Where is Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Japan?
The
Nekoma Mountain Ski Resort sits on the southeast flank as well as the north face (or back face ie Ura-bandai) of Mount Bandai in the
Aizu Region in the Fukushima Prefecture of
Tohoku (ie northern Honshu).
There are two sides to the ski resort and two bases known as South Gate and North Gate. The road across the mountain is closed during winter and the drive around Mt Bandai between the two areas is 31km (40 minutes).
The North Gate is in Kitashiobara and is:
The South Gate is:
- 9km from the little town of Bandai
- 12km from the town of Inawashiro
- 290km north of Tokyo
- 49km northwest of the Koriyama train station
Guided Tour Aizu
If you’re a powder hound and plan to sample a few Aizu ski resorts, the easiest way to explore Hoshino Resorts Nekoma is to visit as part of a
multi-resort tour of the Aizu region. Your guide will drive you to Nekoma and other nearby resorts, and also show you the best powder stashes.
Driving to Nekoma & Around
If you’re not on a tour, you’ll want to have a car because there are negligible shuttle systems to enable you to sample multiple Aizu ski areas without a car.
You can
rent a car at the Koriyama train station (enter Koriyama Fukushima as pick up location).
Where you’re staying may be one factor in your decision making regarding whether to drive to North Gate or South Gate, as will the terrain and amenities. Note that during winter, Route 64 – Gold Line Road that connects the Kitashiobara Village with Bandai town is not open, so you’ll need to drive around via the east side of Mt Bandai if heading to the North Gate. The road coming in on the north side is not particularly good.
The parking lot on the north side is also not well maintained, so it’s pretty rich that they charge for parking on weekends.
Parking on the south side also attracts a fee, unless you park at one of the parking lots further afield.
Buses to Nekoma Aizu
There are various buses that run to Nekoma South Gate from the train stations of Bandaimachi, Koriyama and Aizuwakamatsu, as well as Higashiyama Onsen.
There are a few buses each morning to the north area from the Urabandai Kogen Hotel and the Urabandai Lake Resort. There is also a bus from the Inawashiro train station to the
Urabandai Lake Resort, and you can then get the aforementioned shuttle to Nekoma.
Other Ski Resorts Nearby
Road distances from Nekoma North Gate:
- The little Urabandai Ski Resort is next door to the North Gate of Nekoma and is 6km away by road
- Inawashiro is 22km to the southeast of Nekoma
- Grandeco is 15km to the northeast
- Minowa Snow Park is 30km to the east
Note that whilst Tengendai Kogen in Yamagata Prefecture is reasonably close during summer, Route 2 is closed during winter so it’s a long drive to get there.
Road distances from Nekoma South Gate (formerly Alts Bandai):
- Inawashiro Resort (formerly Grand Sunpia Inawashiro) is just to the east and 7km by road, although the resort hasn’t been operational of late
- Inawashiro Ski Resort is further to the east and 13.5km away by road
- Listel Ski Fantasia is 16km to the east but there’s nothing much to fantasise about with respect to this little low elevation ski area
- Grandeco is to the northeast of Mt Bandai and 32km away
- Minowa Ski Resort is 32km to the northeast