Day 01 (Fri, 28 Feb’20)
Echigo Yuzawa – Uonuma – Tokamachi
(-/Lunch/Dinner)
Hotel: Hotel Futaba (Hot Spring) / Shosenkaku Kagetsu (Hot Spring) or similar
 
Starting out from Echigo Yuzawa Station, your tour of the Snow Country begins first with a filling lunch of delicious sushi. As producer of some of Japan’s best rice, Niigata’s Koshihikari rice is highly regarded not only in Japan but overseas as well. Your sushi lunch is, of course, made with this quality rice paired with top grade ingredients sourced locally and nationally to produce a “Snow Country A grade” meal.
 
After a satisfying lunch, move on to Uonuma no Sato, a small village at the base of Mt Hakkai where the traditions and tranquillity of the countryside are well-preserved. A collection of old-style houses converted into shops and cafes, the highlight of your visit here will be the Hakkaisan Yukimuro. Producers of some of Niigata’s best sake, the feature of Hakkaisan is the use of a snow storage for chilling and maturing sake. A technique used since ancient times, 1000 tons of snow is stored in the facility and used as a natural refrigerator to cool and preserve sake and other food at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius. The sake matured in the Yukimuro is said to have a smoother and mellower taste.
 
If Hakkaisan’s sake is not enough, you will pay a visit to another of Niigata’s established breweries, Aoki Sake Brewery. With over 300 years of history, and skilled brewers at work, the sake here is produced using Niigata’s delicious rice. The fresh and clear taste of the sake allows you to enjoy the flavour of the rice and complements Uonuma’s cuisine which features preserved and fermented foods meant to last the long winters.

Day 02 (Sat, 29 Feb’20)
Tokamachi
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Hotel: Hotel Futaba (Hot Spring) / Shosenkaku Kagetsu (Hot Spring) or similar
 
Bijinbayashi Forest, or “beauty forest”, was so named because of its beautiful, slender beech trees. The approximately 90-year-old towering trees create a gorgeous setting in any season and is the perfect spot to experience nature. Go snowshoe walking through this serene forest where you can experience the pristine nature of the Snow Country.
 
Enjoy a special Yukimi Gozen lunch, lovingly prepared by local ladies using the wisdom of the Snow Country. This delicious homecooked meal using locally sourced ingredients is made to be nutritious and filling so as to help people survive the tough winter. Let your body and soul be nourished and warmed by the food and hospitality of the Snow Country today.
 
Move on to the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field where you will admire the SNOWART created on canvases of white snow. An annual display of artwork designed to be in harmony with the snow, embrace the beauty of the Snow Country in a different way. The SNOWART event culminates in the highlight of this tour, the Echigo-Tsumari Snow Fireworks! A spectacular display of colourful fireworks burst overhead in an open field, also cheerfully coloured by “seeds of light”, coloured LED lights buried beneath the snow. A show not to be missed, the combination of colours on the snow-covered landscape and dark night sky is absolutely stunning.

Day 03 (Sun, 01 Mar’20)
Tokamachi – Minamiuonuma – Echigo Yuzawa
(Breakfast/Lunch/-)
 
Textiles made from plant fibres have long been produced in the Echigo region and its unique production has been inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Part of this special process is Yuki Sarashi, or snow bleaching, whereby cloth is laid out on snow fields under the sun. It is said that the reaction of the sun and ozone released by the melting snow cleans and bleaches the plant fibres used to make the cloth. Witness and take part in this traditional process yourself and appreciate the art of cloth making that only exists in the Snow Country.
 
Dine on Hegi Soba for lunch today. While traditional soba is made from buckwheat and wheat flour, hegi soba is made from a mix of buckwheat flour and a seaweed called funori. This unique soba is a local creation and has a texture that is smoother, yet firmer than traditional soba. Served artistically divided into mouthful portions, the soba is eaten with a variety of toppings.
 
Continuing your journey of discovering Niigata’s unique textiles, you will visit a textile shop where fabric has been handmade for almost a century. From making threads from plant fibres to dyeing and weaving, the labour-intensive process produces cloth of superb quality. Try on a kimono made from this exquisite fabric in a kimono wearing experience and feel its superior quality yourself.
 
Finally, pay a visit to Imanari pickle shop and try some of the Snow Country’s staple foods. Made using locally grown vegetables pickled in the sake lees from Hakkaisan brewery, the pickles produced here have a mellow, yet complex taste, requiring nothing more than white rice or sake as an accompaniment.
 
Satisfied from your whirlwind trip round some of the highlights of the Snow Country, the tour ends back where you started at Echigo Yuzawa Station this evening.

COACH TOUR
Assemble date:   28 Feb, Fri (SO14345)

**Recommended to take bullet train from Tokyo to Echigo Yuzawa West Exit by 11:20am on 28 Feb.

Tour price per person (in SGD)
Group size:   4-5 pax (Hiace / Grand Cabin)
Adult twin/triple share $2,980
Group size:   6-7 pax (Hiace / Grand Cabin)
Adult twin/triple share $2,580

Tour price includes:
Hotel accommodation as stipulated in itinerary
Tours and Meals as stipulated in itinerary

Tour price excludes:
Air ticket
Airport taxes & fuel charges (subject to change)
Train tickets
Visa application fee (if any)

Remarks:
The prices are subject to change upon fluctuations of currency exchange rates.  Flight schedule and the sequence of the itinerary are subject to change with or without prior notice to ensure the smooth running of the tour.
Minimum group size to confirm tour is 4 adults. 
Please refer to booking form for further terms and conditions.

For bookings and enquiries, please email enquiry@followmejapan.com.sg