Norikura was a complete surprise package. We always thought it was a dinky little Hakuba ski resort and not worth visiting considering that you can ski at the much better Cortina next door. However one of the major attractions is that everyone else thinks the same thing, so not many powder hounds venture over to Norikura. We visited just after New Years’ which along with CNY is absolute peak period, yet it felt like barely anyone was there. It hadn’t snowed for a day or so, yet we had fresh line after line (OK perhaps we inadvertently strayed into a few of the out-of-bounds zones??!).
We stayed at the Hakuba Alps Hotel (you can see our review of the Hakuba Alps Hotel) and it was quite refreshing after having stayed in other parts of Hakuba the week prior. The whole place felt like how Japan skiing was a decade or so ago. All the staff at the hotel, lifts and cafeteria were Japanese, and not that many people spoke English. It was great to see that the real Japan was still alive and well in Hakuba!
If you’ve become accustomed to the westernised Japanese ski resorts and fancy modern apartment accommodation, bars, international ski school, gondolas and fast lifts, Norikura might not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for a low-key, Japanese flavoured inexpensive holiday, then it’s worth checking out Norikura.
More on our thoughts on the pros and cons of Norikura are outlined on the Hakuba Norikura overview page.