers but with good voices,” junior Regina Gravrok said “They sound like her music but with more funk and vibes.” Bassist Mike Vendiola grinned along to each song behind Yuzawa and Long Sinclair’s exciting drumming held the whole set together.  I feel like I had to be very intentional in how the drum parts I might create would benefit their sound,” Sinclair said “I love the challenge of making something I think is unique yet having it sound simple in the context of a recording.” “Another fun fact is we recorded the album a year ago before we really had the opportunity to gig or play live,” Long said One student immediately slapped the sticker on his laptop.  “I always love being able to come back and see so many of my friends who stayed in town after graduation,” Sinclair said “I only wish I was able to stick around for a bit longer.” It’s impossible to fake the chemistry this band executed—their stripped down tones and funk twist made for the perfect indie-acoustic set you’d want to hear on a sunny afternoon “It’s just a good group of people,” Yuzawa said it’s definitely nice to feel like you have people behind you supporting you.” Yuzawa Park Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Yuzawa Park is: Heavy rain (total 51.0mm) Yuzawa Park Weather (Days 4-6): Moderate rain (total 18.0mm) The above table gives the weather forecast for Yuzawa Park at the specific elevation of 545 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Yuzawa Park. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Japan Be the first to write a review! View detailed snow forecast for Yuzawa Park at:snow-forecast.com By Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press World news shows the five-page “Yuzawa memo,” written by Michio Yuzawa Smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec A newly released memo by a wartime Japanese official provides what a historian says is the first look at the thinking of Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo on the eve of the Japanese attack that thrust the U.S on Thursday shows the five-page “Yuzawa memo,” written by Michio Yuzawa TOKYO >> A newly released memo by a wartime Japanese official provides what a historian says is the first look at the thinking of Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that thrust the U.S the five-page document lends credence to the view that Hirohito bears at least some responsibility for starting the war Tojo summoned two top aides for a countdown to war briefing wrote an account three hours after the meeting was over “The emperor seemed at ease and unshakable once he had made a decision,” he quoted Tojo as saying To what extent Hirohito was responsible for the war is a sensitive topic in Japan and the bookseller who discovered the memo kept it under wraps for nearly a decade before releasing it to Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper Hirohito was protected from indictment in the Tokyo war crimes trials during a U.S occupation that wanted to use him as a symbol to rebuild Japan as a democratic nation Hirohito died in 1989 at age 87 after 62 years on the throne “It took me nine years to come forward as I was afraid of a backlash,” said bookshop owner Takeo Hatano who handled the document carefully as he showed it to Associated Press journalists “But now I hope the memo would help us figure out what really happened during the war in which 3.1 million people were killed.” a Nihon University expert on wartime history who has confirmed the authenticity of the memo called it the first detailed portrayal of Tojo and Hirohito just before the attack Palace documents have confirmed Hirohito’s daytime meeting with Tojo on Dec The memo supports the view that Hirohito was not as concerned about waging war on the U.S The emperor had endorsed the government’s decision to scrap diplomatic options at a Dec and his unchanged position the day before the attack reassured Tojo Yuzawa’s account portrays Tojo as upbeat and feeling a sense of accomplishment after all the required administrative steps for war had been taken and Hirohito had given him the final nod without asking any questions “If His Majesty had any regret over negotiations with Britain and the U.S. which must be a result of his determination,” Tojo is quoted as saying in the memo I could say we have practically won already.” The Pearl Harbor attack killed nearly 2,400 U.S servicemen and caused major damage to the U.S Tojo was blamed for prolonging the war after it was clearly lost atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 He was later executed as Class-A war criminal whose administrative skills and loyalty had won Hirohito’s trust was made prime minister just two months before the Pearl Harbor attack and served in the post for most of World War II Furukawa said Tojo’s remarks in the memo about his relief at completing the preparations for war support evaluations of him as a good bureaucrat but not a visionary leader More decisive leadership might have ended the war earlier “Tojo is a bureaucrat who was incapable of making own decisions so he turned to the emperor as his supervisor That’s why he had to report everything for the emperor to decide then he would proceed,” Furukawa said the memo shows the absence of political leadership in Japan.” Yuzawa wrote in the memo that he was “moved and honored to get involved in war preparations at the time of a crucial event that would determine the fate of the Imperial state.” He was later promoted to interior minister but turned critical of Tojo’s leadership and was dismissed from the Cabinet over a policy difference “He is a man of passion and loyalty,” Yuzawa wrote of Tojo in a notebook he kept “But he is so narrow-minded and he has no philosophy as a political leader.” a longtime acquaintance of some of Yuzawa’s descendants received the notebook and other items from the family when they wanted to make room in their apartment He found the memo folded in half inside the notebook about a year later I knew it was something special,” he said He examined it repeatedly to try to make sense of the handwriting and archaic language “Then I spotted references to the emperor the caller was the chairperson of a condominium management association in Yuzawa a popular hot spring and ski resort destination in Niigata Prefecture The chairperson was calling the daughter of his tenant who had died five years earlier He was trying to track down a legal heir to take over the abandoned unit had moved to the mountain resort from Tokyo I will die without causing trouble for anyone.'" trouble is exactly what followed when the man passed away His room was left unattended for a year and a half during which time the management fees remained delinquent Around 1.5 million yen in legal and other costs necessary for the disposal of the deceased's belongings were covered by resident management fees That left other residents footing the bill the resort boasts 57 condominiums most of them built during Japan's bubble economy of the late 1980s A boom in skiing coincided with a construction frenzy of condos for use as vacation homes nearly half of the residents living in those condominiums were elderly He shows us a file of rooms left empty after occupants died Several show the word "rights relinquished" written alongside in red "It means that I confirmed a renunciation of inheritance This is a case where a notice was sent to the legal heirs but they ultimately renounced the inheritance Ono blames the decline in real estate values some properties were priced at over 100 million yen (662,000 US dollars) per room "Many people are inclined to abandon the property as soon as possible put off by the monthly maintenance and repair fees of several tens of thousands of yen more and more people will abandon their family homes condominiums will not be able to collect management fees and will not be able to survive," he said Government figures show Japan are grappling with aging populations and properties abandoned by the deceased there have been more than 10,000 instances of it Niigata Prefecture's Yuzawa Town topped the list Yuzawa Mayor Tamura Masayuki says the town is working on ways to increase the value of condominiums New initiatives have already begun around town to attract the younger generation Renovation work on old condominiums is adding features like co-working spaces to attract remote workers some residents in Yuzawa area doing their bit to tackle the problem of rooms left behind We spoke to a condominium resident in his 70s who lives alone He showed us a will he had drawn up with the help of a judicial clerk It states that the room and the property in it will be given to a close friend or other person He says he is making preparations to ensure that the room will not be left unattended after his death When he was a board member of a condominium management association he also experienced the difficulty of finding an heir after the death of a resident "You would hope that someone would do it for you if you died it is a nuisance for the management association," said the man "It's hard to solve the problem of these rooms *Relates article: Landlords in Japan overwhelmed by clutter from deceased estates (Sept.11,23) Sign In Register These corporate claims were filed with the B.C Supreme Court registry in Vancouver.  Information is derived from notices of civil claim Civil claims have not been tested or proven in court.   doing business as Darumaya Fumitoshi Yuzawa and Atsuko Yuzawa and Akifumi Yuzawa and Hirotoshi Yuzawa and Katsumi Kambashi and Rie Melfo True World Foods of Canada Inc./Aliments Du Monde Vrai Du Canada Inc $4,195,021 for misappropriated funds fraudulently paid to the individual defendants and directed into the defendant company Damages for breach of agreements for misuse of the plaintiffs’ confidential information and copyrighted materials in a competing LNG project US$3,528,000 to cover outstanding money owed to the plaintiff through a debt subscription agreement and ABC Company 1 operating as Simulation 1 Systems and ABC Company 2 William Owen Fisher and Sharon Marie Fisher Damages after a driving simulator sold by the defendants caught fire and City of Prince George and AllPoints Fire Protection Ltd Charleen Miller on behalf of herself and the siblings of Amos Miller Damages after Amos Miller was killed in a fire at a Prince George motel $834,712 and further damages for failing to pay in full for logs the plaintiff sold to the defendant $351,240 for breach of contract for failing to make payments on a carbon dioxide extraction machine sold by the plaintiff to the defendants Canadian National Railway Company and Compagnie Des Chemins de Fer Nationaux Du Canada and Canadian Forest Products Ltd in its English form and Produits Forestiers Du Canada Ltee in its French form and Canfor Pulp Products Inc $95,243 in damages after a train crashed into a freight truck insured by the plaintiff $116,000 and further damages for breach of contract and unjust enrichment for funds misappropriated by the defendant for clients of the plaintiff while employed as a manager of sales support Ltd.'s Snail Mountain Power Plant (Yuzawa City Akita Prefecture) was the first geothermal power plant to be designated as an important power source development site by the Minister of Economy high-pressure geothermal fluids (steam and hot water) from underground geothermal reservoirs through production wells ② Separate the extracted geothermal fluid into primary steam and hot water using a steam separator ③The separated hot water is separated into secondary steam and hot water using a vacuum vaporizer ④The primary and secondary steam rotates the turbine and generates electricity Metrics details Chemical structures of α-lipomycin (a) and 21-methyl-α-lipomycin (b) We also report the antibiotic activity of the analog against Bacillus subtilis aureofaciens Tü117 was grown in the HA medium for 7 days at 30 °C in the absence or the presence of isoleucine Production of α-lipomycin (m/z=588.7 [M+H]+) and the +14 analog (m/z=602.7 [M+H]+) was analyzed by LC-MS The theoretical exact mass of [M+H]+ of 21-methyl-α-lipomycin is 602.33 The fragmented ions indicate that both α-lipomycin and the analog have the same sugar moiety and that the +14 mass originates from a change in the backbone structure These data indicate that the analog has a very similar π-electron conjugation system to α-lipomycin It should be noted that the proton signal for H21 in the analog is a multiplet at δH 1.68 p.p.m. whereas the corresponding proton in α-lipomycin is a doublet at δH 0.99 p.p.m a new proton signal appeared at 0.92 p.p.m we determined the analog structure to be 21-methyl-α-lipomycin We also determined the MIC values for both compounds against B the latter a representative Gram-negative bacterium The potencies were the same for the two compounds: MIC for B The results indicate that the activity is not affected by the structure of the starter substrate we demonstrated the production of 21-methyl-α-lipomycin by increasing the intracellular concentration of 2-methylbutyryl-CoA This highlights the importance of determining in vitro kinetic parameters for loading didomains of PKSs to expand the variety of identifiable drug candidates and thereby accelerate drug discovery characterization and first investigations of structure and mechanism of action new family of potent anthelmintic agents: producing organism and fermentation Organization of the biosynthetic gene cluster for the polyketide anthelmintic macrolide avermectin in Streptomyces avermitilis Isolation and identification of methyl 2,6-dideoxy-d-ribo-hexosides Download references This work was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) EEC-0540879 to the Synthetic Biology Research Center and by the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) We thank Andreas Bechthold for providing us S aureofaciens Tü117 and Jeffrey Pelton for assistance with NMR analysis Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center The other authors declare no competing financial interest Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on The Journal of Antibiotics website Download citation My feet may be dangling 20 feet above the turquoise water below, but my eyes are focused straight ahead at Leahi (Diamond Head) looming in the distance. It’s an incredibly clear afternoon in Hawaii Kai on the southern coastline of Oahu, and from one of H2O Sports Hawaii’s jet packs it’s the first time I’m seeing the iconic crater from such a unique perspective I’ll throw off my momentum and fall into Maunalua Bay I had been itching to fly on a jet pack for years now—ever since I moved to Hawaii Kai on the Windward Side of Oahu and spotted a man hovering above the water suspended in motion by the coursing jet pack strapped to his back casting a long shadow on the still ocean water beneath him I knew it was something I had to try myself So last month I headed to H2O Sports Hawaii in Hawaii Kai—the largest water sports company in the Islands—located 9 miles from Waikiki It’s the only place on the island where you can test out the renowned Jetlev JetPack (as well as the first place in the U.S After a short boat ride to its floating activities “island” and jet pack instruction from Nick Yuzawa I strap on my helmet and get secured into the harness “I want you to feel like you’re in control,” Yuzawa says as he shows me how to maneuver the jet pack’s somewhat-counterintuitive controls I’m as prepared as possible for flight—for someone whose feet are still on the landing who has been a jet pack instructor since the company began offering flights five years ago which controls the jet pack’s altitude the jet pack wearer can concentrate on steering I’m connected to Yuzawa through a headset attached to my helmet so he can talk me through my steering and I can ask him countless questions anchoring me so I don’t rise higher than I can handle and ensuring he’s always nearby to guide me Although Yuzawa says take-off is the hardest part of using the jet pack after pumping my legs and slowly raising my handles I’m incredibly surprised—usually my ambition to try new things highly exceeds my athletic ability mentioning that many first-timers have to try a few times before they get themselves in the air I’m instinctively angling the handles to turn myself around The trick is to keep moving forward so that you don’t angle yourself backwards flip yourself upside down and almost land a crazy barrel roll I didn’t think the 15-minute flight would be enough for the $199 price You may not be exerting any brute force to work the jet pack but the harness is designed so that all of your weight rests on muscles you didn’t even know you had you’re a little sore and tired from the constant focus required to guide your flight But the experience doesn’t have to end there The company mounts GoPro cameras to the harness which capture your perspective during the flight as well as your facial reactions throughout the experience There’s also a photographer capturing your flight in case your own camera doesn’t get the perfect shot You can buy both videos and photos and take them home on a USB or CD so you can show off your piloting skills and relive your flight again and again In additon to the JetPack Flight Experience While you must be 16 or older to use the jet pack children aged 5 through 15 can ride a tandem jet pack with an instructor Although jet pack-ing may be considered a watersport it’s perfect for people who may not be comfortable swimming or being in the ocean so for those times when you find yourself in the water—instead of in the air—you’ll float with ease Yuzawa says he’s taught many people who can’t swim at all to use the jet pack giving them the opportunity to experience the ocean with a bird’s-eye view I’m ready to get back into the harness and master some new tricks $199 for 15-minute flight, available Monday through Friday, 377 Keahole St. E103, Honolulu, Oahu, (808) 396-0100, h20sportshawaii.com A newly released memo by a wartime Japanese official provides what a historian said is the first look at the thinking of Japanese Emperor Hirohito and then-Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that thrust the US into World War II then-Japanese vice minister of the interior Michio Yuzawa “The emperor seemed at ease and unshakable once he had made a decision,” he quoted Tojo as saying To what extent Hirohito was responsible for the war is a sensitive topic in Japan and the bookseller who discovered the memo kept it under wraps for nearly a decade before releasing it to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper Hirohito was protected from indictment in the Tokyo war crimes trials during a US occupation that wanted to use him as a symbol to rebuild Japan as a democratic nation as I was afraid of a backlash,” said bookseller Takeo Hatano who handled the document carefully as he showed it to reporters “But now I hope the memo would help us figure out what really happened during the war Palace documents have confirmed Hirohito’s daytime meeting with Tojo on Dec The memo supports the view that Hirohito was not as concerned about waging war on the US as was once portrayed The emperor had endorsed the government’s decision to scrap diplomatic options at a Dec 1 meeting and his unchanged position the day before the attack reassured Tojo Yuzawa’s account portrays Tojo as upbeat and feeling a sense of accomplishment after all the required administrative steps for war had been taken and “If His Majesty had any regret over negotiations with Britain and the US which must be a result of his determination,” Tojo is quoted as saying in the memo I could say we have practically won already.” The Pearl Harbor attack killed nearly 2,400 US service personnel and caused major damage to the US Pacific Fleet leading to the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 He was later executed as “Class-A” war criminal whose administrative skills and loyalty had won Hirohito’s trust Furukawa said that Tojo’s remarks in the memo about his relief at completing the preparations for war support evaluations of him as a good bureaucrat “Tojo is a bureaucrat who was incapable of making his own decisions That’s why he had to report everything for the emperor to decide the memo shows the absence of political leadership in Japan.” Yuzawa wrote in the memo that he was “moved and honored to get involved in war preparations at the time of a crucial event that would determine the fate of the Imperial state.” He was later promoted to minister of the interior but turned critical of Tojo’s leadership and was dismissed from the Cabinet over a policy difference “He is a man of passion and loyalty,” Yuzawa wrote of Tojo in a notebook he kept “But he is so narrow-minded and he has no philosophy as a political leader.” a longtime acquaintance of some of Yuzawa’s descendants received the notebook and other items from family members when they wanted to make room in their apartment “Then I spotted references to the emperor and prime minister Tojo,” he said National Report 17 asked the Ground Self-Defense Force to assist hundreds of motorists stranded overnight on the Kan-etsu Expressway due to heavy snow SDF members are expected to be based at the Echigo Kawaguchi Service Area and distribute goods help remove snow and rescue vehicles stuck on the expressway which connects Niigata Prefecture and Tokyo motorists have been stranded in many areas along the expressway and Niigata prefectural police’s expressway division The culprit is a cold air mass that hung over the Sea of Japan off western Japan was driving from Niigata Prefecture to his home in Kanagawa Prefecture when he got caught in the storm About two kilometers before Shiozawa Ishiuchi Interchange in Minami-Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture He had been trapped in the car for more than 17 hours “I didn’t expect this much snow all at once," he said Wakiya said he did not sleep at all because he had to frequently get out of the car and remove snow off the exhaust pipe to avoid deadly carbon monoxide fumes from entering the vehicle Some motorists around him turned off their engines to avoid their fuel from running out and I don’t have much water left,” Wakiya said “I don’t have any information on what is going to happen I want to lie down and rest in a futon soon.” about 450 vehicles were stalled on the inbound lane of Kan-etsu Expressway from near the Shiozawa Ishiuchi Service Area about 500 vehicles were stranded from near Yuzawa IC in Yuzawa Up to about 300 vehicles were stuck on Joshin-etsu Expressway between Joetsu Takada IC and Myoko Kogen IC and we haven’t put the entire picture together,” prefectural police said The Japan Meteorological Agency said the amount of snowfall for 24 hours as of 7 a.m The agency said heavy snowfall is expected in large areas along the Sea of Japan side until Dec and called on residents to watch out for freezing of road surfaces and avalanches 17 decided to apply the Disaster Relief Law to Minami-Uonuma city and Yuzawa town in the prefecture The prefectural government has set up headquarters for disaster control to deal with the heavy snow The costs of rescuing stranded motorists and others in Minami-Uonuma and Yuzawa will be shouldered by the prefectural and central governments Fearless climber’s latest goal: Scaling K2 by a new route Vending machine snap goes under hammer for 4.5 million yen No reproduction or republication without written permission ‘Japow’ sets pulses of winter sports’ fans racing in a nation obsessed with finding the right pistes and chic accommodation largely domestic market a couple of decades ago Japan’s winter sports scene has exploded in global outdoor activity consciousness connoisseurs of the global skiing and snowboarding community know that some of the best conditions winter sports facilities and après-ski fun are to be had in the mountain resorts of Japan The powder snow in many of the resorts is so good that it has its own name: ski buffs refer to it as “Japow!” Throw in some breathtaking accommodation options a distinctive culture and all the convenience of Japan and the result is the perfect destination for a winter vacation These are some of our favorite winter sports venues in Japan the slopes of Niseko get as much as 16 meters of pristine powder every year and an entire community dedicated to enjoying that snow has evolved at the base of 1,308-meter Mount Niseko Annupuri The most popular ski resort in Hokkaido – Lady Gaga is rumored to have a pad in the town when she wants to take to the slopes – the mountain offers dozens of routes for all levels of ability as well as a selection of off-piste opportunities Niseko is also renowned for some of the most luxurious accommodation in all of Japan – picture yourself sitting in the private hot spring on the deck of the seven-bedroom penthouse of the HakuVillas property with twinkling lights of the town spread out before you And then your personal butler arrives with more champagne Niseko also has an energetic nightlife scene and continues to develop with new chairlifts opening this season and a number of new high-end hotels At the very northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu the Aomori Spring Ski Resort covers the northern slope of Mount Iwaki an extinct volcano that soars to a height of 1,624 meters above the Tsugaru Plain The resort has 14 ski trails through pristine beech forests The gondola to the very top of the runs offers breathtaking views while the resort has also set up floodlights for night skiing on a number of trails ski-out cafés and restaurants located on the mountain The resort also offers ski and snowboard lessons guided back-country tours and off-piste options The Zao Onsen Ski Resort is the largest winter sports destination in the Tohoku region of northern Japan a spectacular 1,661-meter peak in Yamagata Prefecture The resort has 57 runs of differing complexity There are also seven schools offering instruction for people new to winter sports or anyone who might want to improve their skills Zao is particularly famous for the “snow monsters” that inhabit its upper slopes with heavy snow tending to collect on the branches of the native pine trees transforming them into the shapes of grotesque Zao also has a selection of onsen (hot springs) in which to relax at the end of the day Naeba Ski Resort is one of the most popular resorts in Japan due in part to its relatively close proximity to Tokyo and a winter sports season that is extended thanks to the liberal use of snow-making machines Covering the eastern flanks of Niigata Prefecture’s 1,789-meter Mount Takenoko the routes converge on the 1,216-room Naeba Prince Hotel Naeba’s slopes have hosted alpine World Cup races on four occasions and the snow park to the south of the town has jumps boxes and banked slalom courses for powder fans to practice their skills with the maximum run length being a whopping 4,000-meter course The maximum pitch in the valley is a challenging 32 degrees and facilities are in place for night skiing also connects Naeba with the neighboring Kagura Ski Resort Yuzawa was effectively cut off from the rest of Japan by heavy snow every winter with road and bullet train connections to Tokyo and beyond the town revels in its reputation as the heart of snow country Less than two hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen the 15 Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort courses and nine lifts crisscross the slopes of 1,181-meter Mount Takatsukura Routes are available for all levels of skiing and snowboarding ability while visitors are also able to explore the area in a snowmobile sleigh tour sledding or snow tubing on dedicated courses Gala Yuzawa also has some excellent hot spring bathing options ideal for getting the kinks out of muscles tired from a long day on the slopes Sitting in the mountains of northwest Nagano Prefecture Hakuba Valley is known around the world for its high-quality snow and more than 130 ski runs across 129 km of ski runs at nine resorts the length of the picturesque valley Hakuba was the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics a testament to its strengths in the snow sports business and consistently enjoys more than 11 meters of snow every winter The resorts do have a number of challenging runs but there are plenty that are ideal for beginners and intermediate-level skiers and snowboarders there is some world-class back-country skiing on offer The resorts in the valley can provide ski lessons for all age groups as well as guides for off-piste adventures Nozawa Onsen was one of the first communities to offer winter sports when it opened its original ski runs more than 100 years ago The resort covers nearly 300 hectares and hosted events in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games The resort has a range of skiing and snowboarding options for all abilities snowshoe tours and backcountry expeditions for the more advanced snow aficionados Nozawa Onsen has hosted the distinctive Dosojin Fire Festival every January since 1863 with celebrations and gifts provided to the deity Dosojin who is believed to protect these rural communities and ensure happy marriages and that local children grow up to be healthy This article was published in Tokyo Weekender’s special issue Flip through the issue by clicking on the image below there’s no time like now to enjoy Japan’s ski slopes famous for fabulous powder and après-ski hot springs also offer a range of family-friendly services.Tokyo Weekender tells you how to hit the slopes with your little ones Katashina Kogen in Gunma prefecture is a good option It’s not the place for seasoned snow bunnies but a great place for little beginners to get the  hang of things Katashina Kogen offers ski lessons for kids from age 4 to 12 who can speak basic Japanese You can also book a ‘Kids Snow Debut’ package which includes a 4-hour lesson and equipment and snow wear rental Younger kids from ages 2 to 4 can frolic in the snow at the resort’s ‘Snow Kindergarten’ (3000yen/half-day and 5500yen/full day Katashina is a 2.5 hour drive from Tokyo on the Kanetsu expressway Orion Tours also offers return bus and lift ticket packages for 6,300 yen per person (cheaper on weekdays) www.katashinakogen.co.jp (Japanese) www.orion-ski.jp (Japanese) Gala Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture is easily accessed by bullet train The resort offers Sponge Bob Snow Camp ski or snowboard lessons for kids aged 4 or older with basic Japanese skills Lessons cost between 4,500 to 9,800 yen; call 090-2433-2302 (Japanese) to book Gala Yuzawa can also organize private lessons in English, depending on instructor availability; email: [email protected] or call 025-785-6442 Gala Yuzawa also has a daycare room offering childcare for kids from 2 to 6 years for 1200yen per hour Advance reservations are required; call 025-785-6437 (Japanese) Gala Yuzawa is a three hour drive from Tokyo on the Kanetsu expressway or a 90 minute ride on the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Gala Yuzawa station Japan Rail offers one-day bullet train and lift ticket packages for 13,000 yen (adults) and 6,850 yen (kids); book at any JR View Plaza travel agency www.galaresort.jp/winter/english/(English) For a ski resort that’s not only kid-friendly but also offers some of the best snow in Japan This network of 21 ski areas and 70 lifts offers daycare for kids from three months old Nearby Jigokudani hot springs offers the chance to see Japanese macaques lounging in outdoor baths There are 18 ski schools and about 100 hotels and Japanese inns in the area and nearby Yudanaka/Shibu Onsen For details, check their English website or contact the English-speaking staff in the Shiga Kogen Tourism Office at [email protected] or 0269-34-2404 Access Shiga Kogen by taking the Nagano Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno stations (90 minutes) then transferring to a direct bus at Nagano station (another 70 minutes) You can also charter a car with Chuo Taxi to take you directly to the resort from Tokyo Contact them at [email protected] or 026-282-7777 www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/ (English) www.chuotaxi.co.jp/ (English) the six ski resorts in Hakuba Village all offer fantastic powder and beautiful views of the Japan Alps Hakuba also offers some of Japan’s best outdoor adventure options for English speakers English-speaking staff at Evergreen Outdoor Center offer kids ski and snowboard lessons at Happo One ski resort They also offer daycare for kids from 18 months at their facility at the base of Happo One for 5,250 yen (half day) or 9,500 yen (full day) This video from Eye On Asia shows just how good the Hakuba slopes can look Hakuba has a range of accommodation options from small pensions to larger hotels and Japanese inns The village’s tourist information office can help you book; call 0261-72-7100 or email through their website You can take the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano (90 minutes) take a combination of express and local trains from Shinjuku to Hakuba www.happo-one.jp/english (English) vill.hakuba.nagano.jp/english/(English) Business Pulmuone pushes for ready-meal vending machines in Korea Korean food giant Pulmuone is in talks with US food-tech company Yokai Express to sign a deal before July for the launch of vending machines that can cook instant meals "Pulmuone is in due process of securing exclusive rights to distributing and installing Yokai Expresss' vending machines that will sell Pulmuone's products in Korea," a Pulmuone official told The Korea Herald "We aim for the contract to be signed during the first half of this year," he said Yokai Express manufactures vending machines that can cook simple meals food products such as noodles and soup that were stored in a frozen state are thawed The menu items differ by machine but mainly include tonkotsu ramen Yokai Express' vending machines operate in subway stations across Japan and are installed at 50 locations in the US They also serve employees at the US headquarters of a slew of industry giants such as Netflix and Marriott Hotel One industry source told The Korea Herald that Yokai Express vending machines have been selling products that use Pulmuone's vegan meat and tofu to employees at Tesla's headquarters in Austin The collaboration between the two companies comes as Pulmuone has sought to continue to expand its automated food services a smart vending machine that sells fresh food such as fruits The food's shelf life is monitored by the company through a mobile app and staffers can discontinue sales of any food that have passed its expiry date remotely through the app "(The recent push for collaboration) is part of strengthening Pulmuone's unstaffed business lineup," said an official from Pulmuone "We aim to meet consumers' demand for freshly cooked food as we noticed that demand for them was high while operating Smart Snack Life," he added The plan to unify the candidacies of conservative People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo faces a rocky road What’s next after deadline: Mass medical student retentions to come Azerbaijan urges Korean firms to invest in Alat FEZ UAE seeks Korean partnerships in water management 'Smile at me': Cancer-fighting senior influencer inspires with strength CU launches visa support services for foreign nationals SK Telecom scrambles to restore trust after massive data breach Costco’s steep membership hike tests loyalty of Korean shoppers Rise of Korea’s dollar store Daiso explained in 2 minutes Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts Passing skiers will be delighted to discover the small resort of Gala Yuzawa easily accessible by train from the Japanese capital Young and old can simply discover the joys of winter sports Gala Yuzawa station is mainly known because it is accessible in 1h30 by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo It has a very long season (from November to May) Gala Yuzawa station is also very close to two other stations with which it offers a joint ticket: Ishiuchi Maruyama and Yuzawa Kogen The slopes of the Gala Yuzawa station are installed on the slopes of Mount Takatsukara all you have to do is take the main cable car which connects the Cowabunga center to the Cheers center located at the bottom of the slopes Different chairlifts will then take you to the top of the different slopes to start a beautiful day full of thrills Gala Yuzawa offers 17 trails to passing skiers These are organized into three main zones: the north 35% of the slopes are dedicated to beginners and a small 20% for experts (black slopes.) The slopes and the "Cheers" center The view of the mountains from the slopes reserved for people with a very good level as well as the short "SuperSwan" bump run are ungroomed Note that off-piste is strictly prohibited An observation post housing sanitary facilities is installed at an altitude of 1,030 metres you can admire a splendid panorama over the valley and take some beautiful shots the Gala Yuzawa area offers many other activities to enjoy the joys of snow The sleigh ride pulled by a snowmobile is a classic of the resort It allows you to enjoy the landscapes of the region quietly Guided snowshoe hikes through the forest are also offered in particular to enjoy crazy toboggan runs The more adventurous can try their hand at sliding on a big inflatable buoy the return to the Coabunga center is salutary: this is where you will find an onsen to relax The station's tracks close at 5 p.m.: you can then catch a Shinkansen back to Tokyo you will have to go to the small town of Yuzawa thanks to the free shuttles set up by the various hotels Japan In a Week Group Tours in Japan Discover Japan Group Tours in Japan The Tokaido Road Group Tours in Japan Urban and Rural Japan Group Tours in Japan Kamikochi Kamikochi Valley with its breathtaking views and scenery will create a lasting memory Karuizawa museums and hiking trails for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle Kamikochi Nightlife in Japan: Going out, seeing and drinking Temples and shrines in Japan Markets in Japan Onsen, Hot Springs and Public Baths Family Travel Parks and Gardens Museums and Galleries Restaurants and Cafes View more Sign up and be the first to hear our news and special offers Motorists stranded and tens of thousands of homes without power after spectacular blizzard Japan suffered a spectacular blizzard late last week during which 1,000 vehicles were trapped on a single highway for two days More than 2 metres of snow fell over the city of Fujiwara over the course of three days with many neighbouring locations also seeing record-breaking depths Local authorities had to distribute blankets and food to stranded motorists Ten thousand homes also lost power as a result of the storm Winter has also taken a swipe on the other side of the Pacific with swathes of the north-eastern US being blanketed in deep snow Parts of New York state had up to 1 metre of snow with 25cm in New York City’s Central Park by Thursday morning Neighbouring Pennsylvania was also badly hit with a pileup consisting of dozens of vehicles claiming the lives of two people Fiji was battered by Cyclone Yasa last Thursday The category 5 storm brought winds of up to 160mph About 93,000 people were in the direct path of the storm with a third of these put into emergency evacuation shelters Four people are known to have died from the storm Vox Populi Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun "Samui" means "it's cold" in standard Japanese but the cold feels more real when someone says it in their local dialect "Shibareru" is used extensively in the Tohoku region It's "sanbi" in Akita Prefecture and "saame" in Niigata Prefecture The entire nation is now in the grip of the season's severest chill News of earlier-than-usual heavy snowfall and backbreaking snow removal in Akita and Niigata prefectures turn my mind to people’s hardships that I probably will never fully appreciate from video images alone an Edo Period (1603-1867) merchant and essayist from Niigata Prefecture published a book titled "Hokuetsu Seppu" (Snow Country Tales) to tell what life in snow country is really like to people who knew nothing about it From the time Suzuki started planning this work it took him 40 years to get it published in Edo (present-day Tokyo) His struggles over the decades are recounted by Takeshi Moriyama in his recently published "Yukiguni wo Edo de Yomu" (Reading about the snow country in Edo) Suzuki encountered a series of misfortunes of a number of influential literary figures on whose patronage he relied And even after he finally clinched a publishing contract it was not smooth sailing: The publisher pointed out the difficulty of deciphering expressions in Suzuki's local dialect the product of his many years' labor is carefully peppered with regional expressions while people in light-snow regions refer to snow removal as "yuki wo harau" (brushing off snow) Suzuki uses the expression "yukihori," which translates literally as "snow digging." As for the work of piling the dug-up snow in a vacant lot it's "horiage" (digging and lifting) in Suzuki's language The expression evokes images of huge mounds of shoveled snow "rowing snow") means to walk on the snow in traditional Japanese snowshoes called "kanjiki." His realistically descriptive style of writing apparently resonated with readers in the capital city Perhaps people's interest in the weather of various regions is universal and timeless A haiku by Sekitei Hara (1886-1951) goes to this effect: "Opening the door in the morning / Looking at nothing but winter." Even though I am not living in snow country it's become cold enough now to brace myself a little when opening the shutters in the morning The wintry weather is expected to continue today Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture VOX POPULI: Children’s book pulls no punches in depicting cycle of life in Alaska Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker "The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country." Few opening lines in the canon of domestic literature match that of Yasunari Kawabata's "Snow Country" in terms of fame Pretty much every Japanese person knows it by heart having memorized it in high school despite not being able to recount the plot.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); "Snow Country" is set in the mountains of Niigata today an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo but a much longer journey in 1935 In it we follow married ballet critic Shimamura torn in a love triangle between a geisha (Komako) and a shamisen teacher (Yoko) At that time Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen was just a hot-spring resort but today it also houses the biggest ski resort accessible for daytrips from the capital It's noon on a warm day in the Akita Prefecture town where Yoshihide Suga but more than half the stores in a downtown shopping arcade are shuttered and sidewalks are empty except for the rare older passerby A building proclaiming "I Love Yuzawa" stands abandoned A giant department store nearby hulks over the street mostly unusable because it doesn't meet earthquake safety standards but is too expensive to tear down.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The remote part of Yuzawa where Suga grew up captures key challenges his administration will face: Half the residents in the area are over 60 Depopulation and aging have meant a dramatic fall in tax revenue to consider merging with other towns in Akita Prefecture .cls-3{fill:none;stroke:#000;stroke-width:4px;stroke-miterlimit:10}.cls-3{fill:none;stroke:#000;stroke-width:4px;stroke-miterlimit:10} Menu Close EN Region Contact Login Visiting Japan Another amusement for hedonistic travelers is soaking in a bath filled with sake and hot spring water are warmly greeted at the entrance by the statue of a ruddy-faced grinning salaryman who is enthusiastically waving a large sake bottle He seems so friendly that many visitors stop to have their photographs taken with him Hanging around his neck and laid upon his grey suit is a sign welcoming people inside The sign is written in the casual way that a drunken man using the local Niigata dialect might speak sake lovers discover an intoxicating world is a long narrow liquor store selling sake from every sake brewer in Niigata all day long the helpful clerks dispense both samples of sake many of which are unavailable outside of Niigata The author with the drunken salaryman statue at Ponshu-kan at Echigo-Yuzawa Station below shelves displaying large bottles of sake perhaps the co-worker of the man who drunkenly greets visitors at the entrance The unconscious fellow on the floor is resting his head on a bottle which he had probably just finished emptying Another statue represents an intoxicated salaryman bent over with a hand holding the wall for support; his face is pale and his eyes are squinting as if he is struggling to stay vertical Lots of people also like to have their photographs taken with these accommodating Sake vending machines at Ponshu-kan on Echigo-Yuzawa Station For an education about the flavors of sake there is no better school in the world than Koshinomuro Vending machines attached to the walls dispense sake from ninety-five sake brewers within Niigata pay five hundred yen for the use of a small sake cup and five tokens for the automatic sake-dispensing machines The process is to choose a variety of sake Cleaning the cup and rinsing the mouth with fresh water between tastings is recommended so they can answer any question or request and the staff will guide you to the right sake dispensers For those wishing to test their sake discerning abilities two rows of five sake dispensers have been reserved for kikizake the taster samples four different sakes which are not labeled and he or she must identify which of the four sakes is the same as the fifth Only one third of the challengers can identify the matching sakes Winners receive a certificate noting their special abilities and photographs of the winners are pasted on a wall The author of this article is proud to state that his photograph is now displayed amidst other elite sake buffs Ask about Niigata, and Japanese will undoubtedly speak of sake, rice Unusual combinations of these are available in the Ponshu-kan restaurants and souvenir shops which specialize in foods that are made with sake or sake by-products: amazake soft cream If the consumption of sake and sake-related foods has worn you out, there is one more unique experience waiting for you. Sakeburo Yunosawa, a small hot spring facility offers baths filled with natural hot spring water and sake two large bottles of specially prepared sake is poured into each bath The manager of the hot spring claims that the sake has been specially formulated by a local sake brewer for his baths He also claims that the sake and hot spring water mix is an efficacious remedy for many skin ailments It is an indoor bath with no windows for natural ventilation I thought that I detected a slight sake odor in the steam Take home a unique souvenir from Ponshu-kan on Echigo-Yuzawa Station There is an amazing variety of sake at Ponshu-kan in Niigata The final activity to enjoy before sadly going home is choosing souvenirs sake and sake-related food products are options For those visitors who have excessively enjoyed sake at the Ponshu-kan and might later need help in reconstructing their memories of their trip ceramic plates or key holders displaying the images of drunken salarymen might be just the thing Be sure not to drive home from the Ponshu-kan a sign informs visitors that "Ponshu-kan is the store of drunken-driving banishment declaration." Ponshu-kan is located at JR Echigo-Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station. JR Echigo-Yuzawa Station is also on the Joetsu Line from Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture to Miyauchi Station in Niigata and the Hokuhoku Line linking Echigo-Yuzawa Station with Kanazawa Station Sakenojin Sake Fair Niigata Itoigawa Guide: Discovering the geological wonders and cultural treasures Nestled in the far west of Niigata Prefecture Itoigawa is a captivating city where the Northern Japan Alps meet the Sea of Japan Bandai Asahi National Park Located in the Tohoku region in the north of Japan's main island and stretching all around Mount Bandai Bandai Asahi National Park will delight nature lovers Kairi, the gourmet train "The important thing is not the destination Outdoor Activities View more The mountains around Yuzawa are currently covered in their fall colours It is a great display every year due to the many different types of trees and brings plenty of tourists up from the cities For some of us though the fall colours are just a reminder that winter is getting closer but it will still be some months until the mountains are covered in their winter white With so much information and uncertainty you can throw out your own wild prediction in full confidence A popular way to pass the time for those waiting for the snow is trying to predict how much snow will fall this winter The first dusting of snow has already appeared on the top of the higher peaks around the region If you head over to the Japan Meteorological Agency website you can check out the long term forecast for temperatures and snowfall which a rough indication of whether it will be average or above/below that Other sites can give you daily reports of snowfall from throughout previous seasons and there will often be reports of the possibility of La Niña/El Niño events to throw into the equation in some years Claim great ability if you happen to get it right or just keep your head down and deny everything if you get it wrong If you want the inside track on the weather for the upcoming winter we suggest turning to your little local grandmother in the mountains of Japan Years of deep snows and tough winters and they know what they are looking for to predict the snowfall “If you want the inside track on the weather for the upcoming winter we suggest turning to your little local grandmother in the mountains of Japan.” This is a well known indicator of snow depth in the mountain areas of Snow Country Apparently the mantis will lay its eggs higher than the level of the accumulated snow Find a mantis laying its eggs low down and you can expect a year of easy snow shovelling; much higher up and you better get working out We found a mantis laying pretty high off the ground this year but it was right under the overhang of a little roof so we are not sure if it means we are in for lots of snow These little brown insects are a common pest in this part of the Japan often found close to cedar trees They are harmless bugs that manage to invade your house in fall no matter how well you think it is sealed If they are threatened or squashed they release a disgusting odour which is a little like the smell of coriander leaf There are many people here who can’t eat coriander just because it reminds them of these bugs Should you find yourself in an old hotel around here you may have a random roll of brown parcel tape in your room This is to trap any invading stink bugs and then package them up in a little tape envelope for disposal This year the stink bugs appeared early and in large numbers Our local granny swears the last time she remembers them coming out like this was in the run up to a big winter 10 years ago – a year when it started snowing mid-December and didn’t seem to stop for a month and some resorts had to tie extensions onto their usual snow depth measuring poles If you decide to go down the snow prediction rabbit hole there are lots of things on which you can use to base your forecast No one knows what the future holds for snow with talk of both warmer winters and bigger storms What is certain though is that there is nothing you can do about the weather on a particular day Should you be lucky enough to find yourself in the snow this winter what you can do is make sure you enjoy it as much as you possible – no excuses “The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country.” This is the opening line of one of Japan’s most famous literary works by Yasunari Kawabata and the snow country of which he writes is the Yuzawa area of Niigata Prefecture The long tunnel in Snow Country is the link between the two different Japans that were emerging in the 1930s – the rapidly modernising urban world of Tokyo and the traditional hard-working world of rural Japan in winter While the rail line and tunnel under the mountains still link modern urban Tokyo with the rural valley of Yuzawa famous for its rice and onsens (hot springs) Especially in winter when the Shinkansen (Bullet train) takes only 77 minutes to deliver thousands of skiers and snowboarders from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa station From there it is an easy access by shuttle to any of the many resorts in the valley There are large multistorey hotels in town and at the base of some of the bigger resorts while the smaller villages like Mitsumata offer a variety of Ryokans traditional inns that give you an authentic taste of Japan The Yuzawa resorts are situated in the middle of the Japanese Alps surrounded by dramatic mountains and enticing backcountry terrain the lift-accessed terrain is pretty mellow While there is plenty of steeper terrain within the resort boundaries We spent a weekend at the Naeba Ski Resort With the 2,000-bed Prince Hotel at its base But the crowd dispersed easily with two gondolas and two high-speed quads out of the base area The lifts are a 10-metre walk from the door The clientele on the mountain was made up of families and groups of 20-something snowboarders but I’d estimate 80 per cent of the under 30 crowd were snowboarders and they were kitted up in the latest gear and were riding the latest boards This is a city crowd but interestingly I didn’t see a pair of twin-tips or mid-fat The extensive terrain park was also snowboarders only – not a freeskier to be seen Naeba seems to be traditional turf with on-piste skiers on on-piste skis and a few racecourses and mogul runs dotted around the mountain which meant that there was a lot of untracked snow off-piste but it and most of the fun terrain were roped off My associate on this trip was work colleague and former pro snowboarder Nick Gregory who is not one for waiting around or leaving untracked powder to go to waste the ropes and even though it was two or three days since the last snowfall we found some good deep snow at the top of the Takenokoyama lift is high for Japan and ensures the upper mountain holds plenty of good snow very different to the more traditional areas you can find elsewhere in the Niigata prefecture However it’s easy to escape the crowd by heading to the neighbouring resort which you can access from Naeba via a long gondola known as the Dragondola Kagura is the prime Yuzawa resort for powder The ski patrol has a relaxed attitude to heading off-piste and the gladed tree skiing is spectacular on a powder day Yuzawa isn’t on the powder itinerary for Australians yet so when it’s on there’s plenty of untracked powder for most of the day It’s easy on a ski trip to just focus on the resort but when road tripping between resorts on Japan’s main island you’d be mad not to try and take in a few other things as well and attracts visitors from the cities all year round There is plenty on offer beyond skiing and snowboarding and ample opportunity to experience Japanese culture For us this involved not just amazing food but also making our own Soba noodles and a sake-tasting session at one of Japan’s premier sake breweries we moved into Yuzawa town and stayed at the Futaba Hotel a luxurious establishment that maintains a traditional Japanese flavour and with a level of service that I hadn’t experienced before Nick and I were in a luxurious suite with an indoor/outdoor bath floor to ceiling windows overlooking a snowy forest It was just a short walk to the town centre which had an incredible array of restaurants and small bars to while away an evening The hotel is also very close to the Gala Yuzawa another busy resort that is even easier to access from Tokyo as it has its own station serviced by the Shinkansen It is possible to get to Gala from Tokyo in just over an hour and many people use it for day trips It’s so simple – just get off the train buy a ticket for $40 and walk to the Gondola and go skiing and not surprisingly more than 5,000 people use the train on weekends The other end of the skiing experience in Niigata can be found in the Myoko area, which is two hours from Yuzawa. The resorts in the Myoko area are less glitzy than Naeba or Gala but are attracting more Australians every year. Most of these are trying to escape the crowds of Niseko and Hakuba, but it’s probably only a matter of time until the area is permanently on the “Japow highway” for Australian skiers. With an annual average snowfall of over 10 metres, the Myoko region is one of the snowiest in Japan. That amount of snow makes things tough for the locals, but their resilience in winter is amazing and dealing with the huge amounts of snow is just part of their daily lives. Of course, all that snow makes Myoko Kogen a skier’s paradise and the area is well served with plenty of variety. There are five main resorts – Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Myoko Suginohara, Ikenotaira Onsen and Seki – with Suginohara and Akakura Kanko the picks. There’s plenty of accommodation to choose from with western style hotels, Japanese hotels and smaller Ryokans. That day came on our fourth day when a storm moved in late afternoon. We were doing a tour of the largely intermediate resort of Akakura Onsen when it started dumping. I headed back to our “secret gully” and lapped it six or seven times by myself. The runs were short, but there were plenty of different lines in there. It was also a quick lap on the chair, and with no one else in there each run was fresh powder. The big question was why it hadn’t been skied and we were wondering if we’d end up in a creek bed or flat gully with a nightmare traverse out. “It looks pretty amazing,” Nick said. “This is could be the best run of the trip … or it could lead us into a nightmare.” Then he grinned and just dropped in over the edge. No stopping now I thought and three turns in, with the dry snow pillowing over my shoulders, I knew this was going to be the run of the trip. It was deep with plenty of fun rollovers dropping into steeper terrain as we headed towards a valley at the bottom. Then we spotted a traverse track out, about half a metre wide, left by someone who’d dropped in a little higher than us. No nightmare this time and it was an easy ski out back on to the groomed. We missed loading the lift again by a minute and as we were leaving Myoko the next morning, it turned out the best run of our week in Japan was also the last. It was a nice way to wrap things up. another big storm was due and with over one metre in the forecast... showcase of spectacular big mountain freeriding from some of the world’s best... he Snow Australia Awards have allowed us to reflect on another amazing season... we see higher than average pressure to the southeast of New Zealand, which lends... Snow Australia Awards recognise the achievements of athletes across the 2024/25... The Mountainwatch.com team is as passionate and dedicated about the mountains as you are.
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ShareOn the slopes of Gala Yuzawa.By Kate CoxUpdated April 29 2023With more than 50 ski resorts of all sizes All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueSake There's a lot to love about skiing in Japan And you've probably heard of those grand Japanese ski resorts Hakuba (in Nagano) and Niseko (in Hokkaido) But there's another - Niigata - which is more authentic more varied and has better food and just as good snow cover as both of them Possibly Niigata is not so well known because it's a little tricky to wrap your head around: there are about 55 ski resorts spread across the high mountain ranges in the south of the 240-kilometre-long prefecture They range from one-lift shows to large multi-resort operations Many have been serving happy ski bunnies for more than 100 years Perhaps the most famous are the Myoko ski areas closest to the coast followed by the Yuzawa areas further inland in the southern ski areas The writer on top of Lotte Arai Resort.Travelling to Japan from Australia may mean outlaying a fair chunk of cash on airfares accommodation and food and drink are all on the much-cheaper-than-anywhere-else side - this is especially so in Niigata most recently in March in a T-shirt under bluebird skies Although the 2023 season wasn't the best in history Japan's high mountains and climate ensure the season is usually long and plentiful: no snow-making required Most of the resorts in Niigata open around mid-December and stay open to at least the end of March there is no country better suited to a ski holiday: ramen from vending machines glorious outdoor hot springs and warm sake as well as that stunning landscape just built for the addition of a fresh white cloak Because the Niigata prefecture is not as slick and touristy as the others it can be a bit confusing to work out what's what Here's my guide to my favourite Niigata resorts This was the first Japanese ski resort I visited after skiing in other countries and it immediately stole my heart It has a cool apres-ski village vibe and lots of great restaurants as well as the city of Nagano just 30 kilometres north with 14 ski lifts and 17 courses - about half are for beginners but complemented by some challenging slopes for advanced skiers as well as excellent intermediate and advanced skiing at the connected Akakura Kanko resort So it's perfect for families or groups of friends with different skiing skills I've never seen it crowded: in March this year we had the Akakura Onsen night skiing (and its pumping tunes) almost all to ourselves nine of us caught a taxi bus across the way to the smaller nearby slope of Suginohara and we really did have the whole resort - including its famous 8.5-kilometre run - to ourselves for the whole day Apparently these slopes used to pump in the 1980s but domestic interest in skiing and boarding has waned over the past couple of decades leading to a ghost-town feel (and no queues) in many of the Niigata resorts There's also Seki Onsen - famous for its record snowfalls - as well as Ikenotaira Stay: Red Warehouse is a friendly family-ski-club-style lodge in Akakura Onsen There are nine rooms - a range of family suites as well as economy and single-room options - plus there's an inhouse onsen and other facilities Japanese fare.Season: December to early April Getting there: Three hours on the Shinkansen from Tokyo then a 10-minute bus or taxi ride from Myoko-Kogen station to most accommodations in and around Akakura Onsen Apres-ski: The Snow Monkey Park is an hour's drive away - think a whole lot of monkeys (Japanese macaques) hanging out and being funny in a roaming hot spring The resort made headlines during COVID-19 when it went bankrupt but has since been rescued by Lotte It's the type of place where you can put your feet up and get comfy - apres-ski including a large and lovely onsen (and separate big pool) is all in the same chic resort with a variety of western and local restaurants and shops all accessed by a series of tunnels and walkways the resort is more contained than most and comprises mostly green and blue runs with the best - about three kilometres long - on the boundary (take the double gondola to the top and come down the right side) Lotte Arai.The excellent-looking and large off-piste skiing was closed due to avalanche risk when we were there for a spell earlier this year with friendly lifties (one of the best aspects of skiing in this area - the lift operators are kind and friendly local rice farmers) and plenty of fist pumps and smiles If you have the bucks to get a "first class" resort ticket you have access to earlier starts and express queues Stay: Lotte Arai Resort Hotel. It's fully set up for skiers, with a spa, onsen, restaurants of all shapes and sizes, and ice machines on every floor. Rooms are lovely and cosy and you can sit by the large windows and watch the white world go by. See lottehotel.com Beers on top of Lotte Arai Resort's Sky Restaurant Zen.Season: December to early May which drops from 950 metres to 240 metres in just three minutes you can ski the slopes within hours of your flight's arrival in Tokyo The town is less than 90 minutes from Tokyo on the bullet train from which is linked a dozen resorts of differing sizes the only resort with its own Shinkansen station (with attached rental shop and gondola!) so you can leave from Tokyo early and ski all day But probably the biggest and best option in Yuzawa is Ishiuchi Maruyama with the additional connected resort options of Gala Yuzawa and Yuzawa Kogen which adds up to a lot of terrain (that you need to buy a different ticket for - don't do what we did and end up at the bottom of one without a ticket and then have to traverse back up) Ishiuchi Maruyama ski resort.It also has a cosy heated 10-person gondola/six-seat chairlift the larger and connected resorts of Naeba and Kagura offer a combined 45 runs - you can get lift tickets for each resort alone or for the whole Mount Naeba area but tends to be the more popular destination with its greater variety of runs - it has hosted world cup and national skiing championships (as well as the famous Fuji Rock Festival every year in summer) Stay: Sierra Resort (you may be familiar with its sister property in Hakuba) is located in the middle of the main Iwappara run at Yuzawa - a great location when there's snow with indoor and outdoor baths and a restaurant with a view Getting there: Most people travel to Ishiuchi Maruyama (and surrounding resorts) from Tokyo by catching the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo Yuzawa station and then one of the free buses (usually every 10-20 minutes) to the Hatsukaishi or Chuo base Ishiuchi Maruyama ski resort.Apres-ski: Niigata is famous for its sake and a quick search or ask around will help you locate a brewery near you Another fun option is the Iwanohara Vineyard you can taste wines and sake and check out the snow room to control the temperature of the wine during the fermentation process; a technique unique to the snow country of Joetsu Authentic and cultural winter holiday - with great skiing and one of the area's best accommodation options including the large Joetsu Kokusai and the famous Hakkaisan Joetsu is one of the largest ski resorts in Japan - about three-quarters of its 22 runs are for experienced skiers but it does have a Kid's Paradise and Sled Land for small children to enjoy out the front as well as the Spongebob Kids park on the Nagamine half pipe run Okutadami is well regarded but can only be skied half the season due to excessive snow on the access road Stay: For a true Japanese winter wonderland experience built on the ruins of a temple - with in-room and outdoor onsen There's even a fascinating audio tour of the hotel's architecture Getting there: Minamiuonuma is accessible from the Joetsu Shinkansen station at Echigo Yuzawa From there you can either take the local Joetsu Line or get shuttle buses to the resorts Getting there: All Nippon Airways and plenty of other airlines fly daily from most Australian cities to Tokyo Getting around: The Shinkansen train is such an efficient way to get from Tokyo to the Niigata ski resorts; once there train or taxi travel between resorts is easy Or you can drive from the airport and between resorts - most slopes have plentiful parking The writer's visit was assisted by Niigata Prefecture Pictures: Kate Cox; Getty Images; Shutterstock ShareWords byKate CoxKate Cox is Head of Content and Head of Travel for ACM. She loves asking questions and telling stories and has been a journalist and editor for more than two decades. Celebrities are flocking to it in big numbers. ReviewTucked away in Byron Bay, this stylish stay offers more than just good looksYou'll experience a sense of calm from the moment you arrive. A new cruise ship has scored pole position at the famous Monaco Grand PrixThe glamorous vessel will be used as a floating hotel. Ditch airport dramas in the UK by travelling by train - here's a guideTurn up the bliss factor by swapping flights with rail journeys. In southern Spain time slows down - and the tapas keeps comingSlow travel is on the rise; here's where to experience it Long known for its hot springs and internationally known ski resorts, Echigo-Yuzawa area in Niigata Prefecture attracts over 6 million skiers each year The more than 16 in skiing fields include popular ski resorts such as Gala Kagura and Naeba that provide all the powder snow you need Echigo-Yuzawa can be easily reached via train You will find lots of quaint local restaurants and decades-old architecture plus the major attractions are all in walking distance from the JR station intermediate to advanced abilities flock to Echigo-Yuzawa Echigo-Yuzawa is also the venue for various large-scale skiing championships the ski resorts often hold illumination events and fireworks in winter Sliding down a colorful slope sure makes the whole experience even more magical Click here to read more I think this article over-exaggerates the powder snow Yuzawa is pretty low altitude and not really the best powder But it is very convenient from Tokyo - it is even more convenient to get to than from some other parts of Niigata For those who want to see Kiyotsukyo in winter but have no way to access from Echigo-Yuzawa or Tokamachi Stations 3 types of shuttle buses will be available for a limited time only Please use the shuttle buses according to the destination you want to visit *Please note that during the winter closure period of the Kiyotsukyo Gorge Tunnel (including “Tunnel of Light”) some shuttle bus routes may be closed or have different schedules TOKYO — Heavy snowfall in Japan has left at least eight people dead national broadcaster NHK reported on Friday (Dec 23) citing Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency The heavy snow across northern and western Japan has prompted weather officials to call on residents to stay alert for winter blizzards Japan is currently being subjected to winter pressure patterns with the weather agency warning of traffic disruptions Officials said the eight deaths occurred in five prefectures - Hokkaido Niigata and Ishikawa, according to NHK A woman in her 20s was found dead in a car buried in snow in Niigata Prefecture on Tuesday Officials suspected that she died of carbon monoxide poisoning after the car's exhaust pipe was blocked by snow Three people over 80 died in accidents in Niigata Prefecture while trying to clear the snow from around their houses a man in his 80s was found dead on Wednesday Another man in his 70s in the prefecture died while trying to clear snow off the roof of his house on Monday Officials added that 19 people were seriously injured and 26 others suffered minor injuries in snow-related accidents in six prefectures Some western cities observed record snowfall, reported Kyodo news These include the western main island of Shikoku, Okuizumo in Shimane Prefecture as well as Kitahiroshima and Shobara in Hiroshima Prefecture renewed its record snowfall in December by registering more than 80cm in a 24-hour period through on Friday morning The weather agency warned people in Ishikawa Prefecture that they may be affected by traffic disruption Some bullet train services at the prefectural capital Kanazawa were briefly disrupted when snow blew against the platform doors Japan Airlines cancelled 59 flights and All Nippon Airways cancelled 41 affecting about 3,750 and 1,470 passengers respectively, reported Japantimes the Japan Meteorological Agency said it expects the rough weather to continue through to Monday moving from the country's north and east to the west Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? 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