Kei Ling WakeBoard Club

8th day-the last day of our tour, we have to wake up from our dream, I can say that Niigata Prefecture is a ideal place to live in, she have 12,583 km sq. area and population just 2.4 millions something, compare with us, the population in Hong Kong is almost 8 millions, and the area just 1,054 km sq., in Niigata trees more than people and in Hong Kong buildings more than trees, I really love Niigata Prefecture, it’s a nice city without pressure, especially enjoying the hot spring after snowboarding a day, wooooh! No matter how rich you are, you don’t come and you will never know how fascinated she is.

Chris Wong

Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

7th day of the tour, we take a shuttle bus from Alp Resort Hotel to Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort, it just need 20 mins. time. The resort have 4 lefts and 6 big and wide tracks, besides there was a very big park, inside the park, there are a lot of sliders and ramps for difference level skiers and snowboarders.

Although the temperature is around +4-5 degrees C, the snow condition is prefect, a heavy snowing since last night till now, I can see the falling snow individually, the humidity is quite dry and no wind today, so it’s the dreaming condition for all snowboarders………amazing. This kind of condition I just found once when I was in Niseko, Hokkaido few years before, but I remember there was too windy that time.  I’m too lucky to snowboarding here, it must have more and more people here to enjoy their vacation, hope you all have the good weather during your trip at Niigata.

Benny and me have to return our real world-Hong Kong  tmr, as a most lucky winner from Hong Kong area,  we must say thank you again to the Organizes :  Niigata Prefecture International Tourism Promotion Council, if not having there well arrangements and planning, we must miss some sights in Niigata Prefecture, we’ll never found such a beautiful place like a heaven, not only the snow, hot springs, food, hotels, sakes…….the people here are also nice and helpful, I’m highly recommend Niigata as your next tour and you can have the same feeling as me.

I have to crazy snowboarding again, the lovely snow is waiting for me………my friends please come and enjoy with me, don’t let me alone ^_^

Chris Wong

Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

6th day, we snowboarding at Myoko Akakura Snow Area, only a few mins. walking from our hotel. There are total 23 lefts, the longest left is 2,607 meters, and highest level is more than +1,800 meters.

The temperature today is +5 degree Celsius, weather is quite warm, and through whole night raining, no more snow on the trees. Luckily, after our first round the rain become stop, the condition of the snow still very good, no melt down found around the tracks, this is the first raining since me snowboarding in Japan. The Akakura snow area is big enough for us to spend  a day. But after our lunch in the restaurant there,  we start move to the next site Negibozu Nature School. The owner of the School-Oya Kaoru San  drives her car to pick us up, after few mins. driving we arrival the school.

According to Oya Kaoru, Benny and me should be the first two Hong Kong people she meet in her school, what? We’re the number one?? Why??? Maybe it’s not difficult to understand, I never heard any about from friends, Hong Kong’s TV,   magazines  or newspapers. Let’s have an experience of snowy country here, not only at the snow areas.

Oya San starting to introduce her school and what we’ll go after the briefing, she show us the ski equipment because we have to use those ski to slide on the snow, without it, no one able to walk above the one meter depth snow. Not like the traditional ski, their heels are in the free position, which means you can remain you heels free while “walking”, this is one of the items in Winter Olympic Games “Cross-Country Ski”. The other way for us to walk on the snow are “Big-foot”, we need to put on our boots and then insert to the big-foot, tighten up all the strips, fixed it……….let’s go  to exploration.

We try the ski first, it’s easier to control than the normal one, after few mins. walking I can control it and slide a bit, I use to play snowboarding before, this is my first time try the skiing. We walked half hour, now only snow and trees there, it look like a snow ocean and we are floating on, in the meantime, we found  some guys practising along the track, I shouted GO GO GO Japan! Then Oya San say I can try it on, woooooh! It’s fun I sliding on the track, then all we guys high tea on the snow table and seat……….amazing experience here……….what a lovely snowy country ^_^

Chris Wong

Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

5th day of the tour, everything going smooth, I have to special thanks to the organizer of this tour-Japan Railway, and the representative Okamoto San, he’s come from JR West Japan Communications Company, not even the hotels, sites seeing, actives, meals, equipments rental and too many, he make everything well and on our schedule. It’s very important job for him because we will change our hotel everyday, we have to take the bus and JR, once we can’t catch the bus or JR on time we’ll lost a lot of time in waiting, besides he let us know many many Japanese’s culture, so, Okamoto San good job, your company must be proud of you, thanks.

Also the Yuzawa Town tourist Association-Nahoko San, she guided us around and gives us a lot of useful information about Niigata Prefecture. In our tour, there are three English translators, first day is Kawabata San, second day is Marco, and the third day to the end of our tour is Morisa San, we have to special thanks to Morisa, because she not only doing the translation job but snowboard together with us, explain everything and help us to solve all the problems we meet, Benny and me now general salute……..salute, many thanks.

After a Japan style breakfast, we go out and have a walk around, the sun just rising up and the sun beam kissing our faces through the trees from the mountain, few mins. walking we reached the original of the hot spring water in this area, but the snow is too much around and we can’t go closer, just have a look behind, steam can out from the well, we find the power of the nature.

Our first location today is Echingo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science, it only need ten mins. time from the hotel by a van, the out look of the museum like a military base, because the premises is made by iron plates outside and no any painting on the surface, so, all the iron plates were rusty………look the picture, is it cool ^_^They have a platform on the top of the museum, but there’re no lift, you have to walk up 160 steps there, and you’ll have a excellent view around Matsunoyama. I found the specimen of the butterflies, it have almost a  thousand kinds there, look pretty nice. 

Then we go to the Northeast Asia Art Village, where location at the southern end of Niigata Prefecture, they have the world’s largest international art festival in the Echigo-Tsumari region, total area of the art village is 760 square km, more than 150 artist come from all over the world, except the very creative articles from the artists, and you can also find the traditional village cultures, like some straw works-the village people made it to pray for more harvest or child, after their pray they will burn it away, all the straw works are not for photo (only the straw elephant), so, if you get interest on those creative articles, come and have a look yourself.

During one and a half hour time from Matsudai Station (Hoku-hoku line) to Myoko Station. We reach the Furuya Hotel-a famous Japanese spa inn at Myoko Kogen area. They have both hot spring at indoor and outdoor, though one day trip from the morning, it’s the time to relax, Onsen (spa) we are coming ^_^……..sweet dreaming.

Chris Wong

Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

4th day, time goes by so fast, once you find happy, the time is always faster, today we stay at Naeba until afternoon, yes! snowboard again ^_^ Please see it the snow is so deep this morning because of a big snowing since last night, it is non-stop until now, everything is covered by the snow, only 3 days can feel the all 3 difference conditions, what’s amazing! Although I like snowing, but it’s quite hard to slide, that’s because the nose of the board will sink easy, there are some places at the track I found the depth of the snow almost come to my knees, in my past experience I have one time at Hokkaido 3 or 4 years before only, it’s so funny that you can’t see you board when you sliding down, hahaha i love it much.  

Like the day before, we have lunch inside the hotel’s restaurant,  Japanese food also in another one, today i choice “Curry Pork Udon, i need hot……so cold outside >-<

After the lunch, we play few more rounds and Benny San is able to slide by himself, he just fall down once……good job Benny ! Nicnic, you don’t need to worry about him because I’m his second coach. Then we go to have a change and pack our luggage, starting go to the next location-sake factory.

The factory is one of the 96 factories in Niigata Perfecture, they have various kind of sake exporting to worldwide including Hong Kong, the factory’s manager request us to change their protection cloths and bring us in to the factory, guys please take a look to the pic, is Benny and Morisa San seem so cute…….Benny San, your shower cap is nice ^_^, after the visiting now we understand how the rice becomes a bottle of sake, very interesting and know that no good rice no good sake, next time if i buy sake at Hong Kong, i must choose the one from Niigata.

Tonight, we stay at  “Hinanoyado CHITOSE”  a hot spring hotel, i enjoy hot spring very much, coz i found it’s the most relaxation and easy way for me, especially the outdoor one, cold air maybe sometimes will have snow falling down, it’s a magic mix  and fantasy.

We take local tran (Hoku-hokuline)  from Echigo-Yuzawa and the destination is Matsudai, one hour later we arrival the station and the van from the hotel was there, 20 mins driving we’re at the Chitose hotel, my heart biting faster and faster, the hotel is so nice wooooh, the owner and the staff come out to welcome us, they’re so kind and smile all the time.

Why i don’t know this place before? I’m asking myself, it must have Hong Kong people came here before, maybe they’re too selfish to let us know! After i check up their outdoor hot spring, i have to tell all you guys, don’t miss it, really don’t and never miss it or you’ll regret in the rest of your life, cause when you go inside the hotel you’re easy to found all the details of the decorations, lighting, furniture, pictures and etc, they must spend a lot of time and heart on it, thanks god to bring me here, i think here is the best place for honeymoon………..now I’m thinking of my darling Gigi, i do hope she can get marry with me and spend our honeymoon here, coz this hotel has a private hot spring room, it’s nice too and can be only us.

 GIGI PLEASE MARRY ME, I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER, LET ‘S HOT SPRING HERE, YOU MUST ENJOY, PLEASE SAY I DO ^_^ YOU LOVE CHUCHU

Chris Wong

Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

3rd day of our tour, we leave our hotel at 9:30 am then go to Echigo Yuzawa JR station by shuttle bus, after changed another bus in that station, we reached Naeba Prince Hotel just in 30 mins. time. It’s look such a very big guy standing in the snow mountain, the hotel have total 6 blocks and linked together, the older block was established since year 1962. I think almost all the skier and snowboarder in Hong Kong will know about Prince Hotel, because they have a lot of difference hotels in Japan’s snow resorts.

After my partner Benny san and the NHK crew members rent the ski equipment in the hotel, we start to go out. Benny having a ski lesson by instructor Rachel-a lady who come from England, the NHK crew recording them, and our translator Morisa san snowboarding with me, we take the gondola lift to the top the mountain- Takenokoyama, height 1,789m, looking from there, the city become very tiny, and I found Niigata is surrounding by many mountains, so, I feel there are not much wind during the passed few days. The temperature today is -1C degree without sun shine, after taking some pictures, we jumped down from the top, unbelievable, the condition of the snow was much better then yesterday, I found the powder snow was dry powder, it won’t sticking the board, so, I can go much faster………watch out I’m coming down.

We tried some other tracks and found the people there were not that much, I think the reason for today is Monday, normally there will less people during weekday, we didn’t need to wait for the lifts, so, we can play more turns then.

Then all we having Japanese food at the hotel restaurant, there are many other choice such as pizzeria, noodle, Chinese dishes, BBQ and etc, it’s much better than a lot of other resorts.

After the delicious meal we go to snowboard and ski again, the condition of the snow remains great; maybe I can say it even better than the best day when I snowboarding in the Hokkaido area, it’s really an unforgettable ride. At last the NHK report interviewing me and ask compare with other ski resorts like Nagano and Hokkaido, what the difference in between? Feeling good or not? My answer is simple, I found it the traveling time is much shorter that to Hokkaido from Hong Kong, because there are few direct flights to Tokyo each day from Hong Kong, but not everyday to Hokkaido, and if taking the JR from the Narita Airport to Nagano and Naeba, both of them have to change bus from the station, Nagano more than a hour and Naeba just 40 mins. only. In Naeba, there are many shops, restaurants and even the ski/snowboard can be rent inside the hotel, you no need to go anywhere, just do everything in the hotel. My feeling here is very comfortable, the facilities and room are nice, the environment is excellence, blue sky clean air, white snow everywhere, it’s amazing to all of us in Hong Kong, Naeba is really a nice place in Niigata Prefecture , no skiers and snowboarders can miss it. After the interview I surf down the track and the camera man following my back, he’s cool because even he have to holding the big video cam, the speed even faster than me…….a little bet, I’m too shy.

Dinner we also having at the Prince Hotel, a Japanese BBQ restaurant, what I can say is WONDERFUL.

Goodnights guys! I’m going to sweet dream.

Chris Wong
Wakeboard coach from HKWSA

7:30 AM we having breakfast at the hotel then packing everything inside our rooms, prepare the

snowboarding equipment as well, we must did it before 9:00 AM, because NHK ( “Nippon

Hoso Kyokai” from Japan Broadcasting Corporation) will come to our hotel for interview our

tour in Niigata.

They arrival a bite earlier, there are reporter, cameraman, sound recorderman total 3 guys,

beside, a pretty lady Nahoko San come together with the NHK crew member, she’s the chief

 from the YUZAWA TOWN TOURIST ASSOCIATION, after Nahoko san give us some

useful catalogues, leaflets and detailed briefing about Niigata, then all guys leave the hotel

and starting  the recording.

First station we go to mini hot  spring for foot, there are some  along the main street, it’s so

nice for us to relax after snowboarding or maybe after one day shopping, and also it’s free

of charge, just behind this hot spring there is a little museum where showing some very old

car and bus, one of them is a  bus made by Isuzu at 1960 years, that bus still have a good

condition and can be run still.  Inside we found some very old school toys, washing machines,

posters, etc, it’s so funny and please don’t miss it when anyone come around here.

After the visit we go to the shopping mall where located at the Echigo-Yuzawa JR station, this

mall just renewal about 6 months ago, there are many shops including food court, gifts shop,

and one shop is crowed with people, all of them holding a small cup on hand, it’s a sake shop,

they allow the customers to taste difference kind of sakes and it just need 100 yen for each try

by machine, there are over 100 sakes you can try, the shop have a popular ranking list near the entrance, it’ll change

every month, I follow the list to taste all the top five………woooooh, it’s really nice……..but i’m going to drunk @_@.

Niigata is very famous in production rice, so, best rice best sake everybody will agree with,

there are total 96 sake

factories in Niigata, it must have one kind you’ll love it.

It’s time to lunch, all we having meal in a shusi shop there, this’s not a normal shusi shop, they

 mainly selling “Shusi Ball”, and the ball have difference size, i found the medium one can

enough for a adult……..see my ball.

The meal finised we are going to the snowmobile school located at Yuzawa Central Park,

it’s one of the five snowmobile school in Japan, normally you can get the licence after 2

hours training by the instructors there. I get my motor bike licence when I was 18 years old,

and I also have the jetski licence, it’s really a good chance for me to try this. After the briefing

 by the instructor about the bike and show us how to operate it, we begin to drive by ourself

in a beginner court, it just take five minutes I found I can handle it easy. Then we go to the

main court and the area there is same as a football court, at last I drive really fast even go up

and down the small slope, it’s really fun and exciting, those 30 mins. trying just cost around

HKD260, if you don’t try this you must regret.

 The last station today is our main aim here-snowboarding,  we go to GALA Yuzawa Snow

Resort-one of the biggest resort in Niigata, it cover more then ten tracks and the highest point

 is 1,180 meters from the sea lever, the condition today is amazing, not only the powder

snow, temperature -4 C degree and also the clear blue sky with sunshine, everything is so

nice………I’m loving it.

Dinner the same, Japanese restaurant, eating a lot because the food are really good and I have

found out something about why the seafood are taste so good………Niigata is behind the

sea……..so, the seafood are fresh, is it sample? Just take a look and

you must understand!

At night we are living in a first-class hotel, The Naspa New Otani

 Hotel. The room is almost biggest then my home, and what i like most is thier hot spring………it’s really nice, they have some Jacuzzi inside……….what a relaxation. ^_^

Chris Wong

Wakeboard Coach of HKWSA

3 hours and a half from Hong Kong to Narita Airport, then we take JR-Shikensen to Niigata, after a station change at Ueno we arrival at 1900h+, total spending 3 hour something on JR, the time is almost the same to Nagano.

After such a long travelling all we feel very hungry, so we having dinner in a Japanese resturant, no need to say the
taste is much better and price is much cheaper then Hong Kong, just take a look to the pictures yourself……..OESI

Chris Wong

Wakeboard Coach from HKWSA

123 let’s go, at 23 Jan morning will take an earlier CX flight to Narita airport, and then will go to Niigata by Japan Railway-JR. I have been playing snowboard in Japan since 10 years ago, if go to Nagano we will get a coach, and will hire a SUV when snowboarding in Hokkaido.
This time only my friend and I, we decide to take the JR, we believe that it’s more convenience and cost effective way there.
Niigata is quite strange to Hong Kong people, because not much snowboarders have been visit there, what I found out just one of my friends tried once few years before. This tour we’ll spend half day in the mountain and the rest time we will go to hot springs, travel around and try the Japanese dishes.

Will let you guys know what I explore there, and keeping you update my blog and upload all the nice pictures………keep watching ^_^

Chris Wong
Wakeboard Coach of HKWSA

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