Nikko and Nagano in December

[jeresan]

Hi all,
was just wondering...Nikko is well known for their mountains and scenery..yes?
I was wondering if December would be a good time to see them in their glory and all..?
In addition, am thinking of spending Xmas in Nagano..would there be anytime to do there?
As in during Xmas...how's the atmosphere there?
I spent Xmas in Tokyo last year and yah..I guess probably because it isn't that much of a deal in Japan unless you're a Christian.
Am hoping to find somewhere to take in the festive mood, and that's not to mean clubs and pubs..
I am not much of a clubbing sort..
Thanks a great deal for the advice..

[jasonbvr]

Christmas in Japan is mostly a holiday for couples. You will be hard pressed to find anywhere "festive" outside of a shopping district.

That being said, Christmas skiing or snowboarding is excellent since most Japanese people are working that day.

If that is not your thing and you still intend on going to Nagano, check out Matsumoto castle which should have a nice layering of snow on it by then. After that head up to Nozawa Onsen to relax in a hot bath. There is a special winter festival in Nozawa but no idea when it is.

Nikko in the winter should be fantastic. Nikko has huge old growth forests and is littered with temples. All of which would be quite picturesque frosted with a bit of snow. Then head up the mountain to another little town that ends in Onsen for yet another steamy hot bath.

[jeresan]

wow..sounds really beautiful..
so i guess snow would be falling around that season already?
i come from a tropical climate so snow is like a big deal..especially the falling snow flakess..
btw, you mentioned to head up the mountain to another little town? do you happen to know the name of the mountain/town or know of a link which i can research more about?
btw...because of the strength of the yen, i am rather hesitant to spend too much so i just want to check with you, if the onsens/onsen resorts up at nagano or nikko would be expensive?
thanks a great deal.

[uktokyoite]

Gosh yes - snow will be falling! In Nagano you 'll have plenty and the snowboarding/skiing season will be in full swing - it's beautiful. If you go to Nikko, make sure to see the Kagon Waterfall (I think that's the name - anyone correct me if this is wrong). When I went it was completely frozen - you take a lift to the base of the waterfall and there are icicles everywhere - fantastic.

[jasonbvr]

The name of the onsen near Nikko I forget, but if you take the bus up to Kegon Falls that is where the onsen is. Prices, I don't know off the top of my head, but I do recommend Nikko Park Lodge. Run by a Buddhist monk, he offers a full vegetarian dinner at night and morning meditation session.

Ballpark estimate, you could do both for around 50k yen. Transit, not shinkansen, 20k. Four nights stay, 20k. Food, 10k. I am totally guessing too. Any tourist office is going to have pamphlets for Nikko in English. There is one in the base of the Tokyo Metropolitan Offices (Tou-cho in Japanese). Transportation may actually be less if you go round trip by overnight bus. You can get an overnight bus to just about anywhere popular from Shinjuku station.

My recommendation for travel info is japan-guide.com

[jjbeers]

Should be sensational, I am heading to Nozawa for some Snowboarding action from the 21 to the 28th of Dec. My first white christmas .

Matsumoto castle sounds interesting,have also been told to go and check out the snow monkeys!

I belive that they are getting there first sort of light snow/ rain at the moment. The season opens up in approx 16 days time.

Snowboarding and Onsens tis the life for me.

[samokan]

Originally Posted by uktokyoite

Gosh yes - snow will be falling! In Nagano you 'll have plenty and the snowboarding/skiing season will be in full swing - it's beautiful. If you go to Nikko, make sure to see the Kagon Waterfall (I think that's the name - anyone correct me if this is wrong). When I went it was completely frozen - you take a lift to the base of the waterfall and there are icicles everywhere - fantastic.

was that in december or later?

planning to be in nikko at the end of december, since i can't make it this autumn.

any other recommendation for places to see there?

[jasonbvr]

One of the best things about Nikko is the tourism offices located in the train stations. The staff at these offices know practically every hotel and inn in town. There is the special ticket you can buy that pays for all your bus rides and temple entrance fees. It is really the best place you can go in the greater Kanto area for tourism.

Other notable places are Edo-mura and that place with the miniature replicas of the White House, Eiffel tower and so on. There is a ski resort close by too. Honestly if I had to decide to split my time between Nagano and Nikko or just do one, I would go to Nikko.

However it comes down to what you are seeking. Do you want someplace that is packed with history and full of places to run around and see or a vacation to relax and really take in the rugged beauty of Japan? There is a town, once again I forget the name, in southern Nagano that is a true Edo-mura (a town from the Edo period). Aside from electricity and other amenities, many things there remain unchanged. And for the most part Nagano is rural countryside surrounded by the Japanese Alps (deemed such as they have the highest slope grade in Japan around 45 degrees for Hakuba and Happo-One).

If you were really into boarding or skiing, there would be no question. Go to Nagano. But I get the feel you are more interested in something scenic and touristy. You could, or at least I could, spend a week in Nikko and not run out of places to photograph.

[jasonbvr]

By the way, looking at the average snow depth for the resort close to Nikko, they report 40 cm. I would say the end of December would be perfectly alright for getting around on foot and just about perfect layering for photography.

[samokan]

However it comes down to what you are seeking. Do you want someplace that is packed with history and full of places to run around and see or a vacation to relax and really take in the rugged beauty of Japan? There is a town, once again I forget the name, in southern Nagano that is a true Edo-mura (a town from the Edo period).

yes that is exactly what i'm looking for.

I've been to the Edo-mura in Nikko and it was fun, but I have not explore the nature side of the place.

hmm Southern part of Nagano eh.. will look into that.

Thanks for the information