chubunagano
Hakuba
Hakuba is a mountain valley and ski area in northern Nagano, in the Chubu region, beneath peaks of nearly three thousand metres in the Northern Japan Alps, where the downhill races and the ski jumping of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics took place.
- Prefecture
- Nagano
- Region
- Chubu
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
Deep snow under a wall of the high Alps, and an onsen at the end of the day.
The Hakuba valley lies along the eastern foot of the Hida range, the Northern Alps, whose peaks rise to nearly three thousand metres above the village. Winter weather sweeping in from the Sea of Japan meets the mountains here and falls as heavy, dry snow, and the valley carries a run of ski areas along its western slopes, linked by one lift pass and by shuttle, with long runs from the high ridges down to the valley floor.
Hakuba made its name in 1998, when the downhill races and the ski jumping of the Nagano Winter Olympics took place here. Since then it has become one of the two places in central Japan we recommend for a ski journey, for one reason above all: it runs in English. Mountain guides, hotels and restaurants work comfortably in English, so a family or a party of friends can ski Japan with ease, and the children are at home on the snow from their first day.
Luxury Japan Travel plans private ski journeys to Hakuba: the right hotel or chalet for your party, mountain guides who speak English, transfers from Tokyo, and evenings in the onsen. Away from the slopes, the valley is a quiet farming country of thatched houses, rivers and three lakes, with Matsumoto Castle and the old temples of Nagano within reach.
see and do
What to see in Hakuba
The Hakuba ski areas
A run of ski areas along the western side of the valley, from wide groomed runs for beginners and families to steep terrain and tree skiing high above, on one lift pass.
The Olympic downhill course
The course built for the downhill races of 1998, running from high on the mountain down towards the village, now skied by guests of every ability on its gentler lower slopes.
Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium
The ski jumps of the 1998 Games, where a lift carries visitors to the top of the large hill for the view down the jump and across the valley.
Oide Park
A small park on the Himekawa River with a thatched farmhouse and a suspension bridge, from which the snowy peaks of the Alps rise above the water: the classic view of Hakuba.
The onsen of Hakuba
Springs that rise beneath the valley, strongly alkaline and smooth on the skin, fed to public onsen and to hotels with open-air onsen beneath the mountains.
The Nishina lakes
Three lakes south of the village, Aoki, Nakatsuna and Kizaki, set among wooded hills, with the Alps reflected in them on a still day.
Zenko-ji
The great temple of Nagano, about an hour from Hakuba, founded in the seventh century and home to what is said to be the first Buddhist image brought to Japan, with a pitch-dark passage beneath its main hall.
Wadano and Echoland
Two quarters of the village close to the slopes, Wadano among the woods with its larger hotels, Echoland with chalets, cafes and restaurants.
experiences
The best of Hakuba
A private mountain guide
Days with a mountain guide of your own, on the runs that suit your party, from the gentle slopes of the valley to the deep snow among the trees.
Powder with a mountain guide
For confident skiers, a day with an English-speaking mountain guide who knows where the snow has settled within the ski areas, and when to move on.
The onsen after the slopes
The last run of the afternoon, and then an open-air onsen in the snow, the steam rising against the mountains as the light goes.
Japanese food after skiing
Evenings of Shinshu soba, sake from Nagano's mountain breweries and Japanese wagyu, in a village where the restaurants are used to welcoming guests from abroad.
plan your visit
Hakuba on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- Five to seven nights is a typical ski stay, long enough to explore the valley's ski areas and allow a day for Matsumoto or the temples of Nagano.
- Getting there
- From Tokyo by the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano in about an hour and a half, then about an hour by private car to Hakuba. From Matsumoto it is about an hour by car, and from Myoko about an hour and a half.
journeys
Hakuba on a private journey
We bring guests to Hakuba on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Hakuba: questions answered
Is Hakuba good for skiing?
Yes. Hakuba has heavy, dry snow, long runs beneath the Northern Alps and terrain for every level, and it hosted the downhill races of the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Do they speak English in Hakuba?
Yes. Hakuba is one of the easiest places in Japan to ski in English, with mountain guides, hotels and restaurants that work comfortably in it.
How do you get from Tokyo to Hakuba?
By the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano, about an hour and a half, then by private car to Hakuba in about an hour. By car from Tokyo it is about four hours.
Is Hakuba good for beginners and families?
Yes. The valley has wide, gentle runs for first turns, for children and adults alike.
How many days do you need in Hakuba?
Five to seven nights for a ski holiday, which allows time on several of the valley's slopes and a day off the snow.
Hakuba or Niseko?
Both run in English and have deep snow. Niseko, in Hokkaido, is known for its powder; Hakuba, in the Japan Alps, for its high mountain scenery and an easy journey from Tokyo.
What is there to do in Hakuba besides skiing?
Onsen, the thatched farmhouses and river views of Oide Park, the Olympic ski jumps, and days out to Matsumoto Castle, about an hour away, or to Zenko-ji, the great temple of Nagano.
Is there onsen in Hakuba?
Yes. Hakuba has its own hot springs, smooth and strongly alkaline, at public onsen and at hotels with open-air onsen.
Can Hakuba be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Hakuba included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
chubu
More in Chubu
Every place in Chubu
Hakuba, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Hakuba, and we will answer with a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone, or, if you would rather travel independently, an Expert Japan Itinerary that plans every day for you.