SnowJapan#Andrew

Yes I would say that (last part about NASPA) is correct muikabochi.

I don't know Mamabear. Opening up bookings is surely a good idea and one that I actually brought up all the way back when I was working there full time. I used to work full time at NASPA and spent a lot of my time trying to open it up and make it a more international-friendly resort. I've got to say that the general manager at the time (who initially got me working there) was very open to ideas and many things did change and improve. Since I left (which is 8 years ago now) they haven't 'replaced me' as such and though my company still does work for them, it is much less than my previous fu

Just to give one example - I was at NASPA New Otani (in Yuzawa) yesterday and asked the reservation manager about this. He said that they are starting to take bookings for winter in mid-August.

Yes interesting points there. I'll ask next time as well (though I'm not in Yuzawa for a while now).

I'll blame my photographer friend whose photos these are. I was surely chained to a computer at the said time!

After dessert, the snake enjoyed some snake fun with another snake.

More snake munching frog action from Yuzawa. These shocking scenes took place in a rice field somewhere near Kandatsu.

Both of the next two photos were labelled 駅通り so it looks like it is the road on the east side of the station (looking towards the station on these photos) - the road going down from the station to Route 17. This one is from 81 years ago: ...and more recent (Yamakiya, bottom left corner, is still there): Just to compare that top photo with modern Yuzawa:

Yesterday a good friend of mine in Yuzawa showed me some old photos from Yuzawa before it was all built up. Unfortunately we don't have any specific dates for these photos, and they are certainly mixed up from a number of different times, but some of them are going quite a way back when the main Yuzawa station was tiny and there was no Route 17. It certainly looked quite different without the shinkansen station and mansion tower blocks. Anyway, I found them to be very interesting and my friend said it was ok to share so here they are. That's Echiho Yuzawa station there centre b

Originally Posted By: joshnii I even remember SJ1 saying that when he first came here he waited for a pair lift at Naeba for 45 minutes or something. Must have been mad. Yes I remember that - and thinking 'this isn't much fun'! The slope was almost as crowded as the lift queue so once you got up there it was like dodgems too. When I was first in Yuzawa I used to live right close by to the Yuzawa IC and they used to queue for hours on end waiting to get onto the expressway, starting on a Sunday lunchtime. Sometimes it was still choca late at night. mad it was.

I just spoke with one of the guys at Kandatsu. That slope is managing to open sometimes, but only on rare occasions unfortunately, like yesterday after the snow of the last few days. With it being so steep there's sadly just not enough snow up there many days at the moment.

Turn left out of the West exit of the station and instead of turning to get to Route 17, go straight on and past NASPA. That cuts out a big detour around Route 17. You'll soon turn left onto Route 17 and then go about another 500m and you'll see a small road going off to the right. Use that and it cuts out another chunk of Route 17. Using those roads, you can get to Mitsumata in just over 5 minutes. It's much faster.

I was there last month actually and had a clear road all the way back. That, going fast and taking a few sneaky shortcuts in the Kandatsu area and it was done in just 15 minutes. Usually I'd say about 25 minutes.

It was good to meet you too, fffr. Hope you are still enjoying Nozawa. Met quite a few people out there that day - hi if you're reading this. Great pics muikabochi, thanks for sharing them.

I certainly did not ask you to not post on the Forums and I also did not ask you to delete all of your photos either. In fact, I did quite the opposite as the records in front of me here show. But welcome back (if indeed you are) and hope everything is going well up there.

I have just been at NASPA and apparently this year if they cannot open as planned - which seems almost certain at the moment - they will be providing a shuttle bus direct from the hotel to Tashiro (not Mitsumata). They are currently preparing some information in English on this so I'd keep an eye on their website.

Just out of interest - in a recent JNTO questionnaire taken between July and September this year (845 respondents), when asked what was the most interesting experience during their visit, a rather large 24.1% of people said the fish market. People were allowed to choose up to 5 things. The top 10 were: 1 Japanese food 2 Traditional buildings 3 Japanese gardens 4 Onsen 5 Shopping 6 Staying at ryokan 7 Pop culture 8 Modern Japanese stuff 9 Fish market 10 Museums

If you are staying at NASPA and they are unable to open their own ski hill, they may well have a bus service that takes people up to Kagura direct from NASPA. I think they had something like that a few years ago, though I may have that mixed up. I'll ask them when I am there in a few days and let you know.

Ah I remember the days of Guests (unregistered) posts on the Forums back in 2001. That brings back lots of memories. When I was applying for JET, I asked for 'countryside'/'not big city' and that was about it. It was all a bit of a rush and I knew almost nothing. Got plonked in Yuzawa, dropped on lucky there I think.

I used to play them - was in a pipe and drum band.

I've lived or worked in Yuzawa for nearly 18 years now and over the last few I've had people I haven't spoken to for many years come up to me and after some initial greetings ask "why do you take photos of that phone box". Seems I might be getting a bit of a reputation...

UK JNTO have been doing a few things, including a Japan ski pamphlet, and there have been few ski shows in the UK as well in recent weeks. We've tried to do our bit by providing a info/articles/interviews for a number of JNTO info/magazines/newspapers/books. It's a pity the pound has taken such a dive over the last couple of months.

Hi Mark and welcome. I was in Murataya in Yuzawa this evening and asked them - they couldn't show me any and couldn't tell me much more regarding makes etc but said they did (will?) stock snow shoes. As muikabochi said, it's a small, local - but friendly - shop. Anyway I thought I'd just add that. Good luck. (A few Yamakoshi fans on here).

It looks like the weather should be fine tomorrow, so I'll try to take a photo on the way past and get the thread moving for the season.

Not sure, I was invited!