The Grandeco Resort in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture is about three hours from Tokyo, making it a perfect weekend ski destination for almost all of Japan. It’s one of the biggest and most popular ski resorts in the Tohoku area. The ample snowfall around Mt. Bandai allows for skiing from late November to early May, but the Grandeco Resort is popular all year round. It’s divided into “Green Season” and “Ski Season.” The Green Season includes hiking, canoeing, cruises and more.

Chris Broad of the Abroad in Japan YouTube channel began his adventures in the Ski Season with a few hours of skiing after riding the lift 1,400 meters up into the sky. Be careful of the snow monkeys!

After a few hours of skiing, Chris and Ryotaro stopped to refuel for lunch and you may also want to leave some time before moving on to the next adventure… which is an exhilarating ride in an inflatable raft that’s being pulled by a snow mobile! Take in all of the sights and enjoy the ride because the only thing you have to focus on is holding on.

Next, move into the driver’s seat and try your hand at riding a snow mobile.

The next day, you can enjoy breakfast at an all-you-can-eat buffet at the resort known in Japanese as baiking – a nod to Swedish buffets enjoyed by Vikings. It’s a great chance to enjoy a Japanese-style breakfast or mix it with more of the western-style foods. The Grandeco is also host to several different restaurants.

You can make your way out to a giant frozen lake dotted with tiny little huts and tents. Some of them are heated, which makes for a comfortable ice fishing experience. The holes in the ice are about forty centimeters deep and you can catch wakasagi (Japanese pond smelt). Don’t worry, if the fish aren’t biting for a sufficient catch, there’s a restaurant nearby where you can enjoy plenty of deep fried wakasagi.

For more information about the resort, please refer to their English website which can be found here. Be sure to check out Chris Broad’s video!