If you dream of the ultimate winter getaway, look no further than Echoland in Hakuba. Nestled in the heart of the Hakuba Valley, Echoland is the vibrant epicenter of ski resort adventures, modern luxury, and unforgettable experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned skier or a first-time visitor, Echoland offers an enticing blend of convenience, comfort, and excitement that promises to elevate your holiday to new heights.

From its bustling main street lined with great restaurants and bars to its easy access to multiple ski areas, Echoland is the ideal destination for those seeking a perfect balance of thrill and relaxation.

Dive into the winter season with personalized concierge services, explore the nearby slopes, and indulge in the eclectic dining options that make Echoland the place to be for the best holiday in Hakuba.

Echoland, Hakuba’s Wine & Dine District

Hakuba White Fox Co offers luxury accommodations with personalized concierge services.
Contact us to book your next ski vacation.

What is Echoland, and Where is it?

Echoland is one of Hakuba’s most vibrant areas. It sits between Hakuba 47 and Happo-One Resorts and has the area’s largest concentration of restaurants and bars. Echoland is one 500-meter-long main street with roads branching off on each side, as highlighted in a grey portion of the map above. The two nearest ski resorts are Happo-One Resort, a 3-minute drive, and Hakuba 47/Goryu & Iwakate Resorts, a 5-7 min drive. The surrounding area is called Misorano. Echoland and Misorano have seen the most new developments of new properties and restaurants in all of Hakuba in the past 10 years.

Three ski and snowboard rental companies – Central Snowsports, Lion Adventure, and Spicy Rentals have stores in the area. Each has a cafe/restaurant space inside, along with retail and rental.

Did you know?

Ginza, the glitzy area in Tokyo, is the most expensive land in Japan. Echoland used to be known as Echoland Ginza, and many of the restaurants on the main strip were owned by famous Japanese celebrities in the 1980s during Japan’s ski boom.

5 Reasons To Stay in Echoland!

Echoland has something for everyone. The area attracts many guests, even those staying in other parts of Hakuba. It is an ideal location, given its proximity to restaurants, bars, retail, shuttles, and ski rentals. Take a look below at all that Echoland offers.

1 – Breakfast, Brunch, Ramen, Craft Beer, Whiskey & Wine Bars

For breakfast, the most popular place in Hakuba is Sounds Like Cafe, along with Penguin Cafe, Calico, Cantina, and Lava Rock – good options just down the road from the White Fox Co collection of properties. Satoru’s Coffee, just across from the Marriott, is quickly becoming the choice for many coffee lovers. Calico also offers fantastic Coffee and is open at 7 am. Sounds Like Cafe recently added a beautiful coffee machine and has upped its bean selection. Some of our favorite restaurants include Vive Hakuba, which is simply the most delicious meal of your Hakuba ski trip.

We continue to get rave reviews about Vive Restaurant from our guests, which has Hakuba’s best modern tasting menu. Hie Izakaya and Sarugaku are always popular dinner choices for Japanese food. We always recommend booking dinner options early during the winter season. Our company offers a full, annually updated list of restaurant recommendations. We also make reservations for our guests. Otherwise, use www.tablecheck.com to book your restaurants—most restaurants will open for bookings around Nov 1.

For drinks, Vive Bar is a beautiful spot for a great glass of wine, cocktails, whiskey, or local gin selection. Calico is good for a beer, with Mockingbird a popular local choice for beers and other cocktails. TapRoom Hakuba does great craft beers and hearty food and kindly offers pick-ups and drop-off service even while the bar is only a 2-minute drive away.

2 – The Best Nightlife in Hakuba: 10 pm Onwards

The following establishments offer various music types, ranging from reggae to electronic. Most get busy after dinner and close at 1 am or 2 am or later: Holy Smokes, Studio 902, Mockingbird, White Hakuba Lounge Bar, or Samurai Kebab. Holy Smokes has become a crowd favorite, hidden behind a cigarette vending machine entrance.

What does Echoland offer?

3 – Convenience & Flexibility

Echoland offers flexibility and convenience. If you’re taking the resort shuttles, there are 30+ morning shuttles to 7 resorts. If you drive, you’re on the main road in less than 2 minutes. You can explore all Hakuba has to offer and come home and relax. It also provides the chance to both eat out or stay in and cook. Echoland and the surrounding Misorano area have the biggest selection of self-accommodation combined with the most selection of restaurants and bars. If you include Misorano, which surrounds Echoland, you add many more dining favorites like Cherry Pub, NikuMasa, Prairie, Traumerie, Windy Kobeya and bakeries like Mon Pigeon and Koubo Nikki. We also have new restaurants such as San Fermo Pizza.

If you are staying in and cooking, we recommend Acoop Supermarket for fresh foods. The large supermarket Big/Aeon is also nearby. Both are just a 5-minute drive away. Eating in is one of the significant benefits of staying in a chalet – the ability to stay in your own home, cook and enjoy some wine, and relax in a beautiful setting. For alcohol, outside of Big/Aeon, the Kajikura liquor store is a short walk 200m from Base Camp. We also recommend pre-ordering wines from Amazon Japan or Enoteca. Delivery is usually the next day to your door.

4 – Easy Access

Arriving in Echoland is simple. Nagano Snow Shuttle has airport shuttles from both major Tokyo airports to Hakuba Station. From there, they offer a drop-off service for your chalet. If you are coming via bullet train, you will likely take the Alpico Bus from Nagano station to the Happo Bus Terminal. The Happo bus terminal is a 3 min drive to Echoland. Stay with us, and we’ll be waiting at the Hakuba bus terminal or Hakuba train station to take you directly to your amazing ski chalet.

Getting to the resort is as easy as choosing your resort and getting on your shuttle bus. All the major ski resorts have free shuttle buses. There are several resort stops in Echoland. Hinabe Restaurant, Spicy Ski Rental, Lion Adventure, and the Rotary roundabout at the top of Echoland. From either of these spots, upwards of 20 morning buses depart to Goryu/Hakuba 47/Iimori/Happo/Iwatake/Tsugaikei Resorts. Alternatively, rent a car from White Fox Car Rentals to beat the crowds, save time, and go at your own pace. Having a car opens up an enormous amount of freedom.

5 – Hakuba Echoland Accommodation and Quality of Chalets:

Echoland offers a range of accommodation. It has Japanese family-owned lodges, backpacker/hostels, multiple hotels, and a great selection of high-end ski chalets, including all the properties the White Fox Co operates in the area. Echoland and the surrounding Misorano are now the new center of the building boom in Hakuba. You’ll find plenty of suitable accommodation, whether you are coming alone, as a couple, as a family, or multiple families.

Hakuba Echoland Infrastructure

Echoland is a well laid out area with straight, wide, flat roads that are easy to drive or walk on. Street lamps light both sides of the main road—no winding, narrow, dark roads. While the main road is bustling in winter, once you turn left or right off the main road toward your accommodation, you are quickly down a quiet, forested road. It’s an outstanding balance to have.

Echoland Day Spa

Yes, Vive Spa has come to Hakuba with a complete renovation of an older building. Each treatment room has been beautifully set up and has a private shower and toilet for guest use. There’s also a private plunge bath that can fit up to four people at a time, has incredible mountain views, and offers wine, champagne, or a drink of your choice as you relax in their 42-degree mineral bath.

Echoland Yoga Studio

Yes! The newly built Komorebi Studio offers daily yoga sessions inside the Shakespeare Hotel throughout winter.

Ski Rental

Echoland has ski and snowboard rentals on the main strip, with Central SnowSports, Lion Adventure, and Spicy, as well as beautiful shops.

Hakuba Planning Tips?

At most ski resorts, ski-in/ski-out is a great choice. However, in Hakuba, repeat visitors often choose otherwise. You’ll understand when you visit, but let’s examine why now.

Hakuba is a valley comprised of 10 resorts. All are on the same Hakuba Valley Ski Pass, but most resorts are not connected. Only Goryu/Hakuba47 and Norikura/Cortina are connected.

The average stay of overseas guests in Hakuba is 6 nights, and stays of 10 nights+ are common. Given the wealth of resorts within a short distance, visitors quickly realize the value of being centrally located in Echoland rather than directly on one mountain.

On any given trip, you are likely to visit multiple ski resorts. After a long day of skiing or snowboarding, the convenience of having restaurants and bars at your doorstep is invaluable. Each area in Hakuba has a collection of restaurants/bars, some bigger than others. Echoland has the most options – there is something for everyone!

Hakuba has an extensive and free bus system. The nearest stops to our chalets are less than a one-minute walk away. We always encourage renting a car to maximize your experience and enjoyment. Along with visiting multiple resorts, there are many day trips, including visiting the Sea of Japan and eating fresh crab and sushi in Itoigawa, Matsumoto Castle, Snow Monkeys, and amazing historical cities like Kanazawa.

Echoland Key Facts:

• Nearest Resorts: Happo-One: 3 min drive, Hakuba 47/Goryu: 5-7 min drive, Iwatake: 5 min drive
• Nearest Supermarket: Acoop 5 min drive, Big/Aeon – 4 min drive
• Resort Shuttle Stops – 10
• Convenience Stores – 1
• Ski Rental Shops: 4
• Restaurants: 20+
• Ramen Restaurants: 1
• Bars: 12
• Car Rental: 1
• White Fox Co Chalets: 20