105 KM - 0H35 - URASA stationUrasa station is a major hub of Niigata Prefecture. Urasa is also home to enthusiasts of the local naked festival.
134KM - 0H43 - ECHIGO-YUZAWA stationYuzawa is one of the largest and the most easily accessed
ski areas from Tokyo. Yuzawa is known for
deep powder and a long season, with some of its resorts open from mid-November to late May. The
Genbi shinkansen from Niigata stops here.
228 KM - 1H17 -TAKASAKI stationThe
capital of the daruma doll, a good luck charm representing a famous Zen monk. Daruma dolls are traditionally bought at the beginning of each new year without pupils painted on. A wish is then made and one of the doll’s pupils is painted on. If the wish comes true, the second pupil is also added and the doll is returned to the temple or shrine at the end of the year to be burnt.
In Takasaki, you can take
a steam train to explore the Gunma Prefecture.