 Poster: A snowHead
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@Layne inspired me to do a 'live' trip report when my family of four Aussies headed to Europe for the first time last Christmas/New Year.
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3294312&highlight=aussies#3294312
We're off to Japan for a short break in mid December. It will be our first trip to Japan and we're hoping to experience the famed 'Japow'. We understand it is very early season so our expectations are not sky high. It will be more of a cultural experience with (hopefully) some skiing as opposed to a full on ski holiday.
Rough itinerary is -
Day 1 - Fly into Sapporo, grab a car and drive a couple of hours south to Niseko. (This is a lot easier flight from Australia as it is the same time zone so no jetlag. And the flight is only 9 hours compared to the 24 hours to Munich). We're on the Mountain Collective Pass. https://mountaincollective.com/ We picked it up for the bargain price of $400Aud. We have already used our 3 days here in Thredbo in August just gone and will be using the two days in Niseko and many more days for our US road trip in February where we will visit Aspen, Alta, Snowbird, Jackson Hole and Big Sky. All going well that will be 15 days of skiing at world class mountains for $400 Aussie Pesos!
Day 2 - Ski Niseko.
Day 3 - Ski Niseko.
Day 4 - Drive an hour or so north to the seaside town of Otaru. This will be our base for a few days. It should be a genuine Japanese experience. Looking forward to eating some great seafood that the region is known for.
Day 5 - Ski Kiroro.
Day 6 - Ski Sapporo Teine or one of the other local hills.
Day 7 - Drive an hour to the city of Sapporo for some sight seeing.
Day 8 - check out more of Sapporo before a evening flight home.
A few general observations on cost of Japan vs Europe vs North America when travelling from Australia and taking the exchange rate into account -
Airfares are much cheaper to Japan than Europe or North America - obviously because of the shorter distance.
Accommodation is a lot more expensive in Japan and Europe than North America.
Car rental is pretty reasonable in Japan and Europe - much the same as North America. All rental cars in Hokkaido come with winter tyres as standard.
Day lift tickets are cheaper in Japan than Europe and obviously much cheaper than the day tickets in North America. (Does anyone buy day tickets to the Vail/Alterra resorts in North America?? If so why?) From my limited knowledge the lift infrastructure in Japan is not in the same league as Europe so the tickets should be cheaper. It appears you ski Japan for the snow quality and quantity and you ski Europe for the vastness of the mountains and terrain. The best North American ski hills have a combination of great snow and great terrain.
The snow has arrived in Hokkaido over the last few days and more is expected in the coming week.
https://annupuri.info/live/cam-1.jpg
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@sbooker, Hope you'll post up a few pics of your journey, including the food (mmmm...sushi  ).
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@sbooker, will look forward to the updates - I've been out a couple of times in the last few years and have done an extended version of your itinerary. Love Otaru! Based on our experience I would advise watching the weather and being as flexible as possible with where you are skiing, rather than planning specific ski areas or sightseeing on specific days. Chances are it will dump, but it can be quite localised. Speaking from experience, you don't want to be sightseeing in Sapporo when it's dumping up the road.
And onsen are the greatest things ever, apart from the toilets.
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@sbooker, glad to be an inspiration - your European TR was a great read and running to 9 pages is something I can only dream of!
I'd love to do Japan but wasn't sure if the time of year I'd go early/late season would justify. Plus of course the flight costs. Will be interested to see how conditions pan out.
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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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Btw, can those who already visited Otaru share their favourite places for an evening meal? For me Isezushi was unforgettable experience, closely followed by Yabuhan Soba.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@abc, driving is usually A to B. When flying A to B is not 1 hour. More like 5-6 anyway.
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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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@mooney058, we really enjoyed Sakana Isshin in Wing bay - it was fairly informal and not too expensive, but really good.
We also had a memorable meal in a place on the canal next door to the Otaru brewery. We thought we were going into the brewery for a quick pint, but inadvertently ended up cooking herrings and crab over a charcoal pit in the middle of the table. Great stuff!
We went to the brewery after and quite enjoyed the beers, but their food wasn't amazing.
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@element, thanks - this goes to a special folder!
btw, lederhosen and dirndls at the Otaru brewery looked a bit odd - it does not suit local population the way it does Austrians 
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You know it makes sense.
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| mooney058 wrote: |
| @abc, driving is usually A to B. When flying A to B is not 1 hour. More like 5-6 anyway. |
But you don’t have to stare at the road and keep your hands on the steering wheel for the whole time!
Can even knock back a glass or take a nap.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks for the Otaru restaurant recommendations.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Had a few days in Otaru in early March this year - loved it - a fascinating small city punching well above its weight. Lots of history, architecture, food markets etc, and great onsen not far from city centre. Def a place to have a good wander in. Your plan looks great, and you'll probably be driving by the Nikka whiskey distillery on your way from Niseko...be rude not too!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We’re all set to jump on a plane tomorrow but I’ve just had some news that my wife’s mum has been taken to hospital by ambulance due to an ‘episode’. She is physically ok but can’t remember things she has done or said as little as 30 seconds previously.
I’m no doctor but I would guess a mild stroke or brain bleed. She is having a CT scan now.
It’s Kylie’s call if we go or not. Will obviously depend on what the medico people say in the coming hours.
This could be a trip report with a very abrupt end. That is no problems if it accompanies eventual good health for my much loved mother-in-law.
Skiing can wait.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 13-12-19 5:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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Double post. Sorry.
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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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@sbooker, There is not much that can be said. Hope the outcome is positive.
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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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@sbooker, that's a booger. Hope the scan shows the least bad news.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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All is good! Kinda.
After the scan came back clear they’ve diagnosed Transient Global Amnesia or TGA which is apparently not that uncommon amongst seniors. It’s often a random one off event it seems.
Big sigh of relief.
Heading to the airport real soon.
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@sbooker, good to hear all is good.
Judging from the timing, I knew this latest entry isn't about skiing... but I was bored at work.
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Yah, Japan here you come!
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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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Enjoy
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Sorry but the live trip report is not live. I had some internet difficulties and ended up being busier than I expected. So -
We’re back from our short trip to Hokkaido. We only skied 4 days and did tourist stuff the other 4.
We’re on the Mountain Collective pass so did our two days in less than ideal conditions at Niseko. They’ve had a relatively slow start to the season although all the ‘courses’ were open. The first day had about 7 or 8 cm of fresh snow which was nice for a while but it tracked out quickly and the weather was warm. It rained after we finished skiing that afternoon and of course the mountain froze that night. Conditions on the second morning were bulletproof (think Oz/NZ hard). The best skiing was from late morning once it softened. Kind of bizarre that we were spring skiing in mid winter in Hokkaido. I guess one travels to Niseko to ski the famed powder because generally speaking it is not for great terrain, magnificent views (Yotei is nice when not covered in cloud though) or brilliant lift infrastructure.
We headed to Otaru and checked out that nice little port town. The temps dropped considerably that day and snow started. Cool to see snow on the beach where the sand would normally be.
We took a forty minute drive to Sapporo Teine the next day. There was about 15 cm of fresh snow overnight. The whole mountain was nice and soft. This ended up being the best days skiing we had as we shared the mountain with a handful of other tourists and an army group and a couple of school groups. The army and school groups only skied the groomers so we skied fresh snow until last lifts. It was a great days skiing. The terrain was a little steeper than most places in Niseko I think and the view of the city of Sapporo and the Sea of Japan was lovely.
We drove half an hour from Otaru to Kiroro the next day. Despite about 25 cm of fresh snow I didn’t feel Kiroro delivered as much as Teine the previous day. Firstly there were a lot more punters on the hill. Secondly Kiroro must have got the rain the Niseko received a few days before because I was bottoming out on rock hard ice despite the layer of (extremely light and dry) snow on top. Thirdly I found the hill to have a lot of flat spots which is hard going with nearly a foot of snow. Obviously I didn’t have the place figured. It was a fun day all the same of course.
We did all the usual things one does in Japan. Ate great sushi and ramen, checked out an onsen, tried some sake and generally enjoyed all the quirky things that Japan offers. The locals were extremely helpful and polite despite considerable communication challenges at times.
I’ll make sure to go back to Japan mid season at some stage to ensure a better chance of catching the best of it. These trips are also research trips in a way. I plan to retire from my current career in 5 years (once my son has completed his schooling). I intend to do a full season (December to April) that year to some region of the northern hemisphere. From this very brief sample of skiing in Japan I don’t think it will be my choice for the planned winter of skiing. The powder is lovely but I can’t help but feel it’s a bit one dimensional.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Really good report, enjoyed reading!
I think Japan/Hokkaido would be a magical place to spend a season. The mix between the snow/culture and food is something unique I think and it can be done for the same price as anywhere in the Alps more or less.
The unbelievably hot onsen after skiing or on un skiable days are just awesome!
My one trip to Japan in mid Feb we also didn't get any of the famous mega dumps of powder but it's left me with an itch to get back out.
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FAQ
I've not checked, but assume you will have long drives between each US resort. Will you be having any travel-only days? Or are you skiing then heading straight off to your next destination? 
Of those places on your trip, we have skied Jackson H and Alta. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with either!
We’ve skied all the locations prior to now aside from Big Sky.
