Thundercat

BTW domestic flights aren't really expensive. For example, Tokyo to Sapporo can be as cheap as 9,600Y. Something to think about. I think that even if you had a 21 day pass you'd find that you'll spend most of your time on the train if you hit up all the places you listed above.

must be a pretty sad situation up there if even a MacDonalds is closing down...

I would probably spend a week in the Hakuba area hitting up Goryu, 47, Tsugaike, Cortina etc. I'd spread 10 days over Myoko (Akakan/Onsen, Suginohara), Nozawa and Shiga Kogen depending on the conditions at the time. I'd spend the rest of my time in Hokkaido at Niseko, Rusutsu etc. Where I start would really depend on when my month started. If its from the end of December, I would start in Hokkaido. If the end of the season I would end in Hokkaido... and the middle of the season it wouldn't really matter. I'm the kind of person who prefers to really get into a place so I wouldn't go to al

Hey Idream, the only busier time then those dates are during the Chinese New Year. You might end up paying a bit more but it'll be worth it. Jynxx, it gets damn cold in Canada but it depends on where you are skiing. In Quebec, I remember it being -35 (down to -45 near the end of the day) in Feb. My beard froze into a solid block of ice under my neck warmer. Don't think it's as cold out west. The wind certainly plays a factor and can freeze exposed skin in a matter of seconds if you're not careful... I've had frost bit a few times and it's uber painful, especially on the ears (I once

Yeah man, not only should you make a reservation, you should make it soon! Cheap places fill up fast... last year I had a really hard time finding a cheap place to stay and I was looking in October. The Annupuri Youth Hostel is ok but staying in Hirafu is much better. You won't find anything to do there after the sun goes down. Check the accommodation listing on this site. Also, google Niseko backpacker and you'll get a few more options. I think expecting to pay around 5000Y a night is not unreasonable. When are you going? I'll be heading up there with a crew at the end of Decemb

Best thing to do, if price is a concern, is to go around the shops and try on everything that you want. Think of it like window shopping. Once you've decided on the gear you should check out the rakuten website. Buying it online will save $$. If you are in Australia that won't really be an option though... what are you looking to get?

It's easy to make the argument that gear is expensive here if you don't take the time to look for cheaper stuff. Especially if you buy from retail stores. I'm constantly searching US, CND, and J websites for gear and am sure beyond a doubt that if you factor things like taxes, shipping etc, the prices are exactly the same in each country. Of course sometimes you'll find a great deal because something is on sale, a company is going out of business or whatever but those kind of deals exist in Japan too. It's also true that some gear you simply can't get in Japan but that doesn't mean it's ch

LOL, good point thursday. It's also a law that all passengers must wear seat belts (it's only just been introduced though!)

Look around for cooler stomp pads than that! You pay 30,000 - 90,000Â¥ for a board but 1000Â¥ for a stomp pad is too expensive?

I like to roll onto my stomach (got a little extra padding there so its a comfy way of getting up in deep powder)

Originally Posted By: Go Native In Japan people, including kids, rarely wear bike helmets and I don't think they consider themselves crazy. When I grew up in Aus none of us wore helmets either. People here often don't wear seatbelts in the back seats of cars either and it's not unusual to see kids jumping around in the back or mothers holding a baby in their lap in the front seat. Most Aussies would be aghast to see such things. Personally I like living in a place where there aren't nanny state laws governing nearly your every move and you're not made to feel irresponsible for not taking ev

Back to autumn isn't that bad when a nice swell comes with it (like this weekend in Izu for instance!) Surf and sun tomorrow!

Yep, only leave it off on hot days... pretty sure I boarded every time last year with one as well...

I'm with you on that one GN. That lift was already mental before the new accommodation!

Snow Town Yeti (which is already open if anyone is interested in boarding on slushy daiquiri!)

Originally Posted By: iiyamadude BTW, how exactly do those work? How do they calculate the time? What happens when you go to lunch etc? Mind-block here... Basically, once you pass through the gates one hour is deducted (you can pass through the gates as many times as you want in one hour). When your hour is over and you pass through the gates again another hour is deducted. If you board for 59mins stop for lunch on the hill and then board down the hill an hour later (2 hours on the hill) you'll only be charged for 1 hour because you haven't been through a gate in all that time. Its

I'm not really all that picky. Having spent a few years backpacking (i.e. being homeless) four walls and a bit of floor space is enough. Of course, I prefer all the creature comforts. The one thing that usually puts me off a place is other guests. Rude, dirty, noisy, idiots usually stop me from coming back.

Yeah, its still not that great, is it? But at least most convenience stores handle after hours withdrawls now.

Only weekends and holidays. If for example you get on the highway at 10pm and drive until 12:01am Saturday morning you still get the discount.

No doubt... but even though Kutchan is a tiny backwoods place they see their fair share of foreigners come through with crazy requests. The small backwoods place that I live in isn't so accommodating. I spent an entire morning once trying to send US$ to a UK bank account. I think I'm the first person to have ever made such a request as the entire banking operation came to a screeching halt for about 4 hours. I can understand wanting to take travellers checks to places that might seem unsafe but there is no reason to bring them to Japan. Cash is king. Like Gtrain I remember the da

LOL, in Tokyo it takes 5 - 10 minutes to get anything you want done. In the rest of Japan a half day is a fair estimate especially relating to banking / administrative junk. If you ever end up in places that aren't tourist friendly I think that you might not be able to use them period. (definately not without being charged anyway)

Don't worry MB. The price actually goes down after March 8th. It looks like they're on offer from the beginning of the season. This information is only for Hirafu though... I'm not sure about all mountain passes.

Huh, guess I've been lucky with the places I stay then as it really hasn't changed much over the years. 2004 to 2009 certainly is a long enough time to justify some kind of price increase though. I usually like to look at short term changes when it comes to accommodation. Are there any places in Japan that are as expensive as Niseko? I don't mean specific places but taking the resort as a whole? I know the argument will be that there are still some cheap places to stay but realistically if you don't book them by the end of October you are SOL as there are so few now.

Fuji just got completely covered this weekend. Wish I had a picture to go with it... looking amazing on my bike ride to work!

check their websites. most of them have a bit of English.