 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
We've blown our airmiles on flights to Japan next Christmas and now need to get some accommodation booked! We fly into Tokyo on 19 December, will probably spend a couple of days there and then head to Hokkaido as I've been told that's a better bet for early season snow. The flight back is from Tokyo on 1 January.
We've been recommended Japan Ski Experience for accommodation, but I have rung numerous times over the last couple of weeks and only got the answer machine. So has anyone got any thoughts on who to use to book accommodation?
We're thinking of basing ourselves in Niseko and visiting other places nearby but, with nothing booked but the flights, are completely felxible.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@nickle, sorry can't help but we do have a few Japan-based sHs who will probably give you some good advice. Give them time - which you have anyway.
Meantime treat this reply as a BUMP !!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Think Ben from Japan Ski Experience is on R&R in Thailand for a week.
Number of people?
Thinking of renting a car?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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More and more places are appearing on the standard booking.com / hotels.com type websites now. Have a browse on there.
Also the Japanese site Rakuten is pretty good, it has an English version. (Although there is always more availability of rooms on the Japanese version!)
Christmas will be quite busy in Niseko, especially Hirafu. Less so elsewhere as Christmas isn't a holiday here. It gets a lot busier over the New Year holiday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Think Ben from Japan Ski Experience is on R&R in Thailand for a week.
Number of people?
Thinking of renting a car? |
That would explain it!
3 adults
Possibly - is it easy to get around, e.g. are the street signs in English as well as Japanese? I guess a satnav would do the trick?
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Yep, road signs in English and almost all rental cars have English sat nav. Navigation is fairly easy anyway outside of cities. Majority of rental cars will be AWD and all will have winter tyres.
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@nickle, have a look at Snowjapan.com it's good source for information, there is skiing beyond Niesko, look at Zao, Shiga Kogen, Hakuba. Train travel is dead easy, we went from Zao to Shiga Kogen from and to Tokyo. There's a book called Snow Search Japan might be a bit out of date but a usefull source. Rakuten is a good site as well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'd second Rakuten and if you can, getting a Japanese speaker to search on the Japan language section. Niseko is a fantastic ski resort but if you are going for a Japanese cultural experience at the same time I'd sacrifice a bit on the powder front for somewhere less focused towards western guests. If it is definitely to be Hokkaido then Furano is an option and if powder is your thing easy to go for day to Asahidake from there. But my best Japanese ski experiences have been at Nozawa Onsen in Nagano-ken simply because it's such an interesting place. Snow can indeed be sketchy early season but should be fine by late December. Myoko Kogen also good - heavier powder than Hokkaido but get tonnes of the stuff and good vertical as well as still having a good village atmosphere if based in Akakura.
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| Deibitto wrote: |
| I'd second Rakuten and if you can, getting a Japanese speaker to search on the Japan language section. Niseko is a fantastic ski resort but if you are going for a Japanese cultural experience at the same time I'd sacrifice a bit on the powder front for somewhere less focused towards western guests. If it is definitely to be Hokkaido then Furano is an option and if powder is your thing easy to go for day to Asahidake from there. But my best Japanese ski experiences have been at Nozawa Onsen in Nagano-ken simply because it's such an interesting place. Snow can indeed be sketchy early season but should be fine by late December. Myoko Kogen also good - heavier powder than Hokkaido but get tonnes of the stuff and good vertical as well as still having a good village atmosphere if based in Akakura. |
Thanks for your suggestions - where did you stay when you went to these various different places?
Also, I was toying with the idea of splitting the skiing between Hokkaido and Honshu but had all but ruled it out because of the travelling time between the two and the possibility of the snow not being so good in Honshu when we were there. Do you think I have been too hasty?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@nickle, in Myoko I srayed here - http://www.myoko-kougakuro.jp/ - nothing much to look at from outside but the Japanese style rooms are nice, staff friendly and it is quite cheap.
Long time since I stayed in Nozawa and hear some auzzie package deals have started going there now with acconodation options catering to them. I stayed at a place called Pension Schnee in a great location and run by an ex Japanese pro-skiier which was trying to replicate an Austrian style in Japan. Nice enough but not really what Nozawa is about so if you're willing to have staff not fluent in English would recommend instead going on Rakuten if using Japanese page - or Tripadvisor if restricted to English - and looking up a nice looking Ryokan (like a posh Japanese style b&b) or if they are a bit pricey for you - a Minshuku (more simple Japanese-style accomodation).
In Furano I stayed at Pension Snowflake - http://www.snowflake-factory.com/english.htm - very much a budget option, more like a Japanese hostel but nice and cosy.
One option to stay flexible on location and wait and see on snow conditions is get a Japan rail pass. They are currently around £160 for 7 days. It's a 9-hour slog in total from Tokyo to Niseko but once you factor in airport transfers and waits each end it's not that much longer and you can get to see the country on the way. You could also stop at Zao Onsen as an alternative to Nozawa and on the way to Hokkaido. I've not been to Zao but seems a similar style and size to Nozawa although lift layout I hear is bad for boarders. Mid week accomodation in Japan should always be fine to book late.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@nickle, In Zao we stayed at Lodge Scole, Zao will definitely give you a Japanese experience, the snow is really good, the pistes uncrowded and you get to experience the snow monsters. the owner of Lodge Scole is very helpful and arranged a taxi to meet us from the train and take us up, even stayed up to make sure we could have a welcome beer. Unfortunately the place we stayed at in Shiga Kogen i don't think is operating anymore it was amazing Bersa Rooms, I think Shiga is Japan's largest ski area, you can also have a bit of a diversion and see the snow monkeys by taking the ski bus, if you a boarder be careful where you go as parts of the resort are off limits to them, or were when we where there.
this is the link to my post http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=73205&highlight=
You will sometimes find Zao under Yamagata which is the nearest town.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 2-11-15 8:26; edited 1 time in total
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@nickle I would also recommend Nozawa Onsen for a very Japanese ski experience. It was used back in 1998 for the Winter Olympics, so as a resorts its great. It is also typically Japanese with public onsens and wooden style houses. It was bustling with people when I visited last January for a few nights, it was hard to get into the restaurants at night, even as a couple! Some ryokan (japanese b&bs do offer dinner though) I stayed at a nice Ryokan called Peanut House, Kuma Kuma. A short walking distance from the main village area and a pleasant walk at that.
However I did a season in Myoko last season and absolutely loved it. Its a really lovely area, Myoko is in Niigata but a 40 mins train from Nagano city and a bullet train ride away from Tokyo (3hrs).
Myoko gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan, we had 14 metres last season! I'm running a Hostel here this season if you are looking for accom, we have Japanese style dorm rooms and private futon rooms, Myoko Powder Hostel (www.myokopowderhostel.com), we're also on SnowJapan http://goo.gl/OzYNEI (another good Japan info site). The area has a Japanese atmosphere and is lesser known to Niseko or Hakuba.
Myko has a good range of resorts, 4 in all, Akakan, Akakura Onsen, near where most of the accom/restaurants/bars/rentals are in Akakura Onsen Village. Suginohara, Ikenoataira and Seki Onsen are about a 15 mins drive to each resort. Its very different to Europe here, no gnarly 45 mins drive up the mountains. It snows all the way down to sea level here!
If you have any more questions let me know or contact me on myokopowderhostel@gmail.com
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