Gala Yuzawa | Day Trip to the Most Accessible Ski Resort in Japan
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2022
- If you're looking for a skiing or snowboarding day trip, look no further than Gala! It's located in the town of Yuzawa, Niigata and only a 74 minute bullet train (shinkansen) ride away from Tokyo station making it the most convenient and accessible ski resort in all of Japan. Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort has it's own train station and so the train goes directly to the resort and the station includes everything you need including a locker room and gear rental and even a spa.
Gala Package Deal - www.jre-travel.com/seasonal/s...
JR Tokyo Wide Pass - www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pas...
Gala Resort - gala.co.jp/winter/english/
Gear:
* GoPro Hero 8
* Sony a6400
* Tamron 17-70mm f2.8
* DJI Mini 2
* Rode Wireless Go 2
Music:
'Winter' by LiQWYD
• ☃️ Bright Winter No Co...
'Wanna Go' by INOSSI
• 🗽 No Copyright Dreamy ...
A ski resort with its own JR stop on the shinkansen? A combined gondola/six chair ski lift? A spa and sake right afterwards? Now THAT is convenience I can only dream of!
Thanks again for an awesome snowboard video! (from a SoCal native dreaming of japow)
Yes super convenient!! And cheaper than any resorts you'll find in California!
Had a good time there. Central & Northern was open when I visited.
Glad to hear! 😁
Super helpful!!! Thank you!!!
will visit one day, thanks for the video
You're welcome!
Wow, this looks so cool! I'm pretty jealous, cause I've yet to go snowboarding this season, despite just getting a new board! 😅 I'd love to shred Japanese powder too!
Ah why haven't you gone yet? Better go soon before the season ends!
And japanese powder is great - hope you have the chance too!!
Thank you for sharing. Our crew and I were thinking of places to visit and what we could share before we approach the local tourism agencies and you've given us some ideas. We hope you had fun there!
You're welcome! Good luck and hope you get a chance to visit before the snow season ends!
Hi, thanks for the wonderful video…we are on our first trip to Japan .. we’ll be there by march20th till mar30th.. will there be good amount of snow for our first experience by late march? To just take ropeway up and down, and then a bit of snow activities with our kids outside at the peak? Since the season is ending, we may be there first day of our trip..
Good question... It's definitely towards the end of the season. There may be snow but if there the quality might not be that good unfortunately
Thanks so much for this very useful tour of GALA! I'd read about it, but words don't compare to seeing it in your video. I have two spare days in mid-February, so I'm hoping to visit one or two of the resorts close to Echigo Yuzawa. I had initially rejected GALA as it sounded like it might be a bit small, busy and aimed at beginners, but in your video it looked pretty good! I'll check your other videos, but do you have any recommendations for a slightly quieter resort aimed at intermediate snowboarding? Maybe Naeba? Thanks!
Feel free to look at Naeba, Maiko, and Kagura. Those are all accessible from Echigo Yuzawa
@@didibryan thankyou! I will try to visit those ones! Domo arigato gozaimasu!
No problem and have fun!
the chairs look alot more comfy than anything ive seen in canada and ive been to whistler
They are 😁
@@didibryan $3000 cash reward if you find me a japanese wife
the cool lift you are talking about is everywhere in Europe
Thanks - good to know! We'll need to visit the resorts in Europe at some one and look forward to seeing those lifts 😁
Hi, wanna ask you a question. If i only go from Tokyo to Gala Yuzawa and back for a day trip, and never go outside Tokyo after that, do i better by JR pass or just buy normal round trip Shinkasen ticket? My plan is 10 days in Tokyo, just use my 1 day to Gala Yuzawa.
It's still cheaper to buy the JR Tokyo Wide pass than a roundtrip shinkansen ticket!
I really love this video! Thank you so much for the information. May I ask if there is lots of snow by late December? I'm planning to go next year, Dec 2024. :)
Yes there's plenty of snow by late Dec. The resort is scheduled to open Dec 16 this year for example
@@didibryan how about during february?
Feb is still good! Obviously earlier Feb is better and it starts to get warmer towards the end of Feb
Thank you for sharin this video! It’s amazin and such a great help! Anyway, do you know why can’t I purchase the package ticket for weekday on the website? Is it only available for locals? Thank you beforehand.
Hmm I'm not sure. Which site are you looking at right now?
If it asks for a Japan address, could you put the address of the hotel that you're staying at?
Hi, is 1st week of february a good timw to experience snow fall in yuzawa? Does it still snow in yuzawa that time? Thank you!
Yes it's still amazing at that time of year
Is it as good in december?
Good video, but still not sure what I do with my luggage... is the locker room for changing into ski clothes, or is it storage lockers? Or both? It's a secret I guess.
Both! There are fairly large lockers!
Hey hi, this is Amit from India. I will be visiting beautiful Japan soon. And wow, that's amazing content. Nice video and explanation.
I Have few question can you please help.
1. Can I visit the place during December 18 or 19th ? Will there be snow already ?
2. We both don't know skiing or snow boarding, is that still worth for us to visit ?
Your answers will help me alot to plan
I have few ques
1. Yes there will be snow!
2. If you don't know how to ski or snowboard, you can take lessons at most resorts. There's so much to do in Japan but IMO Japan snow is definitely one of the highlights especially during the winter months.
Hey, how was your experience?
Hi! Just wanted to ask if GALA Yuzawa is covered by the 7day JR Pass for Whole Japan? Or do we need to buy a JR Tokyo Wide Pass? Our trip starts tomorrow and hopefully to get a response from you. Thanks in advance!
Yes you can! JR pass works for all JR trains which includes the train to gala
Thanks for the excellent video. My son is going solo to Japan in Feb 2024. Because JR Rail Pass has doubled in price, he was only going to buy the 7 day pass for his travels to Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, etc for his 15 day trip. While staying in Tokyo, he was going to do a day trip to Gala Yuzawa for snowboarding on Monday, Feb 12th. Early in your video, you mentioned you can get a package or combo deal that includes round trip Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo, as well as ski lift ticket. Can you provide a link to that, as I've looked and can't find any combo deals. He just graduated from college and speaks decent Japanese. The biggest issue is he doesn't have a lot of $$$. Thanks!
The Gala package looks like it goes on sale 11/25, but you can take a look at some of the packages here: www.jre-travel.com/seasonal/ski/higaeri/ (note: site is in Japanese)
Hi Bryan. Thanks for the quick response. I went to the link and attempted to fill in the info for my son coming from the U.S. Is the JR SkiSki package deal only for Japanese citizens? The reason I'm asking is the website wanted a prefecture name and a 7 digit zipcode. We don't have prefecture's in the US, nor do we have 7 digit zipcodes. Please let me know if US citizens can get this package deal. I priced it out and it was a huge savings as long as we qualify for it. Thanks!@@didibryan
Prefecture and 7 digit zip code are for Japan addresses. Does your son have a Japan address? You don't need to be a japanese citizen for these packages. Will he have an address that he will be staying at here? You could use that when willing it out
Hi Bryan. It's funny but the JR Railpass we booked emailed my son Hunter to confirm he is a foreigner. His middle name is Nikko and our last name is Hara. I'm 100% Japanese, but was born in California and have never been to Japan. I'll get Hunter to fill out the JR SkiSki app again. The site requires him to do his name in Kanji, so he may have a tough time doing that on an American keyboard. Hunter will be staying at a hotel close to Shinagawa station just southwest of Tokyo. He'll use the Tokyo Metro prefecture and the hotel's 7 digit zipcode. Thanks so much for your help. If we run into additional snafu's, I'll let you know.@@didibryan
Do you think there will be snow there when we go this 2nd week of december?
There should definitely be some but will depend on the resort how good the quality will be
Is there an alternative way to go to gala yuzawa from tokyo? Will be travelling next year january but the jr pass is going to price up.
Even if the JR pass price goes up, you can still just book a regular shinkansen train ticket, which is still quite affordable. They may also have the day trip packages on the weekdays.
The shinkansen will still be by far the best way to get there. There may be bus or an option to go by car, but I honestly haven't heard of anyone going to Gala Yuzawa via those options.
That sure looked like a fun ski day! Did you do any off-piste? Are they ok at these resorts to ski the trees or is it closed off? Cheers!
It depends on the resort. Some are OK and some are stricter. But if you want to go off piste, I would say gala is probably not your first option.
@@didibryan Gotcha, thanks! How did you get to Echigo for the Sake? Did you Snowboard over? Is the ropeway to Yuzawa Kogen part of the lift pass? Same for lower Ishiuchi? It's a bit confusing on the trail map and I couldn't find the info on the Gala website. Thank You!!!
Echigo is a different station. When you go back to gala you need to take it one stop back to echigo yuzawa station for the sake
@@didibryan Thanks. Merry Christmas!
What exact date was this? Is there still good snow in march?
This was end of January. I don't think there will be that much good snow left in March so recommend going earlier.
Great video! If i want to skii, do i need to rent their clothing? Can I just rent their skii set without renting their clothing? (means i use normal winter attire)
Yes that's fine!
how much is the total expense for one person? i really want to experience this. mygoooddd 😭
hello, can you explain what is the difference between gondola and lifts?
noticed some package got include gondola only vs gondola and lifts.
my guess is gondola go to the top mountain where its kinda a flat surface
then u need to take the lifts to go to the top of the slope to ski downwards
Gondola is the lift that you go inside one of those little rooms. It takes you a decent bit up the mountain, but only access to some runs. You need to ride the lifts to access the full mountain
@@didibryan thanks for reply
Hi. What month was this recorded? What does it look like around April 1st week? I read it opens till May 7, 2023
In the end of Feb. There may be some snow in April but it will be pretty close to the end of the season and wouldn't expect the snow to be that great
@@didibryan wow that's great! Still snowing around that month ☺️
What month did you go? It is nice when it is really snowing
Late Jan!
May I know can i go to ISHIUCHI if i only pay for gala yuzawa ski ? Sorry i am newbie no idea how it work.
It's connected at the top of the mountain. You can ride down but you need a special pass to go up the lifts of the different resorts meaning if you just had a gala yuzawa lift ticket you won't be able to go back up.
Also no worries about accidentally going there since there are signs telling you you are entering a different area and need the special pass
Hey l need some information, if l only buy a gondola ticket, can we take the gondola with equipment and go ski at the top ?
If you buy the gondola ticket, you can't go ski at the top as you need to ride the lifts to the top. The only thing you can do is ski down from the top of the gondola to the base which is only 1 route.
I be in Japan at mid February. Is it still snow around that time?
It will!
How much do the lift tickets cost ? And are there any season passes wich u can get ?
Tickets were around 5000 yen for a 1 day pass but Gala also has some deals like a bundle with the shinkansen which would make it even cheaper.
I'm not sure gala has season passes but I know for sure some other resorts definitely do
@@didibryan where can we buy this bundle?
You can buy them online but I can't seem to find a link to it right now since it's not in season.
@@didibryan ok no problem, thank you
Is it advisable to go to Gala Yuzawa Ski Resort in October?
There won't be any snow in October unfortunately
Ho r u?. very super ~ farewell! 💥
Doing great thank you! And how about you?
Can I visit during spring month around mid may ??
May will be too late for the snow 😭
Is it open on the 1st week of November?
Unfortunately no that's too early. They generally open mid to late December
will there be real snow around mid december?
The resort doesn't open until mid December but I would recommend going at the end of December at the earliest for more snow.
There is one problem with this video: It is too short 😭
Aw haha thanks! What else would you have liked to see?
Is there a snow on March 5-12?
There should be! Won't be as good quality but the season will still be going on
Do they have renting option for the gear? What's the rent?
Yes they do. See the link here for details: gala.co.jp/winter/english/rental-en/
@@didibryan thank you
Is this a good place for complete beginners?
Yes it's quite good!
Is this a good place for beginners to go and ski? And not have very good English? 😊
It's not bad for beginners - decent easy slopes at the bottom, but could get a bit crowded.
Not very good English is probably fine if you can read?
I haven’t studied Japanese in years, hoping some of it will come back to me 😅
I'm sure you'll do great!
hi im looking to go late novemeber is this a reasonable time to go?
November is too early for the snow. I would recommend late Dec at the earliest
Go in Late Jan. for skiing.
I looked them up 35$ for a day off peak meanwhile everywhere near me in us is up to like 120 a day
Yeah Japan is much cheaper compared to the US for lift tickets. And the cheap yen is also good for visitors
@@didibryan yes it's driving me crazy that I cant travel right now, I'm still in university for one more year but as soon as flight tickets open for after I graduate im going to visit for at least a month, I have been working on learning Japanese for a few months now so I want to get a trip booked to keep myself motivated!!
At least Japan's borders are now open as of this week!
Which month has snow?
From December to February is best.
@@didibryan Thank you
Does it snow early December ??
It will have some snow!
The website is not friendly to non-Japanese residents trying to buy the Gala pass. Trying to squeeze in a one day trip is not as easy as this video makes it to be. 😩
???????
Hi, how to get to another ski resort that next to gala? I have been to gala once in april 2018, but i dont see any sign to the next resort.
Please advice
Thanks
If you get off at the station before Gala (Echigo Yuzawa), there are many resorts that you can get from there. There are several buses at the station that you take you to the other resorts or you can also take a taxi from the station.
“Which is only a 74 minute ride” 💀
Only 75 minutes????
By shinkansen yes 😁
So, can you meet any Japanese chicks over there?
Should I purchase 2 of each "JR Tokyo Wide Pass" @10180 yen and @5090 yen for a child and use it as follows:
1st pass: Upon arrival in Narita airport : Narita Espress - Tokyo station - Gala Yuzawa at the cost of 10180 yen ?
2nd pass: Upon returning from Gala Yuzawa on the 6 days : Yuzawa - Tokyo - within Tokyo for 3 days 10180 yen ?
will these able to save some monies or any other advise .....Thanks
IMO this is the worst place to go from Tokyo. Yeah, it's convenient, but that's where it stops. It's always over crowded, for whatever reason half the resort is closed, and the lines for everything be it the lift or food is long. You are better off going to Kagura if you want a better experience and aren't a beginner.
Hi, I’m want to go to kagura but I’m a bit lost
I can’t find prices or how to reserve a place , I want to stay two nighta