I Drove to Japan's Snowiest Town | Winter Road Trip ♨️ Feat. @CDawgVA

Venture into Doai Station, known as the deepest train station in Japan, 70 meters down with 486 steps. It takes about 10 minutes to get down, and the station, opened in 1936, feels rather decrepit but has character. It's mostly abandoned now due to the bullet train, but still in use. The walk back up is a serious workout, so be prepared for a physical challenge. At the bottom, you'll find an eerie silence, a dimly lit waiting room, and photos on the wall showing that many people come here as a tourist attraction.

After a workout, reward yourself with tonkatsu, a local specialty of Gumma Prefecture, known as the 'city of pork.' I got the katsudon, which I usually prefer with egg for a less oily, less heavy flavor. The key to good tonkatsu is a thick, crispy batter that blows apart as you eat it, and juicy, thick cuts of pork covered in a tangy Worcester sauce. It's the perfect dish to line your stomach before a sake tasting.

Head to Ponshukan's sake tasting room inside Yuzawa Station in Niigata, the microbrewery sake capital of Japan. Here, over 100 vending machines offer sake from Niigata's 90 breweries. Purchase 10 coins for a tasting. You'll find a huge variety of flavors, including unexpected ones like caramel, nuts, melon, and even cream cheese (which was a terrible idea!). Try licking sea salt off your hand before drinking sake to enhance the flavor. It's a unique atmosphere you won't find anywhere else in Japan outside of Niigata.

Hike 30 minutes (850 meters) through a snowy forest in Nagano to reach Jigokudani Monkey Park. It's an incredible sight to see dozens of Japanese macaques with bright red faces contrasting the white snow, chilling and relaxing in the hot springs. This is the only place on the planet where you can witness monkeys bathing in a hot spring. They're very calming to watch, cleaning each other and displaying human-like expressions. It's a 10 out of 10 experience, truly magical and unique.

Visit Kusatsu Onsen, one of Japan's top three hot spring towns, visually striking with pools and gushing streams of bright blue water turning to steam, creating a foggy atmosphere. The town has preserved its rustic traditions and architecture, even with a 7-Eleven using traditional brown colors instead of its usual red and green. It's a beautiful town to explore.

Find a popular yakitori stall in Kusatsu, identified by a line of people. I tried the tsukune (minced chicken) with sweet sauce, which was really good. But the best, hands down, is negima (chicken and green onion). It's healthy and clean, with the green onions offsetting the saltiness of the chicken, creating a balanced flavor that's superior to the meatier tsukune.

Enjoy a multi-course Japanese dinner at the hotel. The starter, called 'Zen side,' looks like candy with about 10 different varieties of food, including fish, cream cheese, broccoli, and carrots, all looking fantastic. There's also a broth or soup cooking in the middle. I was surprised and delighted to be presented with a locally sourced cow tongue and leak pie. Later, a sushi bar trolley came over with about 10 varieties of fish; I got maguro (tuna), fresh shrimp, and tamagoyaki (fried omelette). It was a really cool and amazing experience.

Book a private hot spring bath within the hotel to celebrate the end of the road trip. The bath is very personalized and dark, but unfortunately, it's very narrow, making it a tight squeeze even for one person, despite the front desk optimistically claiming it could fit two or three. It's not ideal for a shared experience, but still a private onsen.