Davo

How about "Ero Hage". You must have heard that one from the ladies mate.

I guess any place where the door pimp or the girl in the window is saying "maido!" or something to that effect. Assuming you have any stamina left after all the "gajin dame!" and crossed arm rejections it could be a knocking good time.

There's always a knocking shop close by in Osaka Tubby! In Umeda area Higashi Dori is worth a look for eating, drinking and people watching. Also, the new JR station building has lots of good restaurants, plus if it's warm enough there is an open air area at the top with OK views which you can enjoy with beers purchased from the conbeni up there. The Hep5 ferris wheel is pretty cheap and gives you a good view. Shinsaibashi Amemura area is worth checking out and from there go north to Minami Semba for some good shopping with plenty of places to eat around both areas. This is all pretty

She must have known what that means. Either way, what a dumbass.

I tip my hat to your mottainai spirit sir. I often get hassled by the wife and kids for wearing socks with holes in them but now we don't live in Japan I think it simply doesn't matter. My running shorts are a pair of boardies I got back in 2000 and they are great. For snowboarding kit the only thing I have remaining from when I started in 1998 is a pair of old Burton mittens which are pretty broken arse to look at but still amazingly functional and trustworthy in any conditions. I love them enough to sew up holes on them in order to keep them going. In the case of boots and bindings though I

I did for the first time last year for a large chunk of January. Was moving out of the house and wanted the key money back! This year, well...I mowed the lawn last week and felt that was enough for the time being.

Would be cool to have both options. Was always envious of skiers skinning up the mountain when I was in snowshoes or bootpacking it.

For backcountry in Hakuba go to the top of Happone or Goryu and hike out. The sky is the limit but obviously some good local knowledge and a safe approach are essential for these options. For easily resort accessed side country I think anywhere is fine. Helps to have a clear day for scoping it out. Goryu/47 have traditionally been pretty inflexible about sidecountry but that may have changed.

I am slightly shorter and lighter than you guys. Also used to ride 161 length boards but graded up to a 163 Option as my technical skills improved. Fine for any conditions in Hakuba from piste to deep powder and tight steep tree runs. At your height and weight a shorter length board could be an impediment, particularly if you are riding deep powder conditions such a 30-50cm overnight dump with the snow still falling.

Mate, reading your post inspired me to stop lurking and post on SJ for the first time in a while. I used to catch the night bus (and prior to that the now defunct JR train) from Osaka to Hakuba heaps up to about 10 years ago. Many good memories of those times despite the whole bus thing getting pretty old after doing it up to 10 times a season... Anyways I asked my wife to do a bit if a search for bus companies and a Japanese site called Bus Channel showed a company called Orion offering one way trips from Osaka to Hakuba Goryu for 5,500 yen. That was about the cheapest range of price that

Quite easy to get to Hakuba from Nagoya on JR express trains. I think your best deals would be about $150 per night for the family even going backpacker styles.

Haven't been to Biwako with the kids but it's a viable daytrip on the train from Osaka. Quite spectacular with a cable car ride up the mtn which overlooks the lake. Other advantages are you can stop off in Kyoto onthe way home and it's OKish for adults to ski/board. Rokko was great for my girl- went when she was 3 and there are fun sledding and play areas. Most accessible from Osaka, just a 25 min bus ride up the mountain from the train station. Strictly for the kids and no viable adult skiing unless you are an absolute beginner- not that cheap either. Hachi Kogen is the best as ther

looks like the DPJ has limpwristedly let the captain off- amusing to see Ishihara choking on his own bile over it

just sounds like a complete mess and lost showcase opportunity given that India is on the rise as an economic power. Shame, China must be having a good laugh when comparing this to their Olympic fiesta.

Kansai Scene magazine covers Osaka and they have an online version

Just means not hitting crust or ice layer I reckon- that could be bollocks deep, knee deep or less. If your starting point is in the high alpine then chest deep is likely to be a bit much and knee deep or less will do just fine.

Well it was pretty good on Saturday until lunchtime- after that at Cortina the powder got pretty heavy going for the most part. Sunday after the 0cm of powder reported overnight it was epic at Tsugaike where I was. All powder and only touching the crust hiding below periodically. Even when the snowfall shows 0cm this may not mean much if you're looking at what happens further up. All the powder I am reporting is below 1700m, so I think anyone who bothered hiking an additional 500m or more would have been well rewarded. Can't have knee deep powder down to the valley floor everyday in Haku

Was planning to go up for the game but other things got in the way. Regretting now cos I won't be able to watch it on TV even, not on J-sports just Wow-Wow I think.

I like the way ANZAC day has become important for younger people. When I was young it seemed like an oldies thing and kind of conservative or reactionary, therefore the message didn't really get through as it should have. Now it's really about paying respect to the very young people who have fought and died rather than being about 'the establishment'. Actually, it's always been about that but these days it's presented more clearly in that respect-good thing.

It's a tough one and in a lot of respects you just have to deal with it living in apartments. I used to have a neighbour laying down his lame vocals to beats upstairs from me "Taninimachi-ni-chome kara!,," That was in a city apartment and I used to make as much noise as I wanted as well. Now, with two kids we are worried about the noise they make and always try to stop them creating a racket. When the people upstairs moved in they came to say hello and apologised in advance for the noise their three boys aged 1-4 would make. They were clearly relieved to see we had a baby and toddler an

Nice pictures. I especially like the sight of those lines concentrated together where some lucky hiking crew have hit the southside.

Could be tough at that time of year. Check Biwako Valley or Hachi-Kogen, but I think they may be closed by then. JTB in JR Osaka station is one place to ask about daytrip deals and may hve some staff that speak English.

Nice mate- am stoked to see the mountains doing it for everyone up there. This is off Happone right?

Plenty of these lightweight travel advertising articles in newspapers these days. Must be a crossover from airline magazines. Happo does deserve credit for being less uptight than other resorts.

Sweet intro to the snow and good to hear you got a bit powder in such a bad year. I'd second Stemik on the Iwatake tip if it's a good snow year. Only been there once but the tree runs were great.