Mount Rokko

The tour guide's arrangements were excellent. He switched seamlessly between English and Chinese, ensuring smooth communication. He also explained the history of Himeji Castle, which is beautiful, though climbing the stairs was a bit tiring. Koko-en Garden has over a dozen gardens; the winter scenery was slightly less impressive, but it must be stunning in spring. Lunch offered a variety of options, but the taste was just average. It's rare to find a place that includes a meal during holidays. Arima Onsen was nice if you have enough time; it's worth exploring the town. Suddenly it started snowing, a unique experience. By the time we reached the summit of Mount Rokko, the snow had already accumulated, which was incredibly exciting for us southerners who rarely experience snow. Also, prices in Mount Rokko are significantly cheaper than in Osaka. I bought several boxes of snacks, which were delicious and reasonably priced. I should have bought more. The only minor drawback of the day's itinerary was that at the meeting point in the morning, the tour guide only spoke in English and didn't explain in Chinese who was going to Himeji Castle. If another tour guide hadn't asked us where we were going, and we hadn't said Himeji, pointing out that the route we had just taken led to Himeji Castle, we would have missed it. Because I selected Chinese as the language when placing the order, this should be noted.

Thank you to our lovely tour guide for leading us on a joyful trip. The vehicle was comfortable, and my family had a wonderful time.

Rentals are convenient. At the main entrance, you'll exchange your voucher for a ticket, which includes admission and equipment/clothing rentals. This ticket can be used in conjunction with ski lessons on the ski resort's official website. Even if you don't speak Japanese, it's okay. There are also snow tubs for kids on the other side, which is highly recommended.

On Sunday, December 14, 2025, the staff said that for this time of year and the weekend, there were very few people today because it wasn't the peak season for snow activities in Japan yet. So, coming today meant there was snow, the snow was quite thick, there weren't many people, and the weather was cold enough. I thought it was better than coming during the snow festival. For beginners, it's great; there are small slopes to practice on and long slopes to test your progress. The weather was the most important thing for me on this trip. The forecast predicted rain, and it did rain, but I heard that rain is actually better because the snow isn't as slippery, preventing beginners from skiing too fast. We arrived at 9 am, and it was raining and foggy that day. However, after we changed our gear, the fog cleared, the sun gradually came out, and the weather turned out very good afterward. My learning went quite well, although the snow was a bit hard. Another part I was most concerned about was the sales area. Since we were beginners, we didn't know what equipment to buy first, so we looked into this section extensively and wanted to know the approximate prices at the ski resort. This ticket included the following items for free: helmet, gloves, clothing, pants, ski boots, and skis. The following items were not included and needed to be purchased separately: Goggles are available for around 4500-5500 yen at the sales counter. Knee-high socks are recommended; a Taiwanese tourist who didn't wear them complained that his leg hair had disappeared after skiing. Regarding instructors, which is a common concern for beginners, if you feel you don't need to take lessons, then don't. You can always join a lesson at the ski resort if you wish, or book an instructor online beforehand, or purchase a Chinese-speaking instructor's license from Kkday – all are convenient options. A last-minute lesson without a Chinese-speaking instructor cost around 400 NTD per person. However, you won't have trouble understanding the instructor because they don't speak Chinese, nor will you be unable to perform certain movements (in my opinion). Because we joined the lesson on short notice (deciding to join 30 minutes prior), the class was small, just the two of us and a Taiwanese junior high school student, so we learned a lot.

First stop: Mita Outlet is a great shopping destination; remember to bring your passport. AEON is right next door, a large shopping mall that's also great, as there's a connecting bridge that leads directly to it. Second stop: Hot springs. If you don't want to spend money, there are free foot baths available, which is also a good option. There are shops nearby to browse; it has an old-street feel. Third stop: The night view is absolutely stunning. It's said to be a multi-million dollar attraction, meaning the electricity cost for one night is $10 million. But remember to wear warm clothes, as it gets quite cold!