BakCntrySkier

Hey all, Does anyone know of any wilderness first aid certification course in English here on the Island of Japan? Thank you in advance.

Last day here at Happo. First wind and now rain. The mountains are awesome. Can't say the same for the village. The place looks beat!

Send some of that snow to Osaka! This is not a very snowy city apparently.................ahhhhh! I was drooling over the news when they showed the snow in Yamanashi.

I just hope some of that snow is falling on Happo too. Going at the end of this month for a couple of days!

Thanks for all the replies. A pension or perhaps a camping area with optional tours might be a nice option. I will look into it.

I have to admit I'm a bit jealous! lol

This would be my target market, at least until my Japanese improves. Exactly! Well said! Why do you hate the gaijin run ski tours?

That is one of my concerns. My Japanese isn't all that great. I need my wife to handle our adventures to city hall. I would be lost without her I'm afraid. I wonder if a partnership with a native speaker might be worthwhile. Thanks for your reply by the way.

Let me rephrase that. Could you point out anything to be aware of that is uniquely Japanese? I'm looking for any firsthand experiences/advice that foreigners who have started a business here might have.

Alright, I can't do the English teaching thing anymore! It's driving me bonkers and it's only been six months! Is there anyone who started their own business here in Nihon? If so, could you point out anything to be aware of? I want/need to make the mountains my office and ditch this cubicle. AHHHHHHH! I'm looking at starting a hiking tour / photo tour business.

Apu Kannabe?

I've been visiting some Kansai areas ( which are seriously lacking reviews and photos ) and posting some keitai pics and reviews. Just went to Oku Kannabe and Manba today. Review coming in a few days.

Yeah…..why do they do that? I going back to the states to record a day of skiing as it should sound (in my humble opinion) and just play it on my iPod when I'm skiing here.

If you want to try online shops from the U.S. I would go with Backcountry dot com. I found that many brands can't be shipped to Japan from the states. I know that Dalbello and Tecnica can be shipped here. I just bought a new pair of Dalbello Scorpion SF 130's and they arrived very fast. Just be prepared to pay import taxes at the time of delivery.

Very cool. Glad you have a skijo nearby to go to on a consistent basis.

Is it Fujimidai?

I had a now show-student so I came to check out some photos. My heart is pounding at the sight of all that snow! Nice shots!

Thank you and your wife for that information. I will look into that as well. I will check out Hakuba on the map and start searching for a suitable place to camp. Your'e idea of staying at a backpacking hostel is a good idea for the first trip. I'm glad you are no longer a lurker in these forums! I have to say I'm impressed by the sense of community on this site. I always thought that skiers and riders were the best kind of people but I am just blown away by everybody's willingness to help. I don't know how to thank you all properly but I will promise to post photos (I specialize in advent

Hey all, I was wondering if anyone has info on Mt. Ibuki in Shiga? I'm looking to make this my first BC excursion here in Japan. I understand there is a defunct ski area on it and it seems to be a somewhat popular place for some turns. The rest of the upper mountain looks pretty steep and avalanche prone. Is there someone here with first hand experience on the mountain in winter? I have seen quite a few photos and it looks like the winter weather gets pretty intense up there. Also any info about any other mountain in the Kansai area would be appreciated. Thanks for any advice.

Wow! Thank you all so much for the advice. Until I can convince my wife to move to Nagano I will be taking a bus since it is cheapest. Someday I hope to get a car here but that might be a few years down the road. I think my weekend trips will have to be in Shiga at places like Okuibuki and Hyounosen area in Hyogo. Thanks for answering my camping question too. I'm pretty much a ghost when it comes to camping so I can avoid those funny looks. Nothing like a ski in/out campsite!

Thank you. I will look into that. I have been hearing from others as well that the bus might be the best way to go. Oh and I forgot to ask another question. Is it frowned upon (or illegal) to just camp out near the ski resorts here? It's my usual habit to ski and camp wherever I go.

Hey everyone, I recently arrived in Japan and I'm looking forward to this winter season. I was wondering if anyone has information about transportation options from Osaka to Nagano or Gifu or even other places? Is there anything cheap? I'm really interested in getting to Shiga Kogen or Hakuba this season. It seems traveling here is a bit expensive though. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.