Possibly looking at skiing in Japan in January,going for two weeks & trying to include a couple of days in Tokyo or Kyoto.
Has anyone got any experience of Japanese ski resorts & if two weeks is long enough to ski & see either Tokyo or Kyoto as well.
Also is it possible to get to & from the resorts by Bullet Train from Tokyo ?
Which resorts would be best for two skiers of different abilities ?
Cheers
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
5 days max. in my opinion unless you go for more than one resort.
Once you leave the Alps you will find skiing resorts are very small in Japan.
Only been to Niseko but haven't any resort of a decent size.
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?
Shades, I've not been skiing in Japan (although I'd like to). However in terms of sightseeing Kyoto and its surrounding area (Osaka and Nara) has a lot more to offer than Tokyo IMV. You can get direct flights into Osaka (Kansai) airport on airlines such as KLM (via Schipol) or Air France (via Paris CDG). Netflights.com are advertising KLM flights from London via Schipol in mid January for £465 return.
On second thought, there's a bullet train that goes to the resorts in Honshu, build for the Olympic. Off the train, on the lift. Though I'm told it's not as good as the one up in Hokaido... (forgive my spelling of all the names)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Easy access from all Honshu cities to ski resorts in Nagano and Nigatta prefectures via train or car.
Hokkaido resorts are a flight and 2hr bus transfer.
Nagano and Nigatta resorts more 'apline' in appearance. Hokkaido resorts, e.g. Niseko, more rounded but you go for the powder.
2 weeks would be enough to get a good feel for the place.
Hi Mike Pow, I still have to email you those awesome powder photos we took last season in Niseko - thanks again for a great few days showing me and Claire around Niseko. Been to Niseko two years running now and thought that we would try somewhere new this season and so we are off to Mammoth Mountain in California. Should be good but I will definitely miss the super dry and light powder that Niseko has to offer!
Have a great season and I'll get in touch with you the next time we are planning a trip to Japan again.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Shades,
Most places in Japan are fascinating IMO, it is a very different place.
It has been a long time since I went skiing there but as has already been said the resorts are small when comparing them to the Alps. At the same time I recall the snow quality was quite often excellent. I also remember it was quite easy to upset ski area management just skiing off the side of the piste, and friends working at other resorts had similar tales.
I think you should consider a bit more of a balance between the skiing and the sightseeing or as saikee suggests visit more than 1 resort.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Here's a short vid and pics from when we went to Japan twice a couple of years back. I loved it. Place like Niseko aren't big, but when it dumps so much, a week is enought o get a feel, and a season would be nice
We didn't get best snow conditions in Hakuba, but terrain was fantastic especially at Happo One, and really enjoyed expance of Shiga Kogen. Lots of places I'd like to visit. Just watch out for teh out of bounds policies at ski areas. Niseko let's you go virtually everywhere, others are equally liberally, but some strictly ban off-piste, which is where the fun is as piste skiing is more limited due to size of hills.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Narita - Narita Express to Tokyo Station - bullet train to Nagano - bus up to Hakuba is actually surprisingly easy. Get a JR East rail pass and you're good to go.
Hakuba offers a lot of variety with regards to resorts and terrain, with Happo One offering the biggest vert and the most relaxed off-piste policy in the area. On a powder day, head to Hakuba Cortina Kokusei and ski the trees but be prepared to have your pass pulled if you get caught. The evening onsen in the Hotel Green Plaza is almost worth the trip alone.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Hornster wrote:
Hi Mike Pow, I still have to email you those awesome powder photos we took last season in Niseko - thanks again for a great few days showing me and Claire around Niseko. Been to Niseko two years running now and thought that we would try somewhere new this season and so we are off to Mammoth Mountain in California. Should be good but I will definitely miss the super dry and light powder that Niseko has to offer!
Have a great season and I'll get in touch with you the next time we are planning a trip to Japan again.
Great to hear from you Hornster.
Try to hit June Mountain when you're in Mammoth.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thanks for al the advice everyone.
Seriously interested in going to Japan now.
Just wondering, how easy is it to travel round Japan independently without reading or speaking Japanese ?
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.
Shades, travel is pretty darn easy, done lots. you soon learn tp pattern-match too! and people are incredibly helpful IMHE
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Shades wrote:
Thanks for al the advice everyone.
Seriously interested in going to Japan now.
Just wondering, how easy is it to travel round Japan independently without reading or speaking Japanese ?
I did just that afew years ago. You can get a JR (Japan Rail) pass for tourists for various durations (I think you have to buy it in the UK before you go). The rail stations have signs with the station name spelt in Romaji (Roman characters), together with in smaller characters the names of the next stations either side (so you can tell if you're travelling in the right direction!)
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Shades, unless you're going to more than one resort, a week will easily be enough for the skiing. I'd suggest spending more time on the culture side.
Personally, without my other half (who is Japanese) I would of found Japan very dis-orientating but because I was with her, I'd mentally switched off in terms of having to organise travel and places to visit. The bullet trains are fantastic and they stop in the stations to within about 1 foot of where they are supposed to. What is even more impressive is being in a station when one comes through at anything near full speed.
The Japanese are very polite and helpful if they can be but you can not assume any English outside of tourist areas.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
but you can not assume any English outside of tourist areas
Actually it's better than that. Since all school children learn English, they do have ok understanding of it. And the younger ones don't yet have inhibition to speak badly formed (still understandable) English.
A few tims I was helped out by some teenage kids...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I went last year for a few weeks on a personal ski and culture tour.
Unfortunately for me it was a very poor ski season in Japan but I still got great skiing in. Hokkaido is great, the resorts and mountains are small but that adds to the charm. Hokkaido has arguably the best powder snow in the world it has also fantastic food. One advantage of the mountains being small is that you can ski powder all day without getting exhausted due to the low altitude. There are also companies like Hokkaido powder guides that organise tours which means that you don't have to be stuck in one resort. You should just look at the average annual snow fall for Hokkaido, if you want powder skiing that should be enough to convince you.
I also went to a few resorts in Honshu. The mountains are generally much bigger there as are the resorts unfortunately due to it being unusually warm the skiing was poor but these mountains have a lot of potential.
The transport network is amazing in Japan I flew to Tokyo ( The Tokyo airports are an hour out of town), stayed for two days then flew to Hokkaido with skymark airlines which was the cheapest. There are regular buses to the main resorts from Sapporo airport. You can also go the whole way by train most of which is on the Shinkansen which is a great way to travel. I returned this way as I made many stops to ski and explore.
If you go you can save a fortune by buying a rail pass before you leave. These are only available in your home country and you can use them on all JR trains, busses and ferries.
You should definitely go, you will not regret it. I did not find it expensive there is for sure many ways in Japan to part with your cash but on the whole it is very reasonable. I also got a very cheap flight from London with British airways but Virgin were also very cheap.
Have a good one
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I almost forgot, when you fly into Tokyo go to one of the many baggage transfer companies and send your ski equipment with them. It is what all the Japanese do. It is very cheap and leaves you luggage free if you want time in Tokyo. You will find your bags when you arrive at your lodgings. They will also pick up at the end of your holiday. This service is fantastic and being Japanese is very reliable.
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?
It's called "bag walkers". An entire network of luggage transport. Convineint to use even with smaller luggages.
Just wondering, how easy is it to travel round Japan independently without reading or speaking Japanese ?
The Japanese rail system is easy enough to follow and restaurants have photographs of their menus making things a little easier. It might be useful to do a bit of research on some of the customs to avoid offending your hosts.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
What Downhill Sailor, said. Black Cat were the firm we used. Fantastic !
And also the food is generally fantastic, incredibly well prwesented. Though you do get a bit sick of boiled, white rice.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
