Travel to Arai Mountain & Spa with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort is one of Japan’s most comprehensive ski destinations, offering several top quality pistes and enjoying reliable powder snow. The resort is located to the northwest of Tokyo in the Koshinetsu region and hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics but the slopes here are narrow and not particularly suited to snowboarding; however, there is much off-piste action as well as an excellent snowboard park.

Centred on a European-style plaza, facilities at the resort base of Arai Mountain & Spa are extensive and feature an underground heating system, kids’ playgrounds and nurseries, ski and snowboard shops and rental stores, plentiful accommodation, restaurants and bars as well as commendable disabled facilities.

Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort encompasses over 2,000 acres of skiable terrain, of which 117 acres are pisted and consist of 11 groomed runs suitable for beginners to advanced level sliders. The longest slope is just over three miles, while five efficient ski lift systems provide access to the predominantly snowboard-biased, 3,116-foot vertical.

The accommodation at Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort is particularly impressive, with some high quality ski-in/ski-out hotels as well as inns and lodges ranging from three to five-star. Families with children and disabled patrons are particularly well provided for here. The hotel bars and restaurants are also top notch and boast extensive menus.

Away from the slopes of Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort, Sadoga Island is a beautiful alternative, with its crystal-clear waters, amazing views and abundance of wildlife, both on land and in the sea. Located in the Niigata Prefecture in the Sea of Japan, Sadoga Island is also host to a couple of important festivals in August.

The ski season at Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort runs from December to April, with quality skiing conditions throughout the year and cheaper ski lift tickets available on weekdays and at the beginning and the end of the season; kids ski free on Sundays, while seniors over 50 years old qualify for discounts. The most convenient way to get here is to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano, from where services run onto Arai Station.

Skiing in Arai Mountain & Spa

One of Japan’s favourite ski destinations, Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort is well known among snowboarders for its quality pistes and amazing off-piste powder, not to mention its extensive ski and entertainment facilities. All levels of skier and snowboarder are catered for at Arai Mountain and access to the resort is straightforward.

There are 11 slopes at Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort that are divided into 30 per cent suitable for beginner skiers, 45 per cent for intermediates and 25 per cent for advanced level sliders, while the extensive off-piste areas will greatly appeal to thrill-seeking snowboarders. The longest slope at Arai Mountain is over three miles and the skiable vertical is over 3,000 feet.

Alternative winter activities at Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort include: moonshine tours that involve a snow bus to the summit; snowmobile night tours; snowshoe trekking; and the Itakura Family Park, with its many children’s activities. Après-ski is provided by the quality hotel restaurants and bars.

Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort has one of the best and most comprehensive resort bases in Asia, with plenty of shopping for skiers and the whole family, top-of-the-range rental outlets, excellent disabled facilities and under-floor heating in the main plaza. Hotels at Arai Mountain & Spa are in line with the quality found at the village and they offer comfortable rooms and good wellness facilities.

Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort’s ski season has its best snow in February and March during the December to April season, while cheaper rates can be found in December and April. Most people take the bullet train to Nagano and another service to Arai, from where shuttles and taxis run to the resort.

Transportation to Arai Mountain & Spa

Located 170 miles to the northwest of Tokyo and 42 miles from Nagano, Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort is directly accessible by road only, yet can be reached by a number of means. Niigata Airport is located nearby, but taking the bullet train to Nagano, from where services run onto Arai Station, is a more favoured option.

If you are driving from Tokyo, you have the choice of taking either the Hokuriku or the Joshinetsu expressway, with a journey time of just over three hours. From Arai, there are sealed roads to the entrance of the resort. From Osaka by road takes a little over five hours.

By train, there are dozens of high-speed bullet train services from Tokyo to Nagano, with a journey time of about 90 minutes. Options from Nagano Station include taking another train to JR Arai Station on the Shinetsu Honsen line (a 1-hour journey) or taking a cheaper shuttle bus, which takes about the same amount of time. Taxis and shuttle buses run to Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort from to JR Arai Station in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Another option is to fly to Niigata Airport from Tokyo or another major Japanese airport. The journey from Tokyo to Arai Mountain & Spa ski resort by air is still 2 hours, so many people choose to enjoy the scenic views and travel by train instead.

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