 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm thinking of going to Japan sometime this winter. I know it's pricey and that they receive silly amounts of snow but would appreciate any tips and advice from visits you may have had about where to go and what it's like. Is it worth the long trip and expense?
I am looking to experience a bit of Japan's culture and cuisine whilst I'm out there and I'll probably travel by myself.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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If you go to the main island, the two resorts to go to are Shiga Kogen (about 4 to 5 hours by car) in Nagano and Naeba in Nigata, where all different areas are well connected by ski lifts. Whereas for Hakuba you have to use the bus connection.
http://www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/
http://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/naeba-e/
For Hokkaido, the place to go are Niseko and Rusutsu. Very nice powder and lots of Aussie in Niseko. Very convenient to get to, direct bus service from airport to the resort in just over 2 hours.
http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/
http://en.rusutsu.co.jp/
January and February good time to go, but try to avoid the week from 21st Jan to 28th Jan 2012 because of Chinese New Year. Japanese do not celebrate Chinese New Year but there will be many Chinese visitors from other countries during that period.
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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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Naeba... Hmmm.... Certainly convenient from Tokyo, but it does draw crowds at the weekends (as to be fair do most Japanese resorts). Naeba always felt one of the more corporate resorts to me ("We are fashion boys!" as their slightly odd slogan used to go).
Hakuba is split up, but there is excellent terrain there. In terms of traditional I'd flag Zao Onsen (great snow monsters) and indeed Nozawa Onsen (great cobbled, steaming village) and smashing Dosojin fire festival on 15 January this year.
Hokkaido has I believe more tour operators offering packages for UK visitors.
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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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I visited Niseko for the first time last season and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I didn't have any time for sightseeing unfortunately, so this was 'just' a ski trip but even without seeing much outside of the resort I thought it was worth making the trip. I wrote up a blog report if you're interested. Heading back for another trip to Niseko next season, and will have some more time in Tokyo for sightseeing before I fly back to the UK.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm also being seriously tempted by Virgin's fares - so the advice is to go before the end of Feb? Assuming wanting to maximise skiing out of Narita I guess that restricts me to Honshu?
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fatbob, If you fly into Narita you would probably be best getting train to Nagano (via Tokyo?) and then looking at Shiga, Myoko, Nozawa, Hakuba, Zao. You could of course look at an additional internal flight up to Hokkaido. Plenty of good skiing in March, but the really heavy snowfalls tend to be in January and February.
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fatbob, what are Virgins fares looking like???
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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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If you are going to Nagano or Nigata by train from the airport, you have to change train at Tokyo Station.
Tokyo Station is huge, getting from one side to another side is a long way. Also, some of the platforms do not have escalators so be prepared to walk up the stairs with your luggage.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| fatbob, what are Virgins fares looking like??? |
£547 for a random date I chose.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Great price for London - Tokyo.
Might still work out cheaper for Hokkaido to go with Korean at 840 quid.
And that's from Cardiff 
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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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A friend of mine is an instructor in Niseko if you want an inside track?
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Hi,
I skied Niseko, Moiwa and Rusutsu on the Island of Hokkaido early Feb 2011, we just missed the big falls that occurred second half of January. But I beleive to be unusual for this part of the world and time of the year experienced quite abit of blue sky sking. We had 2 out of our seven days with aprx 20-30 cm of snow fall. We had an absolute ball. will definitely be going back 2013.
We stayed in Niseko and bused it basically via excellent system that runs through town at about every 15mins a bus goes buy, almost to our front door with many routes I dont think many in area walk far. Found the Japanese very helpful and friendly and prices very reasonable in comparison to australian snow fields. Lift tickets aprx 50-70US per day depending where you ski.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pablito, nozawaonsen has given a number of threads one of which is mine we went to zao and shiga kogen this february, flew into narita train to yamagata via tokyo then bus to zao stayed at lodge scole, highly recommended snow was great as was the skiing,if you want real japan this is a great resort, we then went to shiga by train you go to nagano, the resort is similar to the three valleys in that it's spread out, you can also take the ski bus to see the snow monkeys, we stayed at bersa rooms fantastic food, again great skiing. There are some photos in the media gallery. Iwill try and do apropper trip report. Look at snow japan for info as well
Wish I was back there
Look at finnair for flights to tokyo, they are via helsinki
Written in a cool bar in a hot marrakesh 47c
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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 everyone for the info. I bumped into an Aussie guy today who did a season in Niseko and he advised me to look at getting accomodation with a Japanese family. He said they are easy to find and he paid about 40 A$ a night, which at the time, was less than £20 per night. You get a bit of an insight into the life and culture and to sample home cooked food.
What's the Apres like? Baring in mind I'll probably be going on my own, I wouldn't mind being able to share a beer and chat with someone at a bar, rather than having to go to my room and read a book!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pretty good nightlife in Niseko.
Damn quiet in Furano.
That's my entire knowlage of Japanese apres I'm afraid.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pablito, the Japanese don't seem to go into apres the way they do in Europe, in Zao Lodge Scole has a sitting area with a bar there where a group of Japanese in and we shared a beer with them and some conversation there where also a couple of (single travellers) Aussies who stayed for a few days who where happy to talk and give their experience of the town both had been there before, in Shiga Kogen the Bersa Rooms didn't have a bar so it was limited. However check www.snowjapan.com Shiga Kogen does have a few bars in the main area.
Lodge scole does traditional japanese food, and lots of it, we had dinner there twice, they will do half board there are also places to eat in town, where you will need to use the universal pointing language. Bersa rooms is again Japanese but the food is adventurous by their standards and awesome not that Lodge Scole's isn't i would happily eat at either
You will find that in both resorts there are lots of Japanese hotels and guest houses and a range of prices have a look at the Rakuten site.
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