Japan 2025 - Part 1 - Hakuba Valley

We flew with British Airways to Tokyo Haneda Airport. The upgrade to premium economy made the long flight a little more bearable. On arrival, we were met by our driver and taken in a minivan on the five-hour journey to Hakuba.

We stayed at the Double Black Hotel in the forest area of Wadano. The rooms were on the small side but comfortable. The toilet did every function imaginable, the sink was tiny, and there was a decent amount of storage. Shoes were strictly off — slippers or socks only both in the hotel and in your room.

The staff were seasonaires from Australia, Japan, and a couple of Brits — all really friendly, helpful, and full of good advice. They helped with restaurant bookings (definitely recommended unless you’re happy turning up at 8pm and hoping for the best — which we did most nights and somehow got away with), and organised our ski hire pick-up and drop-off.

Breakfast was fairly basic — a choice of vegetarian or meat full English, or a small continental selection. The bar was great for a quick drink before heading out, the onsen was perfect for relaxing, and the shuttle to and from the slopes was a lifesaver after our first attempt squeezing onto the public bus.

Hakuba is very spread out, with no real central hub for shops or restaurants, so a bit of planning is needed when heading out in the evenings. There’s a big Aussie presence here — living, working, and holidaying — so a lot of places cater to that crowd, but there are still plenty of local spots to find if you look for them.

There were three main nightlife areas we explored:

Echoland
The Aussie party strip, with bars and restaurants lining one main road. The boys spent a good chunk of time in one bar trying to find Dragon Balls hidden on the walls for a free shot, before we squeezed through a cigarette vending machine into the hidden bar, Holy Smokes. Getting there meant a hotel shuttle, and an Uber back — both easy enough to sort.

Wadano
The quieter forest area where our hotel was located. A handful of bars and restaurants, but more spread out and a bit harder to find. One night included a 20-minute uphill walk to Tori Co., where we had yakitori and a big table-cooked stew — worth the effort.

Happo-One
Where we spent most of our evenings. A more compact area with a good mix of bars and restaurants (including some refreshingly Aussie-free options). Highlights included beers at the Hakuba Taproom and Kokemomo, a craft beer bar set in a converted garage. A recommendation from one of the hotel drivers led us to the Japanese bar 与平倶楽部, where we chatted with the bartenders and attempted (badly) their puzzles. Dinner at Yamabuki — a miso specialist — was excellent, and we loved Yamagami Syokudou NEO, where you cook your own meat at the table.

We had two favourite nightcap spots on the walk back from Happo-One. Fireworks Bar — a cosy yurt with friendly staff, sofas, and resident bar dogs. If you arrive before 10pm (we never did), you can buy fireworks to set off outside. The second was Bar Cross. We were warned that if you end up there, you’re probably too drunk and should go home. They weren’t wrong — it’s a karaoke bar full of very lively Aussies.

Our days followed the usual ski routine — ski, beers on the mountain, quick nap or onsen, then out for dinner and drinks. What made this trip completely different was the snow. It’s not called Japow for nothing. There was already 440cm at the top and 220cm at the base when we arrived, and it snowed constantly, with another 130cm falling during our stay. Unreal conditions and a completely different skiing experience.

There are 10 resorts in the Hakuba Valley — we managed four:

Hakuba 47
Our first day and a good warm-up. Long, narrow greens from top to bottom and some great wide reds. You can ski across to Goryu from here.

Happo-One
One of the biggest and most popular resorts (and home to the 1998 Winter Olympics). Plenty of greens and some great long reds. Visibility was awful, and in true Sod’s Law fashion, we missed our intended route and ended up at the top in a whiteout and deep powder. The lift closed behind us — we were the last ones up. An experience… but not one we’re rushing to repeat.

Iwatake
Lower elevation, which made it ideal for poor visibility days. Supposed to be quieter, but it was surprisingly busy. Fewer runs and only one main mountain bar, so we managed to cover everything. The mountain restaurant was very pet-friendly — dogs in full snow outfits everywhere, plus someone casually carrying two owls.

Pro tip: after watching multiple people struggle to get off the two-man chair lifts (no safety bar and very sticky in deep snow), we opted for one person per chair. Almost foolproof… (ahem, Keiron).

Tsugaike
We’d been warned about the gondola queues, but still weren’t prepared for the 20-minute wait. After that, we planned routes to avoid it where possible. We stuck mostly to reds, enjoying fresh powder on every run — it was snowing so much we were constantly making first tracks. We also tackled our first black here — the Champion slope — wide, quiet, and deep with powder (falling was not an option). This resort had the best selection of mountain bars, including one with a foot onsen.

When it came time to leave Hakuba, we were picked up by the Snow Shuttle from the hotel and taken to the bus station. After checking in and tagging our luggage, we boarded the coach to Nozawa Onsen — ready for the next part of the trip.