JAPAN 2013/2014
Oh?
I saw some chat on FB that said she was thinking of Niseko…
But anyway my point still stands that Lamdan wants to go to Niseko!
And a flight one way on JAL was $600 when Dylan looked it up on the weekend…
OUCH!
$600 is good!!!!!
Is that to Tokyo or Sapporo?????
Does that include Board in the Luggage?????
So, lano!!!!!
My “Tips” for Nozawa!!!!! (May differ from others opinions)
Must eat places - Yoshimi Soba (Best Soba Noodles ever, and while I didn’t have it there, the Shabu Shabu looked awesome for a group meal, and I’m pretty sure you’ll have to pre-book it a day before as the meat is freshly brought in), Also the Big Dude that runs/owns it with his Mum and Dad is a top bloke and really friendly!!!!! * If ya like Sake, get the Barrell Ladled Sake in the Masu Cups!!!!! And eat the Fried Wasps for the experience!!!!!
Akabitei Cheap and really good Okonomiyaki cooked by a guy that’s done nothing but cook Okonomiyaki his whole life!!!!!
* You will hear recommendations for Wakagiri, but in my honest, I reckon it was a little over hyped, friendly service but the food was so so!!!!!
Billiken Good Pizza, but their Stir Fried Pork Kimchi was the Bomb, and at the regal price of 600Y!!!!!
Ogama Cooking Onsen This is a MUST DO, and while out of the two shops that have Eggs/Corn/Red Bean Treats in Leaves, the Dodgy Lookin one that is run by a dude wearin tracky pants and wearin a fur hat is the go!!!!! Ya sit around the heater that’s under a table, and peel ya eggs and eat them with no more than salt!!!!! Corn too, just plain salt!!!!! Costs around 100Y for either and I’d happily pay 10 times that!!!!!
While the Steamed Buns are sold everywhere, the best one is in the heart of the village, and sells the most variety’s (The one in DRC’s pic) * I wasn’t a real fan of the Nozawana Buns!!!!! (Nozawana is a green vegetable that the Villagers pride themselves on, but the only way I found them of any taste value to me was at Yoshimi Soba, and they were Pickled!!!!!!
* Make sure ya do grab an Apple from the Apple Shop as they are THE BEST!!!!!
Also near the Ogama Cooking Onsen, there is a little Coffe Shop that sells handmade pottery!!!!! The Coffee is really good and is served with Manju (Red Bean Paste Bun), and although the Elderly Couple that own/run it seem cold at first, they are really friendly once ya start to talk about their pottery!!!!! Hahahaaa!!!!!
On the mountain, we found that the eatery at the top of the Nagasaka Gondora is the go!!!!! While upstairs is busy and has a great variety, the Pastry/Soup Shop downstairs is awesome!!!!!
** Also if you guys are there when they have their Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival), make sure that ya go down to the Yakitori/Sake Party (It’s down the same street as Akabitei, as they have Free Sake and 100Y Yakitori Skewers of Chicken and Smoked Sausage!!!!! Plus it’s a really friendly atmosphere with the Locals!!!!! * It is not advertised so make sure that ya ask the people that run ya accomo if it’s on!!!!!
* Your accomodation will also supply Umbrellas!!!!! Use them, as most often or not when it is pukin on the mountain, it is raining in the village, or pukin itself all over you!!!!!
- Now for tips on the mountain!!!!!
If ya get Freshies down low, first thing to do is hit the black steeps around the base of the resort first up!!!!! The top of the hill (And where the good Tree Runs are) will stay nice and fresh due to the elevation, even if it gets tracked out a little before ya get there!!!!!
Be very aware of the gradients around the mountain when ya on the lifts!!!!! There are some real flat spots that will catch ya out, and some of them are Traverse City once ya in them!!!!!
* If ya gonna go to see Jigokudani (The Snow Monkey Park), I’d seriously do it on a weekend, and preferably a Sunday, as Nozowa can get super super busy on the groomers on a weekend!!!!!
_ Kubota Yo (I think that’s right?????) is the local beer/sake/snack shop so that is a given!!!!!
If I think of anythin else, I’ll be sure to add to it!!!!! That’s if any of this crap is of use to ya?????
Bumped this to the top!!!!!
Oh?
I saw some chat on FB that said she was thinking of Niseko…
But anyway my point still stands that Lamdan wants to go to Niseko!
And a flight one way on JAL was $600 when Dylan looked it up on the weekend…
OUCH!
$600 is good!!!!!
Is that to Tokyo or Sapporo?????
Does that include Board in the Luggage?????
How is it good when you can get the fare I keep banging on about for 10,000 yen!
That $600 was tokyo to sapporo!
Oh?
I saw some chat on FB that said she was thinking of Niseko…
But anyway my point still stands that Lamdan wants to go to Niseko!
And a flight one way on JAL was $600 when Dylan looked it up on the weekend…
OUCH!
$600 is good!!!!!
Is that to Tokyo or Sapporo?????
Does that include Board in the Luggage?????
How is it good when you can get the fare I keep banging on about for 100,000 yen!
That $600 was tokyo to sapporo!
Hence my Question!!!!!
$600 for Tokyo to Sapporo is nothin short of a ripoff!!!!!
Ohh, and 100,000 Yen is dearer than $600 AU to!!!!! (At the moment anyways) 
Doh - too may zeros!
its 10,000 yen! (so just over $100 AUD)
and too many posts…
.
You havin one of those days, ozzy?????
Good advice Mizu!
Nozawa is a great little village which is especially pretty at sunset and when it’s puking down fat flakes (which it did for most of my visit)
I tried as many different onsens as possible while there (from memory there’s something liek 13 free public onsens). They vary greatly in temperature. Be aware that they are very traditional onsens used by all the Japanese locals so you do get a mad rush when they knock off work. One got so crowded that I was litterally rubbing bums with a ~6y/o boy as we were both scrubbing on the side of the onsen. In Australia it would be considerered a little creepy but over there nobody thinks twice. You supply your own soap and bucket in some cases, scoop water from onsen but be careful not to splash any soap into the onsen.
Yeah, as a general rule the temperature of the Onsens gets cooler the further away from the source, which starts at The Ogama Cooking Onsens at the top!!!!! So further down the village, the cooler they tend to be!!!!!
And while some do have cold water taps to cool things down, it’s kinda frowned upon by the Hardcore Onseners!!!!!
Thanks to you both (mizu and drc) i have saved printed it out .
And while some do have cold water taps to cool things down, it’s kinda frowned upon by the Hardcore Onseners!!!!!
Haha speaking of which I knew this “rule” so was sitting by myself in a steaming hot onsen starting to hit struggle town “airing” every couple of minutes but refusing to taint the onsen with the cold water tap.
At about the stage I’d hit medium-well done an old Japanese bloke comes in, dips his foot in, shakes his head and mumbles something a long the lines of “too hot” and cranks the cold water tap! 
Thanks to you both (mizu and drc) i have saved printed it out .
No worries mate, I quite enjoy reflecting on my time there.
And while some do have cold water taps to cool things down, it’s kinda frowned upon by the Hardcore Onseners!!!!!
Haha speaking of which I knew this “rule” so was sitting by myself in a steaming hot onsen starting to hit struggle town “airing” every couple of minutes but refusing to taint the onsen with the cold water tap.
At about the stage I’d hit medium-well done an old Japanese bloke comes in, dips his foot in, shakes his head and mumbles something a long the lines of “too hot” and cranks the cold water tap!
Hahahaaa!!!!!
Thanks to you both (mizu and drc) i have saved printed it out .
Cause it seems like y’all interested in a stalking a Tobi…. 
Pretty sure she said that she was stayin on Honshu anyways!!!!!
Oh?
I saw some chat on FB that said she was thinking of Niseko…
But anyway my point still stands that Lamdan wants to go to Niseko!
And a flight one way on JAL was $600 when Dylan looked it up on the weekend…
OUCH!
Don’t really have a plan as of yet however will be meeting up with some guys from NYC that I met in Chile last month and hitting up Niseko & Rusutsu with them for about a week. Will head to Hakuba also.
Need to to pull out the snow Japan book I have and start planning I guess.
A friend who has spent a fair whack of time in Japan (who’s coming along) advised on the weekend that STA Japan usually has some fairly cheap deals Tokyo > Sapporo however it requires either decent Japanese or good google translate skills.
Anyway, I’ll work it out later.