Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 3rd January 2012 (Yamagata)

After breakfast at the hotel, we went out for a onsen session. First, our target was Dairotenburo 大露天風呂, however it was closed during winter due to the ski activities. People who were skiing can see the pool, hence it was closed. So, we went to another lesser known onsen.

view after woke up from the hotel's room

view from the hotel's room

the open air onsen 露天温泉

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 2nd January 2012 (Yamagata 山形)

We took bus from Yamagata Station 山形駅 to Yamagata Zao Onsen 山形蔵王温泉. The place was famous for onsen and ski. The main reason we came here was to see Zao Snow Monsters, secondly was to ski.

Ski slope of Zao Onsen

First, we went to check in into the hotel 堺屋旅館, we entered though the back door, and we wondered why there was no people around, so funny. Then, we went to the ski wear shop to rent the ski wear and snowboard. Then, we bought tickets for the ski lift which includes the cable car to the snow monsters station. The tickets were magnetic type and we had to pay something like deposits, when the day finished and tickets were returned to the vending machine, the deposits would be returned. There was many routes, for me, of course the beginner course.

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 1st Jan 2012 (Akita 秋田)

Bus stop (waiting for the bus to Nyuto Onsen 乳頭温泉)

Woke up to have a very sumptuous breakfast. After that, leave that hotel to take shuttle bus to Nyuto Onsen 乳頭温泉 (if translate directly, it means nipple onsen. Some website stated that the name comes from the milky colour of the hot spring water, and some stated that the name comes from nearby Mt. Nyuto). The shuttle bus stop was quite a distance from the hotel. With the big back pack, although the weather was kind of cool, I felt difficulty of breathing.

on the way to Nyuto Onsen

the banner for Nyuto onsen

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 31st Dec 2011 (Tazawako 田沢湖)

Woke up early today for ski. The guest house owner sent us to the shop where we could rent ski wear. We also bought the lift coupon from him because it was cheaper than to buy at the ski resort. This was my first snowboarding session. My friend said that it was cooler to snowboard than to ski. First, I wanted to take a beginner lesson, however, there were no instructor for snowboard that morning, so my friend decided to become our couch although she herself only played once. She said that we only had to learn how to start and stop. Plus, she said if we couldn't control and fall down, it's ok because the snow was so soft. She was right on that. I felt that my legs were so tired with the shoes. So heavy. 

At first, I kept fall down. Even if I could move for a distance, I would become scare if the speed was too high, I would fall down myself. Luckily, another friend of mine was a novice too, so we had each other back.  We would fall and got up, but we always met each other along the way. After snowboarding and fall, and repeat again, me and my friend made it to the middle of the slope where we had lunch. My other friends had a few rounds up and down already.

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 30th Dec 2011 (Morioka盛岡)

Woke up early for apple onsen. After that, had to give up breakfast from the hotel because we needed to catch a 6.57am bus to Morioka 盛岡. The snow was so heavy and we were worried that the bus would be cancelled. What a relief when we saw that bus. I slept all the way until Morioka because I woke up too early and the scene from the bus window was nothing actually, just white snow. One of the specialty of Morioka is Wanko Soba. Since our appointment was on 11am, and there was no any tourist spots near the Morioka Station, we just loitered around the station. The snow was soft. However, the wind was so strong, and the only feeling I felt was 'so freezing cold'!

around Morioka Station 盛岡駅の近く

Winter Holiday in Tohoku Region - 29th Dec 2011 (Aomori青森)

From 29th Dec 2011 to 4th Jan 2012 were the winter holiday for our company. Since this was the first winter for me, I joint my colleagues to Tohoku region (Aomori 青森, Morioka 盛岡, Tazawako 田沢湖, Yamagata山形) for holiday. This was a snowboarding and onsen trip. Everything was so expensive even for the budget airline tickets because this was the peak season.

I think this was funny, the snow just coagulated inside the basket.