Blair
-
Content Count
86 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Never
Posts posted by Blair
-
-
Dear white-void
The nearest place I understand to be affected is Tokamachi, which is a 60-90 minute drive northwards from the Joetsu region.
-
Hello charlotte
As far as I can tell the earthquakes have not affected the resort structurally - facilities are all fine and the runs on the mountain as well.
There have been a few cancellations given that the resort is within Niigata Prefecture, but to be fair the Joetsu region in the south did not feel the impact the way the Chuetsu region did.
I live down in the Joetsu valley and we have been able to remain in our homes, with water, electricity and gas supplies unaffected.
I feel very sorry for what has happened in the Chuetsu region and trust that people there will be able to return to a regular life sooner instead of later.
-
Hello merryJim
Thanks for the question - off the top of my head the night hotel guys put in long hours.
I usually bump into them just before 3 PM as they are showing up for their shift to start at 4PM. They then work officially until 10 AM the following morning but have been known to keep at it until the early afternoon on busy days...
-
Dear Karnidge
It really depends on what part of the season you are talking about, type of staff member(full time or seasonal worker) and time of the week for that matter.
Staff tend to use the facilities when the resort is quiet, and work when it is busy.
Personally, I find that full timers tend to view the resort as a place of work, while the seasonal workers can instead afford to have a "work to ride" mentality.
Blair.
-
It's nice to see that powder hounds are beginning to wake up again following the annual summer hibernation!
To briefly answer some of the questions so far:
1. Shift rotas depend on many variables, both controllable(number of staff available) and non-controllable(weather). During peak season though when the snow hits, it is an "All Hands on Deck!" type of job;
2. Graveyard shifts are popular with the true powder hounds, who love to squeeze in some snow either before or after their shift. One of the reasons the resort kept "Nighta" operations going was to keep such powder hound staff through the season; &
3. All staff are permitted to ride/ski on a complimentary basis, except on certain blackout dates during peak season when the mountain is reserved exclusively for guests.
-
Hi Curt
Quite a bit depends on the type of visa that the foreign staff enter Japan on when they initially come to work for the resort.
If staff come on a working holiday visa, then chances are samll that they will receive another such visa the following year; However, if staff (like our house bands) enter on entertainer visas, then renewing a visa usually proceeds smoothly.
Blair.
-
smiler - I covered the topic of where the native Japanese seasonal staff go in an earlier version of the setting journals here:
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/setting-journals-5.html
As for the international staff this year, the kiwis returned to the next semester at Uni back home, the Aussies went to work the white season in Australia, and the bands picked up some gigs either back in the Philippines or some other part of Japan.
-
Hi Veronica
Yes, there have been several native English speakers working at the resort over the past few white seasons, in addition to our two house bands.
The title of this column, "The Setting Journals" is named after the daily process of setting up the mountain every morning so that it can be opened up to the public.
Until I did it myself, I had no clue about all the variables that are involved in opening up a mountain daily over the 140 or so days of the white season - it is a labor intensive job!
You can read more about the process of setting the mountain here:
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/setting-journals-2.html
Thanks for reading.
-
Ocean 11, thanks for correcting me.
-
Hello
Thank you very much to all of you for contributing to the thread.
Fattwins - appreciate the hint about not rotating the features. I also like what you said about building up the land in the summer and will keep an eye out to see if it is done or not.
Ocean11 - that is quite a photo you posted. Is it you on that bike?
xxx - yes I am listening
danz - thanks for coming to ARAI and checking it out for yourself.
-
Hello
Well it has been quite a month here at ARAI with the weather all over the place, new staff arriving, and guests coming out of the woodwork looking for accommodation and snow.
To cover briefly the points in the mail below:
rach:
Each staff member tends to grumble about their own pet peeve, some grumble more than others, and some even complain about the cold if you can believe it.
grungy-gonads:
Most companies in my opinion make a mistake at some point.
It really comes down to the culture at the company as to whether that company then wishes
to discuss their mistakes openly in a forum such as this one.
In my case, I trust that you can understand if I do not proceed any further with your question.
cal:
Wages at the resort depend on a number of variables such as if an employee has a first aid qualification or not. Some employees are satisfied while others aren't, but those that are unhappy tend to stick it out to enjoy the snow.
As for my perks, well I get to communicate with a wide range of people, including the readers of this forum.
The staff meals are not free but subsidized.
cute-as-a-button:
There are approximately 150 full time staff members at ARAI backed by almost 300 seasonal workers.
klingon:
This year the snows were late, so regular work for the winter workers, who arrive in waves from late November through Mid December, was pushed back by approximately ten days.
For that staff that wanted to work, work was found. Those that wanted to take time off were welcome to it, and others delayed their arrival to the resort.
-
Hi Fattwins
I just caught your comments - they are really appreciated. Briefly in reply:
- ARAI will offer a Terrain Park from the 2003-'04 season;
- We do offer a 700 to 1,000 yen menu during the daytime.
Let me know if you head up to ARAI this coming season, as I'd like to hear what you think of our new Terrain Park.
-
Hello
rach - ARAI presently provides a great deal of info. on the site concerning how to do ARAI on a shoestring. It was one item that I made sure was incorporated into the design of the site.
Concerning budget accommodation, while ARAI can continue to indirectly provide information via the telephone for example, several questions quickly arise if such information is provided via more formal means such as on the official website.
In my mind, it is a matter of pointing the person in the right direction, which the site presently does and will continue to do, with that person then following up on their actual arrangements for themselves.
bong - the concept of ARAI as I understand it is to make "resort life" both on and off the slopes at ARAI as seamles as possible.
When I was growing up in Canada, I remember the challenges involved with first getting to the slopes, and then getting on to them. At the end of the day, the process would be repeated in reverse, leading all concerned to be very tired by the end of it.
At ARAI, it is possible to be on a lift going up the slopes within five minutes of leaving your hotel room in the morning, and be in a hot shower or into the Japanese baths within the same amount of time after coming off the slopes at the end of the day.
Such a set-up leaves energy for enjoying "resort life" that would otherwise be expended in travelling to/from the slopes.
-
Hello
Good to hear from you all. I have been away writing my lines as assigned by that naughty and cheeky HoTRoD:
Arai Arai Arai.........
Seriously, lots of great questions and points. Going through the thread:
mikazooki
best of luck passing for an elementary school pupil.
grungy-gonads
Though I can't see the price of the early bird coming down, there is nothing stopping you from being first on the lifts at 8:30. While it is not exactly the same, the snow is still "sweet" at that time.
jared
I agree with you but in my biased mind, while the early bird does generate a revenue stream, the quantity is not enough to generate a profit.
Pierluigi
People that know about the early bird do use it, however some guests are put off by the prices. I think that more guests would use it if they knew about it at an earlier stage of their visit.
Fattwins
You will be pleased to know that ARAI will feature a Terrain Park from this coming season.
oblivion
ARAI really has not done enough to market "Nighta". Any suggestions from forum members would be greatly appreciated.
TheOrange
February is always sweet for "Nighta". January and March can be "sweet" depending on the snow conditions of that particular season. If your question is really, "I'd like to check "Nighta" out but will only part with my cash if conditions are sweet", then my advice is to follow the daily weather reports for ARAI during the season.
brit-gob
The deadline for the early-bird is 5 PM the previous day. At that time, based on weather forecasts etc., a decision will be made to go ahead or cancel the outing for the next morning.
Ice-Machine
Yes - you are welcome to come to ARAI
rach
I teach intensive English classes to the staff at ARAI so there are some days I don't make it to my computer.
Ocean11
ARAI was made to introduce the concept of North American and European resorts to Japan first and foremost.
I'd really appreciate hearing from some Forum members concerning what skiing used to be like in this country 20 or 30 years ago.
Would you agree that there is a gap between the level of ski resorts in Japan versus those in North America and Europe? Arai was built to address that gap.
Ocean 11, please visit ARAI to see with your own eyes what I'm talking about.
Fattwins
ARAI really caters to Kids, especially young ones, who love the place. I agree that it is the next generation that will keep a resort viable over the long run.
ARAI does not charge 5,000 yen for a lift ticket. This season during "prime time", day trippers will be charged 4,500 for a lift/Gondola ticket.
gurningBob
The castle in the logo represents a medieval European castle. The village was designed by an Italian that was asked to transplant the layout of a typical medieval European Village to ARAI.
-
Cheeseman:
The cheese is good at ARAI - we bring it in direct from Europe via our food importing company, and lots of nice wines as well. Does the Cheeseman enjoy a wee bit of wine every now and again?
Kenta Takahashi
ARAI has a BBS on our Japanese HP and it receives lots of intersting questions - check it out if you have a moment.
Your question though is a great one for SNOW JAPAN though. If we're doing this kind of thing on the English Forums, is there a chance that it can also be done to the same extent on the Japanese Forums in the future?
-
Hi
Lots of really interesting points since I last checked the thread. I'll do my best to address them all here:
sweetaz
1 - ARAI does not share a mountain with anyone else. It also is not part of another range of mountains such as the Myoko range which contains several related peaks.
2 - ARAI has a sports promotion foundation known as the Morita Sports Promotion Foundation. The purpose of the foundation has been to raise the next generation of downhill Olympic ski racers from the senior high school level. ARAI has also sponsored the Japan Paralympics for several years. A few professional snow boarders also train at ARAI, though it is not clear to me presently how exactly ARAI sponsors them.
Fattwins
I really appreciate your comment about respecting the ARAI Patrol and the boundaries here - Thank you
db
I got a straight question and gave a straight answer. What would you do given the same circumstances?
cal
Maybe I did forget to put the blinking winking smiley on that one. To be totally honest, I have no idea what a blinking winking smiley is supposed to mean!
Ocean11
Some companies have done quite well by taking liberties with the English language. Have you ever heard the story about how the brand name for SONY came around?
Fattwins
Thanks for the tip about SAM. Some of the top management at ARAI has heard of this magazine, but it is a first for me, cheers.
zwelgen
I got a list of questions from SnowJapan, split it down the middle and have posted answers to the first half online. Please give me the benefit of the doubt when I say that I have not shirked away from any of the hard questions.
-
Nice to see some input, I'll answer a few items here.
rachael:
ARAI is spelt in capital letters because that is how our corporate brand manual specifies that it must be done.
kobet:
Yes,
the resort will close through December the third. To make things clear, ARAI gets a significant amount of visitors during the Japanese school holidays in summer, but fewer in the shoulder periods. In my mind this is a pity,
as ARAI is very beautiful in the fall with Autumn colors, nice weather etc.
The decision to close during the Autumn was made during the peak of the SARS crisis and stock market " hiccup" this past spring.
Hopefully next year ARAI will remain open in the autumn.
We are keeping our plateau facility, Itakura Family Park, open in September & October. Pargaliding facilities will also be offered at the main resort daily through November 9th.
enderzero:
Please take a look at the following text I've just copied from the article online that we're discussing:
=================================================
Though ARAI welcomes the powder-chasers described in the question, we do ask two things of them:
1 To respect the boundary lines established by ARAI for their own safety as well as others on the hill; &
2 Given that ARAI receives significant amounts of powder within short periods of time, sleeping in cars at the resort is to be discouraged (we are sincerely concerned that visitors sleeping in vehicles with running engines may asphyxiate themselves slowly overnight).
Budget accommodation is available at the borders of ARAI (Yurarikan - Japanese style Pension complete with real Japanese Onsen) or 5 km away at the station front highway stop (Super Hotel - check in using a vending machine). There is also budget accommodation available throughout the Joetsu area.
=================================================
This is the President and Chief Operating Officer of ARAI, in my own opinion, not only welcoming the low-budget powder-chasers,
but showing concern for their well being by recommending nearby budget accommodation that is safe and clean. When reviewing the history of ARAI, I understand that such a statement is unprecedented.
-
Hi Ocean11
Thanks for the observations - hope that your summer has been going well.
ARAI does limit overnight parking to one lot (historically this has been the P1 parking lot), and such a limitation has enabled ARAI to more closely monitor those cars that arrive during the night/early morning.
While ARAI discourages overnight camping in the
parking lots, Hotel Guests also arrive at the resort via the one access road in the middle of the night, and we need to be able to accommodate them.
Accepting vehicles that arrive a few hours before the slopes open , and overnight campers are two seperate issues. Both require customized approaches.
You may be right about Maruta-san needing to reflect more on the marketing of ARAI. The interview we went through was tough.
In my experience, though Japanese workers are loyal, pragmatism regarding the big picture (outside their immediate scope)can sometimes be lacking. Would you agree that since Maruta-san was exposed to the questions from the SJ readers - and had to answer them - he may just begin to think more about marketing from now on?
-
Hello
It has been a long time since I last wrote on the forums. It is nice to be back.
Going through your points as they appear on the thread:
nagoid - To be honest at this time I don't have any solid theories as to why the numbers are slightly down at ARAI for the past season;
1 - ARAI usually does close for maintenance twice a year. Disruptive maintenance can involve disturbances to the hydro supply - so the resort picks a quiet point twice a year to carry out such work;
enderzero/scouser - I will be "Taking On" all the questions I was given, and intend to answer the first half by the end of August;
jared - No doubt some members will criticize my answers to the questions. In such cases, I'd really appreciate it if the criticisms are constructive in nature;
fukdane - the shell of the site is now summer, but it will change to the winter version this fall;
Fattwins/base40 - thanks for the support; &
Thunderbird2 - some seasonal staff from Tokyo for example spend up to four full years at the resort. Others eventually become full time staff members. Most return to Tokyo and get "real jobs", but manage to return for a visit each winter.
-
Hello
HoTRoD
I appreciate your constructive suggestions, and agree that some of ARAI's Restaurants cater to high end clientele; However, one can have a restaurant dinner at ARAI for much less than JPY 5,000. I've done so myself on many occasions.
Fattwins
I like to save money too, true to my Scottish upbringing and roots; However, with time I learned that finding the best deal can sacrifice convenience, comfort, privacy and safety. For me, I've come to enjoy and appreciate these luxuries - especially as the frequency of my holidays have decreased over the years.
ARAI may position itself as a high-end operation; However, even a Scotsman can enjoy himself here in my mind.
enderzero
Lots of Guests do enjoy the restaurants as they are at ARAI. Some even come because of the restaurants - of course, it does depend on exactly what you are looking for.
LARD
Food Services is a tricky business even when volume is steady year round. Perhaps the restaurant policy at ARAI could be rationalized somewhat; However, please believe me when I say that ARAI is continuing to try to bring reasonably priced quality offerings to Guests.
Blair.
-
Hello
I learned about the snow industry in Japan by working at ARAI, and base most of my observations from what I see at this resort.
I'd like to hear more from the readers of this thread concerning their own theories on the numbers in the Niigata Nippo article.
Blair.
-
Hi HoTRoD
Before I came to Japan, I was in the restaurant business for five years in Canada. During that time, my thinking changed quite dramatically from, "How can anyone in their right mind charge Cdn $ 20.00 for a steak?" to "How can Cdn $ 20.00 cover all of the overhead involved in delivering that steak to the customer?". To this day, I still have trouble seeing how restaurants make money.
All restaurants are not the same, and having washed dishes in Nenohi on several occasions, I can say from experience that the overhead in that restaurant is astronomical. Nenohi offers
freshly prepared dishes using top of the line fresh ingredients, despite the fact it is located on a mountain that receives a great deal of snow. It caters to guests that wish to enjoy a decent Japanese meal without leaving their hotel.
I agree that you can get dinner at a family restaurant for less than at Nenohi; However, in my mind the quality, ambience, experience, cleanliness and convenience are of a different standard.
Blair.
-
Hello
A man of 45 years of age did die while skiing at Arai on Sunday.
I've just talked with a senior patrol member, and nobody saw the accident happening. All attempts to resuscitate the man following the collision were fruitless.
The man was at Arai with a group of friends on course. It appears the man lost control for some reason, and fatally collided with a tree.
I do not know any further details other than those listed above at this time.
Blair.
-
Hello
I have not seen the Niigata Nippo article, though I am looking forward to reading further on SJ this summer concerning stats for the season.
ARAI had a good start to the season just finished, with numbers up compared to the last white season for both December and January; However, the latter half of the season was disappointing.
I learned this year about the "CNN effect", and how when a big thing such as the Iraq War is unfolding, alot of persons stay home and watch TV rather than go out boarding for example. I feel this "CNN effect" hampered the latter half of the season's attendance.
Though the Half Pipe guys did their best to keep the pipe open, it was done by the end of Golden Week as opposed to previous seasons where it was still open into mid May.
Blair.
FEATURE: A Day in The Life - 6AM to 9AM
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Hi joshnii
Thanks for the post
The earthquakes were as you say, and there has been a tremor here and there.
The resort has pulled through fine though.
When the facilities were designed, care was taken to build them to withstand the weight of the snow in the area - this with the fact that all the infrastructure is new, including the highway to/from Nagano - means business as usual.
The only time my regular routine was interrupted was a roadblock on Route 18 following the first earthquake. The Police wanted to make sure northbound vehicles were not heading to the Chuetsu region but instead going no further north than Joetsu.