Snowboarding in Japan
i know the boarder girl in the yellow jacket in that vid /claim
Gamblor, Q. for you.
We are looking at heading to Japan for 13/14 Winter, family holiday.
My beautiful, wonderful wife has suggested that after our third week when some of us have to be home, Wildman and Myself should stay another week so we can can go ride some serious terrain.
If you were us, where would you head? We will hike, but are not mountaineers.
Suggestions?
1) which month are you coming? and where will be your family vacation?
2) define ‘serious’ terrain
3) you can hike but does that mean you have avy gear and know-how? or are you interested in a guided backcountry tour? or something else?
1. January
2. We love it steep
3. No avy gear, we live in Oz, but I have done a course and have some know how. Guided back country sounds good. or something else, being a resort with great slack country or steeps inbounds
January and steep don’t really mix well here as it snows too much. Three weeks is a long time. If I were you I would either do Hokkaido with a week at each at 3 different resorts or Honshuu (Nagano area). Do your research. Rusutsu, Teine is all I can think of off the top of my head. If you do choose Hokkaido I can ask around. Then for your ‘extra’ week, go down to Hakkoda. I know a guy there who does tours and from the photos he puts up it’s on my list for a road trip next winter.
Otherwise, go to Hakuba for a week/10 days, Nozawa Onsen for a few days and Myoko for a week. For your final week I would leave it til the last minute and pick the spot which you liked best or has the best storm coming in. If you want to save money there are plenty of backpacker-type places which just charge 3500/4000yen/person/night for just a bed.
Cheers mate, we will keep researching
I think we will be heading Hokkaido for the family bit. We also want to check out Tokyo.
I like the look of Tomamu. Myoko, we were looking at it on the web, it looked awesome.
So much choice, I feel like a kid in a lolly shop 
tomamu have catski operation. Beware of heli-ops in Japan as they usually suck. You pay 10,000yen to save yourself a 45 minute hike.
Or you could spend the entire four weeks in Hakuba and get to really know the area.
tomamu have catski operation. Beware of heli-ops in Japan as they usually suck. You pay 10,000yen to save yourself a 45 minute hike.
Or you could spend the entire four weeks in Hakuba and get to really know the area.
are you referring to Tsugaike?
Yeah it’s not the best operation, but I thoroughly enjoyed my first chopper ride.
Azz,
Steep inbounds terrain in Japan is hard to come by, don’t expect to find a long steep groomed run. There just isn’t anything that is “scary steep” (I can only speak for Hakuba not Hokkaido)
A lot of the trees in Hakuba are considered out of bounds, at Goryuu/47 they make you sit through a safety course and pay a fee before you are given an arm band which allows you to ride in the designated tree areas. A lot of avy prone terrain in Goryuu’s tree and out of bounds areas has taken a lot of lives, patrol are likely to chase you down and confiscate your pass. (Right up Wilding’s alley I reckon) For some good slack country, hit Happo One and Cortina. Don’t forget to hit Yanaba at night for the terrain park under lights.
If I had 4 weeks, I’d do 5 days at Nozawa for the cultural aspect, 5 days in Myoko for some exploring, and the rest in Hakuba. Or you could base yourself in Nagano City and drive up to each of the hills in a bit over an hour. You’d probably need some Japanese skills though.
I’ve really only explored a little in Myoko Suginohara, still remember one of my favourite pow days there. fresh tracks on every run, even though we were hitting the same line. I’d definitely go back and explore the upper mountain, didn’t have the skills or knowledge back then.
hey kneeboard, thanks for you info
Certainly not expecting long steep groomed runs. We want slack / back country please.
I have been to Niseko a few years ago and enjoyed the Strawberry fields area, but would like a little steeper please.
I have had plenty of mates head to Hakuba and get their passes clipped for skipping ropes.
Try getting your pass yanked on day one, day 2 following over people! 
Azz
i went to hakuba in feb and i loved it mate Cortina is awesome for backcountry to me it looked like trees everywhere no metter what line you pick you end up between trees, i didnt notice much trees in happo one tho i might be wrong….
I’ve seen the heli op at tsugaike and there was also one at sugadaira (but I think it stopped). The problem with the Tsugaike one is that they drop people off with no knowledge or gear in the backcountry above the resort which is unpatrolled. There are avalanches there, and right in front of their eyes is a halfhour hike up to the top, on a slope which slides quite often.
and I’ve said it before on here, but I hope you guys are aware that as soon as you duck a rope, your travel insurance becomes invalid for that run.
the stereotypical aussie in Hakuba is someone sidesliding a steep pow stash, not knowing where they’re going - they just followed tracks in. On the other hand, last season Hakuba was overun with Scandies. The stereotypical scandie is dressed in very expensive one or two block colour euro outerwear like noronna with full gear and an airbag backpack. They know what they’re doing, read the terrain and find all the good stashes in half a day. Since I’m talking about stereotypes, the Scandies also hit the backcountry no matter the conditions and feel secure that if something happens their airbag will save them. French and Russians just go anywhere with or without gear regardless of the consequences 