Book-It-Yourself Trip · Japan
Japan on a Budget:Myoko, January 2027
Join us in Japan and book it all yourself. Come for a few days or the whole month.
We provide the affordable plan for where to stay and handle putting together the riding group, plus we shoot and edit the content. The $299 planning fee gets spent on you in Japan: a welcome and farewell dinner, a surprise experience, merch, and other goodies.
Where
Myoko / Joetsu, Niigata, Japan
When
1–30 January 2027
Group Size
10 spots
Planning fee
$299, spent on you there
01 · Where it is
Two train lines, three Ikon mountains
The Myoko / Joetsu towns sit in Niigata, where the Shinkansen from Tokyo meets the snowiest mountains in Honshu. Staying down here puts the trains within a walk, and those trains are the whole argument.
- We're based down in the Joetsu / Myoko towns, with the trains in front of us rather than a shuttle timetable.
- Fly into Tokyo, Haneda or Narita. The Shinkansen north is under four hours door to door.
- Line one, the Myoko Haneuma local, runs south to Arai and Myoko Kogen in twenty to thirty minutes: Lotte Arai and Suginohara, two of the Ikon mountains.
- Line two, one Shinkansen stop to Iiyama in under fifteen minutes, then the ski bus to Madarao, the third Ikon mountain.
- Two lines, three Ikon mountains: we pick the hill on the morning's forecast instead of committing to one valley.
- Where we stay
- Ski resort
- Station / airport
- On the Ikon Pass
- Train lines from Joetsu
02 · How it works
Join us and pay your own way, direct
Three things to understand, and then the numbers.
01
We're already there
Brendan is on the ground in Joetsu from 1 to 30 January, with three Ikon Pass resorts within reach. You come for whatever days you’ve got.
02
You book it yourself
Flight, hotel, trains, lift days, food: all booked by you, paid directly by you, at the price the provider charges.
03
Planning fee
A $299 planning fee reserves your spot, and we spend it on you in Japan: a welcome and farewell dinner, a surprise experience, merch, and other goodies. Ten spots. Non-refundable, because the plan goes out the moment you are in.
- We're there all of January.
- Come for a few days or the whole month.
- Nobody guides anybody. Everyone pays their own way, we ride together, and we make some new memories.
03 · Three Ikon resorts
Three Ikon Pass mountains from one station
Three Ikon Pass resorts within reach. If you have an Ikon, every lift day is already paid for — 7 days at each on the full pass, 5 on Base, no blackout dates.
960 m vertical
Lotte Arai Resort
84% ungroomed terrain
¥1,000 round trip from the station
1,124 m vertical
Myoko Suginohara
8.5 km — Japan's longest run
¥2,480 round trip from the station
440 m vertical
Madarao Mountain Resort
Best tree skiing in the area
¥4,420 round trip from the station
Lifts are on your pass. No Ikon? Day tickets run about $50.
04 · A week in the middle of it
What the days actually look like
Nothing here is a schedule. You come for whatever days you've got, and we pick the hill each morning off the forecast. But people ask what the days actually look like, so here's a week from the middle of it.
Day 1
Get to Joetsu
Land at Narita, Skyliner to Ueno, Hakutaka north. You're at the hotel by evening with the boards in the lobby. Dinner is whoever's already here, at the izakaya on the corner.
Day 2
Arai
Closest mountain, 20 minutes down the Haneuma line, and 84% of it is ungroomed. Good first day because you find out fast what kind of snow week this is going to be.
Day 3
The welcome dinner
Ride in the morning, then the whole group at one table. Nomihodai, the local contacts show up, and by the end of it nobody is a stranger. This is the night the trip actually starts.
Day 4
Madarao
One Shinkansen stop to Iiyama, then the bus. Trees, and the best of them if it's snowed overnight. The other train line, the other valley, the day people talk about afterwards.
Day 5
The surprise
We keep this one quiet. Keep the day clear, bring a camera, and don't plan on riding. It's paid for out of the planning fee.
Day 6
Suginohara
1,124 metres of vertical and an 8.5 km run, the longest in Japan. Top to bottom takes long enough that your legs file a complaint. Onsen afterwards, non-negotiable.
Day 7
Last turns, farewell dinner
You know which mountain is yours by now. Ride it, then the last dinner together — also on us. Fly out the next morning with wet gloves and a camera roll.
Swap any of it. Come for three days and do Days 2, 3 and 4. Stay two weeks and do it twice with a Tokyo night in between.
Who you're meeting
Come join Brendan while he is there
This is Brendan's first time riding in Japan, and he'll be there the whole month, 1 to 30 January. He's putting together a group with the same vibe for what should be an epic month.
05 · What it costs
Every line paid by you, direct
Here's what a week on the ground looks like, from the moment you land in Tokyo. Flights aren't included: the fare depends entirely on where you're flying from. Every line is paid directly by you.
| Category | Rate | Who books / pays | Notes | One week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FixedPaid once, however long you come. | ||||
| Hotel, Joetsu | $51 / night | You book, you pay | Small, clean, a short walk to the trains. Free cancellation up to the day you arrive. | $354 |
| Bullet train, Tokyo ⇄ Joetsu-Myoko | ~$115 round trip | You pay | ¥9,130 each way unreserved, ~2 h. | $115 |
| Airport train, Narita ⇄ Ueno | ~$31 round trip | You pay | Keisei Skyliner, ¥2,470 each way, 45 min. | $31 |
| Travel insurance + eSIM | ~$65–135 depending on length | You pay | Required. | $65 |
| Planning fee to Bluebird | $299 | You pay Bluebird | The planning fee. Spent on you in Japan. | $299 |
| Fixed subtotal | $864 | |||
| VariableGrows with how long you stay and how much you ride. | ||||
| Food | ~$30 / day | You pay | Eating well, not konbini every night. | $240 |
| Trains to the hill | $6–28 / ski day | You pay | Arai ¥1,000 · Suginohara ¥2,480 · Madarao ¥4,420, round trip from Joetsu-Myoko. | $72 |
| Lift tickets | Free on your Ikon Pass | — | No Ikon? ~$50 / day at the window. | Free |
| Onsen | ~$5 / visit | You pay | $20 | |
| Variable subtotal | $332 | |||
| Total for one week on the ground, with an Ikon Pass | $1,196 | |||
| Same week without an Ikon Pass (+$50 a ski day) | $1,446 | |||
Three days, a week, two weeks, or the month
About $850 for three nights, about $1,200 for a week, about $1,900 for two weeks, about $3,300 for four weeks — on the ground, with an Ikon Pass.
| 3 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights | 28 nights | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ski days | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Hotel | $152 | $354 | $708 | $1,416 |
| Food | $120 | $240 | $450 | $900 |
| Trains (all) | $196 | $218 | $290 | $434 |
| Lifts (with Ikon) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Onsen, insurance, eSIM | $55 | $85 | $135 | $235 |
| Planning fee | $299 | $299 | $299 | $299 |
| Total on the ground, with Ikon | $822 | $1,196 | $1,882 | $3,284 |
| Total without Ikon (+$50/ski day) | $972 | $1,446 | $2,382 | $4,284 |
The tour-company version of the same week is $4,250 before you've bought a flight.
06 · Where we stay
A small hotel, a short walk from the trains
Small, clean, Japanese, and close enough to the platforms that the morning is a walk, not a shuttle. That's the point.
$51 a night (¥8,000)
- You book it directly, at their price.
- Free cancellation up to the day you arrive.
- Book it as soon as you're in: January rooms in Joetsu go early.
- It's where the group is. Staying somewhere else is fine, but this is the lobby everyone meets in.
- We send the name and the booking link with the plan, once you’re in.
07 · Getting there
Narita to Joetsu in about three hours
01
Fly into Tokyo Narita (NRT). Haneda works too, with a different train across the city.
02
Keisei Skyliner, Narita to Keisei-Ueno: 45 minutes, ¥2,470.
03
Hakutaka Shinkansen, Ueno to Joetsu-Myoko: about 2 hours, ¥9,130 unreserved or ¥9,660 reserved.
04
From Joetsu-Myoko the local lines run to the hills. The hotel is a short walk from the platforms.
08 · Planning fee
What the planning fee covers, and what's on you
Planning fee — $299, spent on you in Japan
- The one-page plan: hotel link, flights, trains, which mountain on which day, the food list, phrases, and what to pack.
- The group chat, from the day you pay.
- Brendan on the ground, 1–30 January.
- Our local contacts around Myoko and Joetsu.
- A welcome dinner and a farewell dinner.
- A surprise experience.
- Bluebird merch and other goodies.
- The content: we shoot the week and you get the photos and video.
On you, on purpose
- Your flight.
- Your hotel, booked direct.
- Your lift days, on your own Ikon Pass.
- Your food, your trains, your onsen.
- Your travel insurance, which is required.
- Your own riding. Nobody guides anybody.
We'll be filming during the week. If you'd rather not be on camera, just tell us — no problem.
The group rules
Nobody guides anybody.
Everyone pays their own way.
Full flexibility to do whatever you want.
09 · Dates & deadlines
What happens between now and January
The welcome dinner, the surprise experience and the farewell dinner all happen in the core week, 16–23 January. MLK Day is Monday 18 January.
Now
Reply in, maybe, or not this year.
This week
A call, so you know exactly what you're signing up for.
1 October
The plan and the spot link go out.
1 November
Flights booked. Book yours by now if you are coming.
December
Group call: mountains, gear, questions.
16 January
Joetsu. First dinner together.
10 · Questions
The things people ask first
Is this a package?
No. You book every piece yourself and pay each provider directly, at their own price. The $299 planning fee is what you pay Bluebird, which we spend on you in Japan.
What do I get for the $299?
A welcome dinner and a farewell dinner, a surprise experience, Bluebird merch, the one-page plan, the group chat, our local contacts, and Brendan on the ground. And we shoot the content.
How long can I come for?
Any nights between 1 and 30 January. Three days or the whole month. The core week (16–23) is when the dinners and the surprise happen.
Do I need an Ikon Pass?
No, but it's the difference between free lifts and about $50 a day. Arai, Suginohara and Madarao are all on Ikon — 7 days each on the full pass, 5 on Base, no blackouts.
Do I have to stay where the group stays?
No, but it's where the group is, it's $51 a night, it's a short walk from the trains, and you can cancel free up to the day you arrive. We send you the link when you're in.
Is anyone guiding?
No. Nobody guides anybody. We ride together when we ride together, and you're responsible for your own riding and your own travel insurance.
What happens to the planning fee if I cancel?
No. The plan, the contacts and the group chat all reach you as soon as you pay, so the work is done whether or not you get on the plane. Your hotel is free to cancel up to the day you arrive, and your flight follows the airline’s rules.
How many spots?
Ten.
Joetsu, Niigata · 1–30 January 2027
行こう?
Shall we go?
Ten spots. Reply in, maybe, or not this year — either way we'd rather hear from you than not.
The planning fee is non-refundable. The plan is what you are paying for, and it is yours as soon as you are in.
Bluebird Ski Trips · Myoko / Joetsu, Japan
Photos: uka0310 (CC BY 2.0; resized and cropped for layout) · takaokun (CC BY 2.0; resized and cropped for layout) · MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and cropped for layout) · るーと16 (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and cropped for layout) · MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and cropped for layout) · Roméo A. (Unsplash License; resized and cropped for layout)