Onikoube

[[Image:|120px|center]]
[[Image:|250px|center]]
Resort Summary
Resort Name	Onikoube
Location	Miyagi
Resort Altitude
Winter Season
Terrain	Overall: Beginner: Intermediate: Advanced:
Lift System
Highest Lift
Lowest Lift
Vertical
Longest Run
Avg Snowfall
Terrain Parks
Snow Sports
Facilities
Nearest Town	Naruko Onsen
Lift Pass
Adult 5 Day	$
Adult 1 Day	$
Child 5 Day	$
Child 1 Day	$

Overview 

Small friendly resort and a little out of the way so will be quite uncrowded during the week. Seems to be few restrictions on off piste skiing, so would be a greta place to hit mid week on a powder day.

Location

Miyagi prefecture, about 40 mins by bus from Naruko Onsen.

Pros

Freindly area, uncrowded, few restrictions on skiing in trees, offpiste.

Cons

Rather odd bus timetable, old lift infrastructure.

Contacts

Phone:

Fax:

Postal: PLEASE EDIT

Planning

Getting There

From Tokyo the Tohoku Shinkansen line to Furukawa (approx 2.5 hrs or 13mins from Sendai), then Banetsu line to Naruko Onsen (43 mins). These run about once an hours. There is then a shuttle bus from outside Naruko Onsen station (Y740 each way) which stops at the base of the ski area and continues to the pension village. The timetable though is rather odd with a large gap in the morning. Buses leave Naruko Onsen station (2010) at 07:28, 11:05, 12:20, 14:20, 16:10 & 18:10 and return at 08:00, 09:05, 13:10, 14:45, 16:15 & 17:40. There is quite nice gorge scenery on the drive up.

Accommodation

On Mountain

There is the hotel Onikoube at the base of the lifts but a few minutes walk from the bus stop. Presumably the hotel would provide a pickup service. There is a small pension village a bit up the road a few minutes walk from the resort but the bus does go there. The resort website has details on these (in japanese).

Off Mountain

Naruko Onsen is a well know onsen resort town, so has some fairly expensive hotels near the station. There is a nice Ryokan nearby (http://www.yusaya.co.jp) still not cheap but better value than the hotels. Cheaper options are further from the station. Otherwise you could probably get a cheaper business hotel in Furukawa and catch the local train. You could also do a day trip from Sendai, which presumably quite a few people would do on the weekend.

Lift Tickets

(2010) Day pass Y3500, 5 hour pass Y3000. Would expect you would get a discount price if you are staying at one of the pensions.

Ski School

Yes

Equipment Hire

Yes

Resort Facilities

Parking

Car park at resort base

Activities

EDIT ACTIVITY 

As the name suggests Naruko Onsen is an onsen town, so there are plenty you can check out.

Dining

For lunch there is a small cafe by the top lift and a large cafeteria at the base. Dinner would normally be at the pension or hotel you are staying at.

Bars & Entertainment

Possibly in Naruko Onsen.

Shopping

Naruko Onsen like Zao Onsen is famous for Kokeshi - carved wooden dolls. There are stores all over town and some where you can watch them being made. There is also a local brewery which makes a blueberry beer.

Children

PLEASE EDIT

Ride Guide

The runs here are numbered 1-8 generally top to bottom, left to right, with no 1 being the top lift. They are served by 6 double chairlifts.

Beginner Areas

Lower area - runs 4-8.

Groomed Runs

Most runs wil be groomed. The lower slopes are somewhat wider.

Off Piste

There seem to be few restrictions on off piste. A few good spots under the top chair (no. 1) and in the trees and also alongside no. 2 lift.

Out of Bounds

PLEASE EDIT

Cross Country

No

Parks & Pipes

No

Bumps

Most likely on run no. 2 which is one of the steeper runs.

Powder Zones

The higher areas - runs 1 & 2

Sheltered Runs

PLEASE EDIT

Snowplay

PLEASE EDIT

Other

Weather

PLEASE EDIT

Geography

PLEASE EDIT

History

PLEASE EDIT

Resources

[1] Resort site

[2] Snowjapan entry

Maps

PLEASE EDIT