{"id":17361,"date":"2023-04-06T09:34:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T07:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog?p=17361"},"modified":"2024-05-17T11:40:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T09:40:54","slug":"gala-yuzawa-shinkansen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/gala-yuzawa-shinkansen","title":{"rendered":"Gala Yuzawa, the ski resort connected from Tokyo by bullet train"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gala Yuzawa is one of the most popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/skiing-snowboarding-japan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ski and snowboarding resorts in Japan<\/a>. This is partly because it\u2019s the easiest to reach from Tokyo with its <strong>convenient bullet train access.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Located in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/niigata-travel-guide\">Niigata<\/a> Prefecture, <strong>Gala Yuzawa is known for its heavy snowfall<\/strong> and excellent powder snow. It\u2019s a great destination if you want to ski or snowboard while in Japan in the winter.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_white no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#How_to_get_to_Gala_Yuzawa_by_Shinkansen\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> How to get to Gala Yuzawa by Shinkansen<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Arriving_via_shuttle_bus\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.1<\/span> Arriving via shuttle bus<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Why_Gala_Yuzawa_is_so_popular\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> Why Gala Yuzawa is so popular<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Features_of_Gala_Yuzawa\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Features of Gala Yuzawa<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_get_to_Gala_Yuzawa_by_Shinkansen\">How to get to Gala Yuzawa by Shinkansen<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gala Yuzawa is <strong>located around 166km from Tokyo<\/strong> (approximately 91.8 km by road).<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to reach by Shinksan bullet train from the capital. The ride from <strong>Tokyo to Gala Yuzawa<\/strong> is fully covered by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JR Pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n            <a class=\"fasc-button banner-button-shortcode fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-after fa-chevron-circle-right fasc-style-bold\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/the-japan-rail-pass\">\n                Buy your JR Pass\n            <\/a>\n        <\/p>\n<p>Gala Yuzawa is unique among Japan\u2019s ski resorts, as it has its very own Shinkansen <strong>station directly connected to the ski center<\/strong>. It\u2019s just a stone\u2019s throw away from the slopes.<\/p>\n<p>To arrive right in the heart of the resort, simply take the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/joetsu-shinkansen-jr-pass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joetsu Shinkansen<\/a> Tanigawa service directly to Gala Yuzawa from Tokyo Station. There are around 12 daily services and the ride <strong>takes as little as 75 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can also take the Joetsu Shinkansen Tanigawa service if you&#8217;re coming from <strong>Saitama (1 hour) or Takasaki (30 mins)<\/strong>. These services to Echigo Yuzawa run every hour.<\/p>\n<p>Like the T\u014dhoku Shinkansen and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/hokkaido-shinkansen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hokkaid\u014d Shinkansen,<\/a> the Joetsu Shinkansen is operated by JR East.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m28!1m12!1m3!1d823004.7819565402!2d138.72925819887894!3d36.31564279608737!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m13!3e3!4m5!1s0x60188bfbd89f700b%3A0x277c49ba34ed38!2sTokyo%20Station%2C%201%20Chome%20Marunouchi%2C%20Chiyoda%20City%2C%20Tokyo%20100-0005%2C%20Japan!3m2!1d35.6812362!2d139.7671248!4m5!1s0x601e02029e6f8567%3A0x7bf7b65f0272e5ae!2sGALA%20Yuzawa%20Snow%20Resort%2C%201039-2%20Yuzawa%2C%20Minamiuonuma%20District%2C%20Niigata%20949-6101%2C%20Japan!3m2!1d36.950731999999995!2d138.79954!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1680510971515!5m2!1sen!2sus\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Arriving_via_shuttle_bus\">Arriving via shuttle bus<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not all Joetsu Shinkansen trains stop at Gala Yuzawa. You should be aware that Toki services on this line do not stop at the resort.<\/p>\n<p>However, another option is to <strong>take the Toki service to Echigo Yuzawa Station<\/strong>, the main station in Yuzawa city.<\/p>\n<p>You can then take a free shuttle bus to Gala Yuzawa resort from outside the East Exit of Echigo Yuzawa station. The <strong>bus ride takes less than 5 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Why_Gala_Yuzawa_is_so_popular\">Why Gala Yuzawa is so popular<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Since opening in 1990, Gala Yuzawa has been extremely popular for winter sports enthusiasts looking for <strong>a day or weekend trip from Tokyo.<\/strong> This is because it\u2019s one of the best ski resorts near Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also <strong>interconnected with other nearby ski resorts<\/strong> such as Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama. You can also easily reach both by taking a shuttle bus from Echigo Yuzawa Station.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is worth mentioning that while it is easy to access from Tokyo to Gala Yuzawa can be extremely <strong>busy on weekends and holidays<\/strong>. This is especially true <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/snow-season-japan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">when the snow is good<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Features_of_Gala_Yuzawa\">Features of Gala Yuzawa<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This medium-sized, well-equipped resort is a great spot for skiing and snowboarding in Japan. It <strong>offers over 33.8 km of slopes<\/strong> for all levels (including 2.5 km downhill course.).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/gala-yuzawa-ski-resort.jpg\" alt=\"Gala Yuzawa ski resort\" width=\"720\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/gala-yuzawa-ski-resort.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/gala-yuzawa-ski-resort-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Gala Yuzawa is <strong>divided into three main areas<\/strong>, the Central Area, Southern Area and Northern Area (connected to Yuzawa Kogen). The slopes are suited to beginners and intermediates, with gentler slopes in the Central Area and expert options in the other two.<\/p>\n<p>Gala Yuzawa has heaps of other fun features. There\u2019s a <strong>snow park, sledding slopes<\/strong>, and the Bell of Love observation deck, where you can enjoy a stunning panorama of the surrounding mountains.<\/p>\n<p>There are also a number of <strong>ski and snowboard schools<\/strong> in Gala Yuzawa. These offer lessons in either Japanese or English and are led by experienced instructors who know the slopes well.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re looking to hit the slopes, take in the views or enjoy some local culture, Gala Yuzawa has something for everyone! Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/gala.co.jp\/winter\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resort\u2019s official website<\/a> for more detailed information!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gala Yuzawa is one of the most popular ski and snowboarding resorts in Japan. This is partly because it\u2019s the easiest to reach from Tokyo with its convenient bullet train access. Located in Niigata Prefecture, Gala Yuzawa is known for its heavy snowfall and excellent powder snow. It\u2019s a great destination if you want to ski or snowboard while in Japan in the winter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":17458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[92],"tags":[],"acf":{"bread_1":false,"bread_2":false,"bread_3":false,"bread_4":false,"bread_5":false,"bread_6":false,"bread_7":false,"bread_last":false,"custom_guide":"","pageresume":"Gala Yuzawa is a popular Japanese ski resort directly connected to Tokyo Station by bullet train. 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