Most Aussies flying into Japan for a ski trip land at Narita or Haneda anyway. Tokyo is right there. And yet plenty of people either skip it entirely or bolt straight to the mountains and squeeze Tokyo in at the end when they're knackered and broke. Both approaches leave you shortchanged.
Done right, Tokyo and a ski trip are a perfect match. Here's how to structure the whole thing properly.
Start in Tokyo or End in Tokyo? The Honest Answer
Start in Tokyo. Full stop.
Here's the logic: you've just done a nine to ten hour flight from Melbourne or Sydney. You're fuzzy. Your legs don't work properly. The last thing you want to do is immediately navigate a ski bus from Narita to Niseko with all your gear, arrive at night, and try to figure out where the rental shop is.
Spend two or three nights in Tokyo first. Eat ramen at 11pm. Walk Shinjuku until your feet hurt. Visit Akihabara if that's your thing. Let your body clock reset. Then head to the mountains fresh and ready to ski hard from day one.
Ending in Tokyo works too, but you'll be tired, your powder stoke will have faded slightly, and Tokyo at the end of a big trip can feel a bit chaotic. Front-loading it is almost always better.
How Many Days in Tokyo Is Actually Enough
Two nights is the minimum if you just want a taste. Three nights is the sweet spot for most people. Four nights and you're eating into precious ski days unless you've got a longer trip.
For a typical two-week Japan ski trip from Australia, something like this works well:
- Day 1-3: Tokyo (arrive, recover, explore)
- Day 4: Travel day to the mountains
- Day 5-12: Skiing (Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata, whatever you've booked)
- Day 13: Travel back to Tokyo or straight to airport
- Day 14: Fly home
If you're doing three weeks, you can afford four days in Tokyo and still get ten or eleven solid ski days. That's a proper trip.
Getting from Tokyo to the Ski Resorts
This is where people overcomplicate things. It's actually pretty simple once you know the options.
Hokkaido resorts (Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Furano): Fly. Tokyo to Sapporo (New Chitose Airport) takes about 90 minutes and flights are cheap. Peach, Jetstar Japan, ANA and JAL all run this route. From New Chitose you can grab a shuttle bus or rent a car. Don't try to take the shinkansen to Hokkaido for a ski trip. Yes, it exists. Yes, it takes forever and costs a fortune compared to flying.
Nagano resorts (Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen): Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagano is about 90 minutes on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. From Nagano station, local buses run to most resorts. Hakuba is about an hour by bus from Nagano station. Easy.
Niigata resorts (Myoko Kogen, Naeba, Kagura, Gala Yuzawa): Shinkansen again, this time the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo or Omiya. Gala Yuzawa literally has a shinkansen station inside the resort, which is ridiculous and brilliant. Naeba and Kagura are about 20 minutes by shuttle from Echigo-Yuzawa station.
Hot take: if you're only doing one ski region and it's Nagano or Niigata, skip the domestic flight entirely. The shinkansen from Tokyo is fast, comfortable, and you can eat a bento box while watching snow-covered rice fields roll past. That's part of the trip.
The JR Pass Question
Buy it if you're doing a multi-region trip. Skip it if you're flying to Hokkaido and staying put.
A 14-day JR Pass currently costs around 50,000 yen. The Tokyo to Nagano shinkansen return is about 14,000 yen. Tokyo to Niigata return is similar. If you're doing Tokyo, then Nagano, then Niigata, then back to Tokyo, the pass pays for itself. If you're flying Sapporo and staying in Hokkaido the whole time, you'll lose money on the pass.
Do the maths for your specific itinerary before buying. The Hyperdia or Japan Transit Planner apps make this easy.
Where to Stay in Tokyo (Ski Trip Edition)
You've got ski bags. Possibly boot bags. Maybe a snowboard bag. You need a hotel with decent luggage storage and ideally a lift big enough to fit your gear.
Shinjuku is the best base for ski trippers. It's got the express bus terminals, the train connections, and more ramen shops than you'll ever need. Shibuya works too. Avoid tiny boutique hotels in older buildings if you've got a full ski bag, because getting that thing up a narrow staircase is a nightmare.
Mid-range business hotels like Dormy Inn, APA, or Vessel Hotel chains are solid. Clean, well-located, good breakfast options, and the staff are used to dealing with tourists. Nothing fancy, but everything you need.
What to Actually Do in Tokyo Before You Ski
Skip the tourist traps and do this instead:
- Eat at a proper ramen shop (Fuunji in Shinjuku for tsukemen, Ichiran anywhere for solo dining)
- Wander Yanaka or Koenji for old Tokyo vibes without the crowds
- Visit a ski or outdoor gear shop (L-Breath in Shinjuku, Oshman's in Shibuya) to pick up any last-minute Japanese kit at good prices
- Hit a sento (public bathhouse) the night before you leave for the mountains, because you might as well practice your onsen routine somewhere low-stakes
- Eat conveyor belt sushi at least once. Yes it's touristy. No, I don't care. It's brilliant.
Luggage Forwarding: The Game Changer
Yamato Transport's Takkyubin luggage forwarding service is one of the best things about travelling in Japan and most Aussies don't know about it until someone tells them.
You can send your ski bag and heavy luggage directly from your Tokyo hotel to your ski resort accommodation for about 2,000 to 3,000 yen per bag. It arrives the next day. You travel light on the shinkansen or plane and your gear is waiting for you when you check in. On the way back, send it from the resort to the airport or your Tokyo hotel before your flight.
This single tip will change your trip. Use it every time.
My Take as an Aussie Who Skis Japan Every Year
I've done Tokyo first and Tokyo last and Tokyo not at all, and Tokyo first wins every time. The city gets you in the right headspace. Japan is a sensory experience and Tokyo is the best way to ease into it before you're dealing with ski boots and powder goggle fog at 7am.
Two nights in Shinjuku, three if you can manage it. Eat everything. Walk everywhere. Then get on that shinkansen or that Peach flight to Sapporo and ski your legs off for a week. That's the formula. It works.
Don't overthink the JR Pass. Don't try to do Tokyo and three ski regions in ten days. And for the love of Japow, use Takkyubin for your ski bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easy to get from Tokyo to Niseko?
The easiest way is to fly from Haneda or Narita to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, then take a shuttle bus or hire a car to Niseko. The flight is about 90 minutes and budget carriers like Peach make it cheap. Don't attempt the shinkansen to Hokkaido for a ski trip. It's not worth the time or cost.
How many days should I spend in Tokyo before skiing?
Two nights minimum, three nights is ideal. Any more than four nights and you're eating into ski days unless you've got a three-week trip. Front-load Tokyo at the start so you arrive at the mountains rested and ready.
Should I buy a JR Pass for a Japan ski trip?
Only if you're taking the shinkansen between multiple regions. If you're flying to Hokkaido and staying there, the JR Pass won't pay for itself. Run the numbers on your specific itinerary using the Japan Transit Planner app before you commit.
What is Takkyubin and should I use it?
Takkyubin is a luggage forwarding service run by Yamato Transport. You can send your ski bag from your Tokyo hotel directly to your ski resort for around 2,000 to 3,000 yen per bag, arriving the next day. It's one of the best things about travelling in Japan and every ski tripper should use it.
Where should I stay in Tokyo for a ski trip?
Shinjuku is the best base. It has direct bus connections to ski resort areas, great shinkansen access, and more food options than anywhere else in the city. Mid-range business hotel chains like Dormy Inn or APA are clean, affordable, and handle large luggage without drama.
