Google "best sushi in Hakuba" and you will undoubtedly be sent numerous links to reviews for Kikyo-ya. Don't trust the inter-webs? Then maybe you should have a look at the writing on the wall. Here are just a few of the enthusiastic messages written by Kikyo-ya's devoted customers:

Kikyo-ya is on the 148 not far from Hakuba Station, directly across from the Boarding Co. Look for the Japanese cherry-blossom emblems outside. I suggest you sit at the counter for the ultimate sushi experience, and watch the master chef at work as he slices the most delicate fish to create Japan's most celebrated cuisine. The charismatic owner will also help you choose another sake, while their extensive seafood menu (also in English) will make you want to come back for more.

Open: 11:00-22:00

 

 

There seems to be a lot of confusion about lift passes in Hakuba. Considering Hakuba has over 10 resorts in the valley, the "All-Mountain Pass" sure sounds like a good deal but actually, I never recommend it. One thing most people don't realize is that it needs to be used within a set number of days (this is written on the pass in Japanese only!). The 2 day pass must be used within 3 days, and the 3 day pass expires after 5. Although the All-Mountain pass includes all of the resorts in the Hakuba Valley, you can only use one resort a day. Furthermore, you still need to make your way to the ticket counter to exchange your All-Mountain pass for a day ticket at the resort of your choice and to top it all of you don't actually save all that much money. The Multi-Day passes from the resorts themselves provide better saving and more flexibility. So until the Hakuba Valley gets it together with interlinked resorts and passes, I say, leave the so called All-Mountain pass alone.

Some of the better deals to be had are:

A 3 day pass (non-consecutive) at Hakuba Goryu/Hakuba 47 is ¥12,000
              (NOTE: the 2 day pass is a 2 day consecutive ticket)
A 5 day weekday pass (any 5 weekdays) at Hakuba Goryu/Hakuba 47 is ¥16,500
A day pass with lunch and onsen (spa) at Cortina is 3500 yen with a coupon.
A day pass at Kashimayari is 3800 yen
A day pass at Sanosaka is 3800 yen
A day pass at Yanaba is 2500 yen
A Hakuba Alpen Resort Pass
(valid any days of the season at Happo, Iwatake & Tsugaike)
2 day is ¥8,600
3 day is ¥12,000
4 day is ¥15,600
5 day is ¥19,500
6 day is ¥23,400

If you are a beginner, you are better off not buying a day pass at all. Instead, there is a point pass (kaisuken) available that deducts points from your pass as you use the lifts. At Hakuba Goryu/Hakuba 47 a point pass with 11 points is ¥3800. Each lift is 1 point, while the gondola will deduct 2 points. Unlike day passes, the points do not expire at the end of the day, so if you only use a few points one day you can use the rest on any other day.  

Are you an instagrammer? We are! You can "follow us" at tabitabijapan, or check out all of our Hakuba photos here. Enjoy!

True Player's Skate Park will have its grand opening in April, but they're already letting skaters ride the ramps. True Player's is an excellent indoor park with big well shaped ramps and other street skate items, and for ¥500 a day you can't go wrong anyway. True Player's is in a gym on the same road as Mimizuku Onsen near Happo. I will add it to our recommendation map here.

Open: 12ish to 9ish (everyday-ish)

 

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday John will be serving up yummy Tex-Mex to satisfy even the hungriest of Texans. I highly recommend you start with the Smokey Quesadilla, a large flour tortilla sandwich of melted cheese, sauteed onion, and smoked chipotle chillies served with a side of fresh guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream, and a bit of cabbage. The quesadilla could be shared as a starter or eaten whole as a vegetarian meal (¥850).

Pescetarians, and lovers of seafood, should try the Baja Style Tacos (see picture above), where 2 soft tacos are stuffed with beer-battered fried fish, guacamole, cheese, cabbage, salsa fresca, and sour cream.

For meat lovers he's got "nice tender chicken" served in the chicken enchiladas and El Grande chicken burritos. All of Arriba Arriba's Main Plates (¥1000) are served with a side of Spanish rice, re-fried beans, and chopped cabbage.

Their tostada salad served in a deep-fried tortilla bowl sounded delicious but I wanted to leave a bit of space for a Mexican style hot chocolate. Their spiced hot cocoa is not on the menu but may be available on quieter nights. Just ask!

Complete your Mexican meal with a Corona or tequila shot for only ¥400!

Arriba Arriba is about a 10 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our recommendation map here.

 

                                              

The cheapest (and easiest!) way to get to Hakuba from Tokyo is to take the Keio Highway bus from the Shinjuku Bus Terminal. The journey takes 4 hours and 20 minutes, and costs 8500 yen return (4700 yen one way). If you are coming to stay with us at Lodge tabi-tabi, please get off at the Hakuba Goryu bus stop. It is the first stop in Hakuba Valley. You will need to push the button (above your head) when the driver makes the announcement for "Hakuba Goryu", or the bus may not stop. You can now make your reservation online in English here. If you have a reservation you should arrive at least 15 minutes before departure to pay for your ticket at the counter marked "Hakuba". You can use your phone number as your reservation number. This number does not have to be a number in Japan, just a number that you can recall when you go to pick up your ticket.

The easiest way to get to Hakuba from Narita airport is to take the shared Chuo taxi. The 12,000 yen per person service will take you door to door from Narita or Haneda airport to you accommodation in Hakuba. No transfers, and no bags to lug around up and down the  train station stairs. To make a reservation you will need to fill in a form at least 48 hours ahead of time. You can find the form, and more details here.

 

If you are taking the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo, you will have to transfer to the Alpico bus in Nagano city. If you are joining us at Lodge tabi-tabi, please get off at Hakuba Goryu bus stop. You can find the rest of the Alpico Bus schedules here.

Hakuba 47 and Hakuba Goryu early bird season pass is only 48,000 yen if you order it before October 31st. UPDATE: Hakuba Goryu/Hakuba 47 Early Bird Season Pass Deadline has been extended until November 15th!  Get yours now here!

 

 The Hakuba Goryu gondola is still open for the green season. It's not easy to see green these days though. Instead Hakuba's trees are proudly displaying their fall foliage. The gondola at Hakuba Goryu along with Hakuba Happo and Hakuba 47, will be running until the end of October. Once you get to the top of Goryu there are all kinds of hiking routes to choose from. As you can see in the picture above, many of the trails have wooden boardwalks making it possible for hikers of all levels (and kids in strollers) to enjoy some autumn colors. For those who don't mind a bit of a challenge, and some steep terrain, the trails will lead to some spectacular views of majestic Mt. Goryu (as seen below). The Goryu gondola is only a 10 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi, you can also find it on our recommendation map here.

倉下の湯 (kurashita-no-Yu) is perhaps my favorite onsen in Hakuba. Mind you, it is not everyone's favorite. Some people don't like the color of the water, others are put off by the rusty smell. However, I love the yellowish-grey iron-rich water here.  As the sign on the wall proudly exclaims "this is real onsen water, straight from the spring" where nothing is added and none of it gets recycled. Hakuba has 3 types of hotspings. The alkaline springs in Happo make you feel real good on the outside as they do wonders for the skin. While this super potent iron and sulphur solution does wonders for your insides.   

                                                                                

It was an absolutely beautiful autumn day in Hakuba yesterday so we decided to take Happo Gondola up to have a closer look at the freshly fallen snow on the top of the alps. These majestic peaks are known as Hakuba San Zan (白馬三山), from right to left, Mt. Shirouma, Mt. Shakushi and Mt. Hakuba Yari. I highly recommend this little hike to Happo Pond (Happi Ike). It costs 2600 yen for a return trip on the gondola top two lifts. Once you get off the top lift just follow the trail for about an hour for a loop around the pond. Pack a lunch, there are lots of benches for you to enjoy your sandwich and the stunning view.

初雪 (pronounced hatsu yuki) means first snow!!!! It's October 3rd and the Hakuba Alps are starting to cover up all already. Getting very excited about the season ahead!

Mountain lovers love Hakuba! Check out this freeride footage all flimed in the beautiful Hakuba Alps.

Yasu is making good use of my new Loaded Dervish in this downhill session in Hakuba. Only wish I could carve like that!

Hakuba has everything a mountain bike enthusiast needs; MTB clinics, coaching, guiding, beautiful trails, rentals, and a park for serious shredders. Karey from Sweet Riders in Hakuba took us out for a few lessons, some trail riding and even a bit of down hill. You can hook up with her for some sweet riding too. Here is a typical sweet ride with Karey:

 

Daini Satonoyu is one of the onsens in the Happo Onsen group. This is probably my favorite of the bunch because it is HOT! Last time I went it was over 43 degrees. The washing area is right next to the bath so it is nice and warm there too. There are some onsen I won't go to when I am feeling chilly because the washing area is just too cold. No problems here. The springs at the 4 Happo Onsens are high alkaline waters with a PH of 11, which means the water feels soft and makes your skin silky smooth. No rotenburo (outdoor bath), no windows, no view. Nothing fancy just good quality water at the right temperature (for me).

Hours: 12:00 - 21:00 (last entry is 20:30)

Closed: Wednesday

Price: adults ¥500 / children ¥250

Think Thank came and went and has 8 minutes of video to prove it.

Hakuba got a 40 cm dump while Yasu and I were thigh deep in flowers on the other side of Japan. Read about it here

tabi-tabi guests Ray and G from Operation Backpack Asia, Yasu and myself drove around the backstreets looking for the best (worst?) rental shops with the meanest gear and got ourselves hooked up with 7 matching 80s appeal one pieces. Sarah and Andy of Snow Season Japan did all the work behind the scenes and organized yet another super fluoro night at Tracks Bar here in Goryu.

Here are just a couple of us getting ready to head out:

Andy and Alastair representing tabi-tabi won a huge bottle of local sake in the Fluruo Fancy Dance off:

 

 

Woke up to sunshine and got a call from K so got geared up and off we went, first to drop off a car and then to pick up J. It was really blustery at the top so we didn't hike for long, scoped our lines and down we went. Conditions were far from ideal. We dealt with windcrust, raincrust, chunky debris, and ice. Got in only a few nice turns in powder. Great views, a dose of vitamin D, and a good catch up with friends made it all worth it anyway.