There are very few places in the world where you can fly into a massive metropolitan area of 37 million people, hop on a train, and find yourself shredding world class powder in just 75 minutes, but Japan is definitely one of those places. German ski instructor Marius Quast experienced the incredible efficiency of Japan’s bullet train system on a recent trip, showing off just how easy it can be to ski in Japan.
The bullet train ride in question, from Tokyo to Gala Yuzawa, stretched around 186 miles, but it only took about 75 minutes. Once you arrive at the mountain, the winter-only train station features changing rooms, equipment rentals, and a locker facility, allowing skiers to walk to the ski lift in just a few minutes.
Gala Yuzawa itself has around 20 miles of skiing across 16 runs, with an elevation ranging between 1,260 feet and 3,875 feet. Snow conditions weren’t necessarily ideal when Marius was there, but that’s not very common. Plus the food and drinks on mountain are to die for. With the speed and efficiency of the train, there’s really no reason you can’t stay in Tokyo and travel to the slopes in the morning, turning the city into an enormous ski town.
