hammer

Thanks for the replies - lots to think about. Now made a short list of Hakuba, Shiga Kogen and Rusutsu up north.

Thanks for the replies so far - still keen on Hakuba, although regarding your comment about Hakuba not being quiet : do you mean the villages (bars) or that the ski hills/lift lines can get busy? Any suggestions for other resorts - good off piste (without risk of losing lift pass), not too small a ski area with accom near lifts and most importantly not too busy on the hill. Niseko also sounds good (lots of snow/large interlinked ski area), although I understand it can get rather busy and tracked out prety quickly on powder days? Thanks

Hi all - my wife and I are planning our first ski trip to Japan and are looking for some help. We are planning to fly into Tokyo early Jan 2013 and have 6-8 days skiing then visit a few places in Japan. Originally we were planning a Niseko trip but would now prefer somewhere quieter where the powder does not get tracked out quickly and also somewhere that makes us feel like we are in Japan i.e. not rammed with foreign tourists like us. Now looking at Hakuba - we both like powder, trees and open bowls (I'm on telemarks). Are the resorts around Hakuba reasonably quiet - I have heard about