The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast Sights

Nightlife

1. Happo-one Ski Resort

Hakuba itself is one of Japan's best ski destinations, famous for powder snow, clear weather, and miles of tracks. The Happo-one (one pronounced "oh-ney") resort is the best in town, and hosted several events for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Almost all the runs here are intermediate level, with the rest split between beginner and advanced, the latter including the two runs (Olympic I and Olympic II) that were used in 1998 for the men's and women's downhill events. Japan's first parallel jumping hills were also constructed here with critical points of 393 feet and 295 feet, and each has a scaffold structure for the in-run and landing slope. All runs deliver breathtaking views if the mist doesn't roll in. Happo-one also has some great summer hiking, though the high elevation means that even in summer a sweater or light jacket may be needed. You can reach the hiking area via three connecting gondolas, collectively called the Happo Alpen Line (five minutes to Happo Gondola Station, then eight minutes to Usagidaira, then an additional 10 minutes by alpine lift). From here the jewel-like Happo Pond is a 6-km (4-mile) hike. For more-ambitious hikers, three more hours gets you to the top of Mt. Karamatsu-dake. To get from the center of town to Happo-one, it's a five-minute, 3-km (2-mile) bus ride from Hakuba to Happo Information Center, and then a 15-minute walk through the resort of Swiss-like chalets and hotels to the gondola station. Facilities: 13 trails, 494 acres; 3,513-foot vertical drop; 22 lifts