JAPAN 2012 / 2013
Hopefully I am going to start organizing my trip when I get back from USA, I am planing to go in feb.
Is anyone else going around that time ?
It would be great to go in a group down and do some shredding.
Hopefully I am going to start organizing my trip when I get back from USA, I am planing to go in feb.
Is anyone else going around that time ?
It would be great to go in a group down and do some shredding.
Just about everyone on this forum is going to be there in February.
I won’t be but I’m planning on being there for a fair chunk of January 
Hopefully I am going to start organizing my trip when I get back from USA, I am planing to go in feb.
Is anyone else going around that time ?
It would be great to go in a group down and do some shredding.
Just about everyone on this forum is going to be there in February.
I won’t be but I’m planning on being there for a fair chunk of January
Yeah I thought that would be the case, just got to see who is going where and dates that are going.
Dave have u booked anything yet ?
Hopefully I am going to start organizing my trip when I get back from USA, I am planing to go in feb.
Is anyone else going around that time ?
It would be great to go in a group down and do some shredding.
Just about everyone on this forum is going to be there in February.
I won’t be but I’m planning on being there for a fair chunk of January
Yeah I thought that would be the case, just got to see who is going where and dates that are going.
Dave have u booked anything yet ?
Pretty sure Mizu and gang have posted an itinerary on here.
Nah I haven’t booked anything yet, patiently waiting to see if any flight sales come up for early January which may not happen.
Accommodation wise I can leave that until later, I just need to work out whether I’m travelling solo or with others.
Yah I know what you mean I am thinking of going second week of feb, like I told you before I am going with a mate and you are more then welcome to come with us however I know you are restricted with work and month you can go. If my dates change I will let u know.
Over the last 8 years I’ve been through Japan a fair bit and visited some pretty random places. So i thought I’d post up a few of them with some photos and a bit of info about the different places. At last count there was 600 resorts and fields throughout Japan but most people seem to limit themselves to just a handful of them - so hopefully this will get people out and about and explore a bit. I’ll try and do one every day or so.
First up: Furano
Furano is situated pretty much in the centre of Hokkaido roughly about 2hrs from Sapporo. Like most places in Japan it’s super easy to get to. Bus is probably the easiest, the train is ok, but a bit of a pain because you need to change station halfway. Just check out the many snow websites or ask a travel agent for more info.
Furano itself is pretty cool, it’s a really laidback ski village with the usual pensions, hotels and bars, plus cool restaurants, ice bars and noodle joints and even a brewery which is definitely worth spending an arvy at. From memory there are even a few cheese factories and farms. The ski area is split into two main areas the “Furano zone” and “Kitanomine zone” which are easily accessible. To be honest the terrain is pretty mellow with wide open runs and plenty of room and would suit beginner/intermediate riders, and from memory there’s a very small park with a decent halfpipe. There are one or two black runs, but nothing too out of control. As far as out of bounds and tree runs - it’s pretty much nil. Ducking ropes is seriously frowned upon (like most Japanese resorts) and your pass will be taken. So if you’re used to belting around where ever you want, then you might look elsewhere. But it’s definitely worth it if you’re a beginner or want to introduce a significant other or first timers to Japan and the snow.
Snow wise it’s still pretty good, with the usual stupid amount of snow, but because of its location, the weather tends to roll in every day or two, rather than just pour snow all day every day like it does on the west coast of Hokkaido. It does get bloody cold though with temps getting down to -20 and lower when I was there.
Worth checking out, is a nearby ski field called Kamui. Last time I was there, you received one free day there on your Furano lift pass. It’s about an hour trip by bus but is definitely worth it. It is relatively small, but they’re pretty liberal when it comes to out of bounds and tree runs. There are some awesome gondola lines – but watch out for these spikey assed rose bush things – they really really hurt. Hot tip: steer clear of eating at the top of the hill. Last time I was there it was run by a dodgy bloke from Melbourne who made the worst food I have ever tasted and the toilets looked like a scene from the first Saw movie. To find out bus times and cost – visit the tourist centre which is located under the main gondola on the Furano side of the mountain.
Another great thing about Furano is the downtown area which is about 2.5kms away, which can be accessed by loop bus, cheap taxi ride or adventurous saki infused stagger. The town is full of restaurants, bars and also has a good supermarket and a post office/bank. There is also a movie theatre, bowling alley and a timezone style place. Also a few sports shops and hardware stores, plus the usual kooky souvenir shops and pachinko halls. So if you want to take the day off, there is plenty to do. I think you can also plan a few day trips to farms and the like, just go visit the info centre, they’ll have it all there.
Specs:
957m vertical drop
10 lifts including the fastest cable car in Japan
Over 23 trails – longest is 4km ish
* Please don’t rely on this as gospel truth, things might have changed – visit their website or talk to a travel agent first!
Kamui
Furano
Bowling Alley
Ramen - the food of gods
Cool idea Howdy!!!!! 
Nice Captain. It always worries me a bit about the whole ‘no off piste’ thing at some of their resorts…. to me it would be like going to the Whitsunday Islands up here in Qld and not being allowed to go to the beach!!! what the???!!
Nevertheless, I’m still stoked to go and explore but will definitely factor in the off piste friendly resorts.
Most ski resorts in Japan are in national forests which, like ours, are protected. So they don’t want hordes of boarders barreling through them. Also in some religions (so i have been told) some think the trees are spirits and it’s sacred or spiritual. Also there’s always the chance of avalanches and getting lost etc…. The bigger more westernized resorts have succumbed to outside influence and have started turning a blind eye to people ducking ropes and have started bulldozing trees to make way for new runs which has been met with frowns from the older generation.
Shiga Kogen
Shiga Kogen is in the Nagano Prefecture close by to Nozawa and Hakuba and a bunch of other smaller resorts and fields. Shiga Kogen is awesome. It is one of the biggest ski fields on the planet with 19 ski areas, 47km of ski lifts, over 400ha of skiable terrain, 3 gondolas, 1 tram, over 60 lifts and they are all accessible on 1 lift ticket – yes one ticket…. The terrain varies from beginners to expert with all sorts of craziness in between. To get from one side to the other via the circle bus takes about an hour - it’s crazy.
You can get to Shiga Kogen pretty easily via the Shinkansen from Tokyo, then bus from Nagano which drops you pretty much at your door. If you want to go in style, there is a taxi service called Chau’s (google it) that picks you up from the airport and drops you at your hotel. It takes a bit longer, but it’s a good way to see the country and the driver often drops past his favourite road stops for a stretch. Japanese public transport is mint. It is so easy to get around. If you’re lost, just ask someone and they’ll do everything in their power to help. You can’t go wrong.
Thing is about Shiga is the randomness of the place. Apparently in the big 80’s boom, ski fields just cropped up everywhere. So Shiga is pretty new in the scale of things and looks just like it was built overnight. The main area for accommodation is in the Ichinose area, but you’ll find places to stay at the base of most of the mountains. Pretty much all of the accommodation is massive hotels, all one after the other in a line, which is very different to the winding streets and old school feel of Nozawa Onsen round the corner. Most places to eat and drink are located at the base of these massive hotels with one or two stand-alone bars and restaurants dotted about. From what I found, there wasn’t much in the way of clubs and monster parties. So if you’re looking to go bar hopping and dancing till the wee hours, then this place probably isn’t for you. But there are plenty of cool places to get a beer and eat. I recommend the Izazkaya at the base of the Hotel Dairoku or the Himalayan curry joint that has a half a VW coming out the wall. Personally I like to explore – so normally me and the lady just walk around till we find something cool.
Snow wise, like all of Japan there is no problem. Terrain wise there is everything. Massive runs, crazy small tree lined cat tracks that link mountains, bridges to cross, hairy one seater lifts, random t-bars and one run even takes you down the down ramp of a car park. There is also a huge tram that takes you over this massive jaw dropping gulley. Shiga is also one of the highest ski areas in Japan, with the furthest, Mountain Shibutoge Ski Area, hitting well over 2000m. The place is so much fun to explore and I never had a problem going off piste. Although they don’t like you hitting gondola and lift lines even though they are not roped off – so watch out for that. Terrain park wise - I never saw one, but then again I don’t do parks so I wasn’t looking, but I’m sure there is something, somewhere.
Tips:
Like everywhere in Japan - take money. The only place to get money is at a post office waaaay over at the base of the tram. But it’s heaps of fun to get over there by board, so it ain’t so bad.
Two of the areas are ski only, can’t remember which ones, but check. Doesn’t matter because there are stupid amounts of terrain anyway.
Take a map! Also make a note of the bus schedule, because if the lift closes and you’re way over the other side, the bus might not rock up for a bit.
That’s about it. Shiga rules. Go there.
i always left the window open just a little hoping we’d find a monkey - but nothing
off piste
connecting cat tracks between mountains
massive cues 
Shiga has skier-only areas so they will not get a single yen from me! 
there are another 17 odd areas to explore. and tbh the ski only areas are pretty rubbish
going to niseko Jan 7 til jan 25th woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
going to niseko Jan 7 til jan 25th woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
shiga kogen is where the real playaz will be
Like last year i will be frequenting the virtually Westerner free (except for ourselves) resorts around sapporo. I will be drinking beers from vending machines and using the rediculously small modesty towel onsens from the 30th of jan to the 14th feb. Cant wait!!