Villa Hakuba

A spring experience

Stayed here April 2009 as part of a Japan Experience. This is after most of the facilities like shuttle buses had stopped for the season. Worried this might be problem but the owner (Kazu) could not have been more helpful. Picked us up from the bus station, ferried us to get gear hire, ferried us to Happo-One gondola or 47 gondola for 3 days, dropped us in town for dinner etc. English (my only language) was not an issue as Kazu can be well understood and his restaurant staffer was fluent. Thoughly enjoyed the spring snow and the experience of the place. For it''s price and expectations, Villa Hakuba performed perfectly in rooms and facilities. Without the personalised service of the owner, the location would have been a pain.

Hakuba - something good, something not

Spent 8 days in Hakuba in late Jan 2010 after skiing a variety of other Japanese resorts over recent years. Hakuba is actually a town in the valley, from which ascend a number of resorts available on 1 ticket. 

Most accommodation is near the foot of Happo One, the biggest (area) resort as well as the most vertical. Worth also trying 3 other resorts in the valley Goryu / Hakuba 47, Tsugaike and Cortina. Patrollers are strict except for Cortina, so it''s hard to get freshies without going out of bounds.

Getting around Hakuba is a pain. Restaurants and bars are spread out so you'll have to walk or take shuttle (which costs).  Shuttle is slow and routes confusing.

Happy as Larry

The Villa Hakuba is great but the language barrier and lack of western food can be a hinderance to some. Depending on the exchange rate it can be more expensive than usual and at its cheapest it is still quite pricey. Hakuba is an amazing place however and i recommend going there for sure!

Hakuba - a mix of alpine splendour, Japanese powder and Asian charm

I would love to sing the praises of this slightly less frequented ski area in Japan. After spending a marvellous week in Niseko the previous year (North island), we decided to try another well known, somewhat less travelled (at least by Australians!) area, near Nagano. Access is not difficult, even for a non-Japanese speaker. You can even take the bullet train to Nagano, once you''ve landed in Tokyo. The last stage up to Hakuba is by bus and takes in some awesome, breath-taking scenery. We found the people very authentic with only minimal English and full of the Japanese grace. THe Hakuba area takes in several resorts all on the one ticket and access is by bus to any of them and only 20-30 mins. The quality of the snow is almost as good as the north island. The scenery is twice as good and the sense of mystique that comes from an exotic location wonderful. There were some cute restaurants and onsens (public spas) for apres skiing, though it was still a sleepy village by comparison with Niseko. Still, the locals are lovely people and went out of their way to help, even in broken English. The food was exotic and affordable, also the alcohol. I loved the skiing and it snowed almost every second day, with one day providing almost knee-deep powder. It was a trip I hope to repeat in the not too distant future and I would recommend it to anyone with a love of skiing, travelling and a thirst for adventure.