In winter, this gorgeous alpine village is the perfect place to explore snowy mountains, suck down ramen and soak your bones in traditional onsens, perhaps even in the company of the odd monkey. In summer, it’s just as great — a bottle-green wonderland where you can hike your arse off, swim in snow-fed lakes and run through fields of wildflowers yodelling at the top of your lungs.
A key advantage of the region is flexibility: the main village is nestled in the middle of the valley, surrounded by half a dozen major mountains each with their own network of lifts: 135, to be precise, scattered across nine resorts. Happo-One (pronounced oh-ne, not one) is the biggest and most popular with a variety of runs over 26 lifts, Cortina has the biggest snowfall each season and Hakuba 47 boasts a first-class terrain park.
On a clear day, each offers a stunning view of the valley that is difficult to ignore. During snow season, going off-piste is where you’ll find the untouched terrain, but be careful, because while some resorts are stricter than others, you’ve got a good chance of losing your lift pass if you get caught.
Shit to Do
Hakuba: Climb Shirouma-dake (or Hang in the Carpark)
Get There: Drive to the end of Route 322 and park in the carpark — about 20 minutes from…Hakuba: Hike Karamatu-Dake
Get There: From Happo Bus Terminal, walk to the base of the Adam Gondola. A round trip on the…Hakuba: Lake Aoki
Get There: Lake Aoki is about a 15-minute drive from central Hakuba — it’s the first of a trio…Hakuba: The Pub
Get There: 4683-2 Hokujo. It’s on the way to Sakka base, across the road from Rhythm SnowSports. This…Hakuba: Bathe in an Onsen
Get There: There are plenty sprawled around the village, both in hotels and run separately. Cost: Entry usually…Hakuba: Sammy’s Kitchen
Get There: Midway down Hakuba Mountain, just up from the gondola station. Glide down the mountain, through the…
Hobo Tips
Hakuba: Where to Eat
After a long day on the mountain, there’s a certain relief when you get back into your dry…Hakuba: Lift Passes
Many hostels and hotels offer packages that include lift passes, equipment hire, meals and more, but you can…Hakuba: Getting Around
It’s a 10 minute walk to town if you’ve set up anywhere within the main village. You can…Hakuba: Where to Stay
As my companion and I were tagging along with an Australian university group for part of our stay,…Hakuba: Getting There
We made our way from Kyoto, but it’s no hassle to go straight from Tokyo to Hakuba Valley,…