Hakkoda Private Guiding Logistics

Planning an international ski trip can be overwhelming; luckily, you have connections! This page is dedicated to where to meet and how to plan for your Hakkoda private guiding adventure.

• Trip Arrival
• Trip Departure
• Pro Tips
• What to Bring

<

>

Where to Meet

There are three options to meet the guide: 
​

1. Meet at Shin-Aomori Station or AOJ Airport at 4pm
   
2. Meet in the lobby of the Art Hotel in Hirosaki at 5pm (best option for those with a car)

A JST host will meet you on Day One and get you oriented to your hotel. Note that the JST Host is there for the first day only--after that you'll be in the care of our Japanese partner who will guide you on the mountain and drop you off in the evening at your hotel.

Option #1: Meet the group at Shin Aomori Bullet Train Station @ 4pm

Shin Aomori Station is a major train station located on a bullet train line which has direct access to Tokyo Station.

Shin Aomori Station can be reached with a 3 hour high-speed train ride from Tokyo, reaching speeds of 360km/h (200mph) in the process! After arriving at Shin Aomori station, exit the only ticket gates and meet your host in the waiting room directly in front of the exit. See adjacent pictures for a map of Shin Aomori train station, as well as what the exit looks like. 

Trying to figure out what trains to take? Use this route planner here. ​

Option #2: Meet the group at Aomori Airport (AOJ) @ 4:00pm

​

You can also opt to meet the group at Aomori Airport (AOJ). This option is great for international travelers who can make a domestic connection at Tokyo's Haneda (HND) airport and fly directly to AOJ. Aomori Airport also services flights to and from Sapporo (CTS) Airport, as well as international flights from Seoul, Korea and Taipei, Taiwan. 

This airport is tiny so finding your JST host will be no problem. Just come out of the domestic baggage claim and meet your host in the Domestic Arrival Lobby (pictured to the right). If you arrive early and have time time to kill, there is a Tully's cafe, a number of restaurants and a credit card lounge where you can comfortably await your pick up. 

​Option #3: Meet in the lobby of the hotel @ 5:00 pm

Meet in the lobby of the Art Hotel in Hirosaki at 5pm (best option for those with a car)
​

Departing Info

At the end of your trip, we will drop you off at Shin-Aomori Bullet Train Station or AOJ Airport at 4:30pm. From here you can access Tokyo in 3 hours or continue to other ski resort areas like Hakuba, Myoko or points in Hokkaido!

Mailing your luggage

If you're planning on staying in Tokyo before the trip, you can mail your big clunky ski bag directly to the Art Hotel for only ¥3,000 (approx US$22). If you're spending an extra day or two in Japan after the trip, you can mail your ski bag directly to NRT or HND airports.  It only takes 48 hours from the time to mail your bag until the time it's delivered. 

For example:
Arrive into Tokyo two days before the trip at 6pm and mail your bag to the hotel from the airport. Your baggage should arrive at the hotel before 9pm the next day. Before mailing your bag, be sure to confirm with them that it will be delivered by the night of the tour start date.  In Japan, if they promise a delivery time, it'll be there when they say--unless there's a big snow storm that delays things!

Just like that, if you mail your bag you won't have to lug it around Tokyo. It's a big life-saver, very reliable and incredibly reasonable. 

​For more information on mailing bags, checkout this great article about how it's done here. 

Pocket WiFi or Sim Card

Stay connected to friends and family with a pocket Wi-Fi or Sim Card. Whether you need to check in with work or upload to the Gram, we always recommend Sakura Mobile as our provider of choice.  With this service, order the item in advance then return it with prepaid postage from any post box in the country. Click here for Pocket Wi-Fi and here for Sim cards.

Ski related gear
​

• A heavy duty Ski bag/ Snowboard bag with wheels. Unless you add 2 days to your trip at the beginning and end to allow time for mailing your big bags, you'll be hauling your ski bags on the trains once or twice. To be able to move through train stations with minimum hassle, ski bags with wheels are highly recommended. 
  
• Bring your shred sticks! There are no rentals avaialble in this area.
  
• Boots, poles
  
• Shovel, beacon, probe if going off-piste; mandatory for joining guided off-piste tours (available to rent at checkout) 
  
• Goggles, gloves, helmet
• Ski jacket, ski pants
• Long Johns top and bottom
• Ski socks
• Toe warmers (if you struggle with cold feet these are life changing)
  
• Mid-layer insulation (fleece, etc)

General gear​
​

• Compact, compact, compact. Minimize the number of bags you have with a bag that compacts your ski gear. Since you're taking 2 train journeys on this trip (unless you mail your bags), you shouldn't have more than a rolly bag, a ski bag, and a backpack. Anything more (such as a boot bag, helmet bag, laptop bag, etc) will give you trouble as you board and exit trains. Alternatively, consider getting to Japan a day early and mailing your ski bags to our hotel. It only costs ¥3,000 (approx US$22) and is very reliable. At the end of the trip, leave room for two extra days in Tokyo and mail your bags directly from our hotel to the airport! It's a life saver! ​
  
• A day pack. Very useful to bring a change of clothes when we stop by an Onsen Hot Springs on our way back from a day of skiing.
  
• Winter coat. In the ski towns, you can  expect temperatures of -10c  with high humidity
  
• Pants/trousers, T-shirts
• Insulating fleece-type layers
• Underwear, toiletries, socks, sunglasses
• Call your bank before you leave and make sure they know you're going to be purchasing items in Japan using your debit/credit card abroad