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Our Eclipse restaurant in Hakuba Luna Hotel has a special new years eve dinner - 4 or 6 courses plus a glass of bubbly for 3200 yen and 4200 yen respectively. See the Hakuba Luna Hotel Facebook page for more information.

Originally Posted By: nzweebs arrive end of feb (have allready booked flights), 12 nights Hakuba riding the various fields, Followed by 4 days Nozawa, I am keen to book in a few weekends as I hear that accomodation can get booked out pretty easy I don't think there would be too many places in Hakuba COMPLETELY booked out in late February. You're options may be reduced, but you should be OK.

I used the Head Station tune up service earlier in the season. It wasn't cheap but the tune up was excellent.

Originally Posted By: Mamabear http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/31/3104548.htm?section=justin Quote: An avalanche has buried four ski patrol officers in western Japan. The four men are patrol staff at a ski resort and were checking a slope after reports of a snow slide. A government official says they were swept away and buried by an avalanche while on Mount Daisen in the western Japanese prefecture of Tottori. Sad news. Very sad news indeed. The fact that it was inbound on a shallow slope is a timely reminder that there is always a degree of risk in what we l

Originally Posted By: thursday Not naming places, but friends have booked some really pricey places. I was rather shocked when they said 150,000 for an apartment per NIGHT. I'm so glad to have booked 3man per night at my fav hotel. I stayed at a place in Niseko (not naming names) in 2008. Was planning to stay there again in 2009 but they hiked the prices by more than 50% (!!!) so I took the family to Hakuba instead. We prefer Hakuba so in future we're likely to be spending more time there than in Niseko.

Originally Posted By: Black Mountain 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? Skis and ski boots for two people plus skis, ski boots and snowboard boots for another person. We were planning to buy the ski boots in Oz to ensure they're fitted properly. What is the fitting service like in Tokyo

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver Was just up in the Snow district of Tokyo today having a look around. Its in the Ochanomizu/Jimbocho/Kanda area of Tokyo. Accessed from all 3 stations, although I would say Ochanomizu station is the closest to the shops. Many large and small shops with loads of gear on offer. Are there any shops that you'd particularly recommend? How do prices and product range in Tokyo compare to Australia and Hakuba?

Originally Posted By: Mamabear Originally Posted By: RobBright Originally Posted By: thursday how do you manage to walk the dog 3 times a day? once in the morning for an hour and twice in the evening for an hour. Goodness. You must have a dog that needs a lot of exercise, or else the poor dog is being dragged around the block. My pair have a fit if I take them for more than half an hour once a week - nature of the Greyhound though - less than a minute sprint once a week is enough thanks - then let me lay on the couch Literally - I took the male for a run and was gone for

First one was Niseko, which was great however these days I think I prefer Hakuba.

January is usually extremely reliable. Any time from late December onwards should be great.

Originally Posted By: thursday Don't think there are direct flights to Hokkaido fom Singapore. So best bet would be a Honshu resort from Tokyo. You may wish to read up on snow conditions for your intended time. This is good advice. I suggest you start with Hakuba. You'll get plenty of very good information. You can then check out other resorts if you wish.

Originally Posted By: stemik Happo will have early bird season passes for the first time. 55,000yen They will also be doing a weekday season pass and a kids season pass. Early bird passes are available from October 1st to October 31st. Do they have to be bought in person or can you buy them other ways (e.g. online etc.)?

Classic Stuff MO!

It's gotta be Seven Sunny Days Awesome stuff!!!

A friend who knows what they're doing will probably teach you the basics reasonably well, but they'll probably also let you develop some bad habits (probably because they won't notice them). If you can afford it, professional instruction is the way to go.

Hirafu is still the best bet in Niseko. Things may change a little over the next few years.

SilverStar, Canada would have to be very near the top of my list

The Vale, Niseko is probably a good option. Brand new (should be finished in time for the season), very luxurious and definitely ski-in ski-out.

Originally Posted By: stemik Originally Posted By: 2pints,mate If only they did a Hakuba valley season pass. Now that would be good. They actually do but only for a selected few local kids and the the lucky 300 in the Happy 7 lottery. I had one last year. What's the Happy 7 lottery? Where can I find out more about it?

Hi Perty, Given your stated preferences, I'd suggest Hakuba rather than Niseko. In my experience Hakuba has almost as much snow as Niseko, but has a much higher frequency of Bluebird days. There is some very high standard accommodation available in Hakuba.

Generally speaking the snow conditions in Hakuba are great from mid December through until the end of March. You can ski outside this time (from the beginning of December through until early May sometimes), however the place starts to shut down well before May. The best place to stay depends on what you most value. If you value convenience to the nightlife and don't mind having to go by hotel/shuttle bus to and from the snow each day, then stay in Echoland. If you value convenience to the snow and don't mind catching a shuttle bus to the centre of town, then stay somewhere in the Wad