The outbound trip was on the “Tanigawa 471” departing Tokyo at 7:36 AM. Round trip Shinkansen tickets could be upgraded to reserved seats for just 200 yen per leg, but due to boarding at Tokyo Station and uncertain return times, unreserved seats were chosen.
On this day, cars 1 to 4 of the 12-car E7 series were unreserved. Arriving at the platform around 7:15 AM, there was already a decent line for the unreserved seats. Though crowded with college students on spring break, getting a seat seemed likely from Tokyo Station.
As expected for a weekday morning train, there was commuter demand, and from Omiya Station, some passengers stood in the aisle. Most got off at Honjo-Waseda Station.
Arrived at Echigo-Yuzawa Station at 8:58 AM. The platform was crowded with skiers and snowboarders, suddenly giving it a rush-hour feel.
Shuttle buses to various ski resorts operate from the station. The bus to Kandatsu Snow Resort runs about every 20 minutes (weekday schedule) and is free. Managed to get on the 9:05 AM bus. As expected, the shuttle bus was also “packed,” so heading to the shuttle bus stop immediately upon arriving is recommended.
From there, it took less than two hours after departing Tokyo Station to arrive at Kandatsu Snow Resort.
After showing the QR code voucher at the counter and receiving the lift ticket, I borrowed a complete snowboard set and immediately hit the slopes.
All that was left was to continuously ride the lifts and silently ski down the courses, ignoring the exuberantly young college students at the sides.
Winter sports are both “physical education” and “training” (personal opinion).
▲The letter monument of “#KSR,” representing Kandatsu Snow Resort. College students, both male and female, were joyously taking selfies. The author, too, wished to be there with Minami Hamabe or Mio Imada.
Although not the largest, Kandatsu Snow Resort was surprisingly well-equipped. Inside the center house, there was a spacious public bath that could accommodate 400 people (not a hot spring, additional fee required) and a sauna. It was perfect for soothing the mind and body after a day of continuous “training.” The return trip was on the last shuttle bus leaving at 5:55 PM.
▲Stopping by “CoCoLo Yuzawa・Gangidori” and “Ponshu-kan” inside Echigo-Yuzawa Station before heading home is also recommended
Had a drink in front of Echigo-Yuzawa Station and then took the “Toki 346” at 8:28 PM for the return trip. Originally planned to have another drink on board, but I woke up near Omiya. The Shinkansen indeed is fast.
Thus, considering everything, the JR SKISKI campaign product is impossibly cheap. Although the marketing strategy, with a focus on social media, suggests young people as its main target, anyone can use it (as long as they have the physical strength). The cheap plans are only available on weekdays, so it may not be something one can frequently use. However, it comes highly recommended not just for those who used to rule the slopes, but also for anyone looking for something new to start. Be prepared to be sore all over the next day.
▲Deciding on a whim to go for a change of scenery isn’t too bad. Even going once a week only costs around 50,000 yen a month.
Notice
This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
