The Shinkansen stops inside GALA Yuzawa's ski centre — 77 minutes from Tokyo by the resort's own count. What last season's calendar, prices and non-skier tickets tell you before the 2026-27 details appear.
Sasagawa Nagare in Murakami, Niigata is an 11 km stretch of wave-carved Sea of Japan coast. A guide to the ~40-minute pleasure cruise (about ¥1,200, late March–mid November), the coastal drive on Route 345, reaching it by train via Kuwagawa Station, and where to stay in Murakami and Senami Onsen.
Field notes, weekly
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Nearly every image on Hidden Japan Gems was photographed by me on a Sony α7 across five years of walking Japan; a few licensed photos fill the gaps. Please don't re-use my photos without permission — reach out if you'd like to.
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