Please tell us a bit about yourself
I currently study at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.  I am originally from Hong Kong but have lived in NZ since I was 8. I’m currently 23 years old.　

How did you become interested in working in Japan?
My friend and I did a season at Vail, Colorado a few years back and since then we've always wanted to spend another season at a ski resort. We wanted to go to a ski resort in another part of the world and we've always been interested in the Japanese culture, so we set about organizing work in Japan.

How you got the job?
I mass emailed nearly every single accommodation on SnowJapan and also did some general searching. After email negotiations with a few prospective employers we decided to go with our current employer, Chu Hotel, which is in the Ichinose area in Shiga Kogen.

Did you mail them in English or Japanese?
We emailed in English.

Was there a choice of resorts or did you just apply for a general position?
We had emails of interest from hotels in Naeba and Hakuba also. We were actually prepared to do any work that wasn't dangerous!

Had you skied/snowboarded much before you came?
Yes. I have skied in New Zealand, Vail and Whistler.

Had you heard of Shiga Kogen before you applied?
No.

So what made you choose Shiga Kogen?
We chose Shiga Kogen as it is the largest ski field in Japan and it also took part in hosting the 1998 Winter Olympics.

What kind of jobs are you doing?
Kitchen help (food preparation and washing duties) - I'm in charge of setting up deserts, serving customers, room cleaning, shoveling snow.

Have there been many foreigners turning up to where you work?
So far, we've had 2 gaijins turn up! Most visitors are Japanese.

Yes. The owner is always practicing his English with us!

What kind of work environment is it?
We worked 18 days straight over Xmas/New Years period! Hours were from 7am-8pm with 2 hours break in between. Now that the peak period is over we work 7-9am then 5-8pm on weekdays (unpaid). We get to ski - passes provided by our employer - on our breaks.

There is a bunch of 'obachans' (old ladies) here who come to work every season. They are the main workers so a lot of the work is assisting them. They expect you to work fast and efficient when it is busy. They also expect you to do things the way they show you. But once they see that you know what you're doing, they leave you to it. My Japanese is very limited so charades/sign language is my main form of communication with them.

The work is not hard to pick up and we are happy that we do not have to clean toilets or the public bath house.

Since weekdays are not busy after the peak period, our boss let us take a 4-day trip to Nozawa Onsen for the Fire Festival – an experience not to be missed!

We really enjoyed our trip to Nozawa Onsen. It is an actual village with locals living there year-round, unlike Shiga Kogen.  There were also many natural onsen hot springs dotted around the town and they were all free! We skied deep powder the few days we were there as it never stopped snowing. We also did a bit of off-piste skiing. Compared to Shiga Kogen, Nozawa is not as big. However, it offers variety and a lot of fun.

>> Click here to read more about the Nozawa Fire Festival

We also checked out Naeba (in Niigata) after leaving Shiga Kogen in mid February. Here is my opinion - stay with the ski fields in Nagano! The snow was a lot wetter in Naeba. The slopes were crowded with young snowboarders, the ski area is not as big, and the loudspeakers were constantly blaring out J-Pop. To top off all this, lift tickets were more expensive than Shiga Kogen and Nozawa Onsen.

Back to your work in Shiga Kogen - where did you live?
We lived in the staff dormitory, which consists of many bunk beds. The staff dormitory is on the lowest floor of the hotel. The girls' room is a smaller room off the guys'. It got quite crowded during peak season with the extra part-time workers. The rooms are clean and warm.  We use the public bath house (highlight at the end of the day) along with guests.

How were all the staff at the resort?
All the staff members are very nice. The owners are great and we had fun with the New Years staff who were all college students.

Any interesting experiences?
Overall, the experience has been great. The most memorable experience would have to be New Years Eve. After countdown, fireworks went off and a team of skiers with red torches came down the mountain. Then in Chu Hotel's tradition each member got tackled and held to the ground while everyone else shoved snow in the person's face! After that we rang the bell at the temple and made a New Years wish. Then we all went to have ramen (traditionally Japanese eat soba for New Years, but there isn’t a soba store in Ichinose).

Anything else?
Just a warning for those who like après-ski: there isn't really any nightlife in Shiga Kogen. There's one quiet little bar in our area (Ichinose). Also, I wish I had brushed up on my Japanese so that I could at least have a basic conversation with my co-workers.

Please tell us about Shiga Kogen, the ski resort.  How do you rate it?
Shiga Kogen is big with its interlinked areas. We get beautiful sunshine on some days. However, the snow can be a bit thin in places, especially with the ‘storm troopers’ here. (We call the school groups ‘storm troopers’ as there are a lot of them and they wear identical outfits).  They are high school kids from schools around the area and Tokyo. They can be found in the beginner’s area on weekdays and weekends.

The snow conditions got better in early February and we had some wonderful powder days. We also managed to find off-piste skiing in the trees after 1.5 months of trail skiing!

The village in Shiga Kogen is very quiet. There is not even a ski shop in our area of Ichinose, so make sure you get all your gear from Jimbocho in Tokyo beforehand. Most hotels are family run and the only shops here are convenience stores. There is not a lot to do at night.

How does Shiga Kogen compare with your previous experience skiing in NZ, Vail and Whistler?
Compared to ski areas in NZ, Shiga Kogen is massive. We enjoy the ski-in/out at Shiga Kogen as oppose to having to drive up the mountain everyday.

However, I think I was truly spoilt at Vail. Vail is a lot bigger and higher than Shiga Kogen and the runs are much longer. The tracks were regularly groomed and I loved skiing on the backside of Vail. Off-piste/ tree skiing at Shiga Kogen does exist, but only if you know where to find it. The atmosphere in Vail was great. The village was always bustling with people day and night. There were nice shops, restaurants, ice skate rink, a library and an aquatic centre in Avon. Vail was an actual village, where as Shiga Kogen has hotels dotted along the foot of the ski field. It is very quiet in Shiga Kogen and visitors just stay in their hotels at night.

I made friends from all over the world in Vail. However, most workers and visitors to Shiga Kogen are Japanese.

Compared to Whistler, again Shiga Kogen has shorter runs, is not as big and lacks the atmosphere of a Canadian/US ski resort. However, the snow is dryer in Shiga Kogen than Whistler.

Shiga Kogen is the cheapest ski area out of NZ, Vail and Whistler. Most of the hotels offer ski-in/out at reasonable price. The food is also very reasonable. If you’re looking to get away from highly commercialized resorts and the crowds (but watch out for the ‘storm troopers’), and want to experience a bit of the Japanese culture, come to Shiga Kogen.

Which is your favourite resort area of Shiga Kogen?
My favourite resort area of Shiga Kogen would have to be Yakebitaiyama. The trails there are long and wide. Ichinose is a beginner’s area, whereas Yakebitaiyama offers more challenge to intermediate/advance skiers. Boarders – please be aware that the Okushiga resort is a skiers-only area.  I managed to explore all areas of Shiga Kogen with our 9-5pm breaks during weekdays.

Thank you for your time Eunice!