My first time skiing was a family holiday to Canada when I was young. Loved it but it was another 9 years before I could really afford to go again. Being in Japan now, I am looking forward to next season already.
Funny how some close earlier than you think they should and others stay open longer than perhaps they should, or at least with the ticket prices they charge - thinking Nozawa.
I used them this winter. They might have been cheap, but you could tell. Don't know if it was just my flight or bad timing or something, but it was a shabby service.