SnowJapan#Andrew
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Posts posted by SnowJapan#Andrew
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I'm off to Ninjin in Yuzawa tonight and will get in one of those Mega-Jokki's again.
Perhaps even two.
Oh yes.
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I would prefer we spend our time creating a quality product/service that people want to be on, rather than spending that time endlessly flogging something of less quality.
I'd also much rather we have fun, really enjoy what we are doing and produce something of value than just chase after money.
Now, if only we could get more time skiing!
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Sorry about there being no banner ads, zebedee.
This new project is not funded by any kind of sponsorship or advertising. That enables us to do whatever we please without having to always consider commercial aspects of it. I rather enjoy that feeling and we have tried to create something that is really useful and also fun to use. Something that we would want to use and have. Hopefully we have achieved something close to that.
In fact, that's really how we go about all our site development. While I believe that we take good care of the people who do advertise on our site, we have never sat down and developed something major primarily because of it's revenue potential - the direction is always coming from what would be cool to have on the site, rather than what could possibly bring in more money.
You do bring up a fair point jondreads. We certainly discussed it carefully before making any decision, but decided that it was the way to do what we wanted to do.
From the feedback that we have got, people seem to generally like it. So that's good.
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Yuzawa Tourist Association is offering special plans with minshuku/lodge accommodations plus half day lift tickets valid at the following areas:
Gala
Yuzawa Kogen
Ipponsugi
Naspa Ski Garden
Kayama Captain Coast
Yuzawa Park Ski
Yuzawa Nakazato
Iwappara
Kandatsu Ski
The tickets can be used in various combinations. For example, with a1 night stay, you get 2 tickets. You can exchange the 2 tickets for a full 1 day lift ticket OR get 2 half day tickets.
The best part is that the tickets are valid until the end of the season, so if for some reason they do not all get used, then they can also be exchanged for U-Tan coupons which can be used as 500 units of currency in selected gift shops, hotels, taxis, restaurants, etc. Exchange rate is 4 coupons per half day ticket.
I don't know where you got your information, dyna8800, but Kayama Captain Coast is not going to be open this season.
Or perhaps indeed any season.
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We being you and anyone else who wants!
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Not very good at all, tokamachi!
Who can I complain to?!
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I don't seem to get any discounts, so I presume not!
Perhaps we should have a night out there in winter.
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It is good, Man.
It's right opposite the Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway station, so about 5 minutes walk from the main Echigo Yuzawa station.
Would definitely recommend the hire-katsu teishiku as per photo. And the mega-jokki.
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Enjoyed a "mega-jokki" at Ninjin-tei last night in Yuzawa. Good value at just under 1000 yen for what is 2.5 times a normal chu-jokki.
Always good to go back to Ninjin-tei, it was I think the first restaurant I went to when I came to this area, hasn't changed that much in nearly 20 years.
Rubbish photo quality, but good beer and food.
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So much to say on this subject. Perhaps when things calm down here a bit I'll post more, but one thing that really amazes me every year is how some resorts still whip down there "winter season" websites when the ski resort closes and only get them back up there in November or even December. The reasoning behind it seems to be that they don't want 'old information' up there, but surely they could just put a note on their site to say that.
But taking all their information about their ski resort down from the web for 7+ months a year is just madness.
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That point is further out back towards Mikuni elementary school than Asagai, DiGriz.
Mikuni sho, that brings back some memories!
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That photo was apparently taken where a covered part of Route 17 (火打スノーシェット) is now. In fact, you can see a snow covered Route 17 just to the right below the skier. That part of Route 17 is under the shelters now.
So the main Naeba skijo is on the slopes to the right of the photo here and the top of the mountain would be off to the right.
This skier is not actually on any official ski run - he would have hiked up to get there.
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I'm sure it doesn't matter to most people, Tazza, but it mattered to me!
I wanted it done properly and to my total satisfaction. I didn't want them to just be any old shapes.
So twas important.
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It was really difficult getting those mountains right.
I gave the designer about 20 photos that I thought might make for good shapes, but lots of them didn't work as well as I thought.
I wanted the shapes to all be based on real mountains in Japan, but not be obvious as to which mountains.
The shapes you see are based on two photographs taken looking back towards Iijiyama (Yuzawa) from the Minamiuonuma area, which is quite fitting really, considering that is where we are based.
Iiyama is the peak between Iwappara and Centleisure Maiko.
The sea-creature-curves are also based on real mountains, each one in a different area.
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It's ok, I find this more amusing than anything.
Don't take it personally, and I think it's natural that people compare things to something they already know. It's just what people do.
You're right though, ours is way better than Pepsi.
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Thanks for the comments both in here and in mails.
Just to add a few comments and answer a few questions.
I thought it was about time that we had a proper 'logo'. It's pretty amazing that we haven't had a really proper one until now. Decided that was to be part of the plan to move forward in late May/early June, and started working with a designer and had this all fixed up by the end of July.
What we really didn't want was a cliched and obvious design. So no skiers, boarders, snowflakes, temples, etc. I wanted something bold and something that would be easily recognizable. Apart from that, the only thing initially I told the designer was that we could like some sort of subtle 'Japan' reference in there along with the idea of perhaps using a globe. I'm a bit of a frustrated designer myself in that I know what I like in my head but I just don't have the skills to actually get it happening on a computer, so it was reallyexciting to see it all come together over that period of time. I really enjoyed doing that, tons of fun.
What does it mean? If you want it to mean anything you have the globe, the red blob which can be the 'Japan' bit, the swooshy S (we have been known to use swooshes for quite a while now!) which can stand for our name, and the little reflected mountain icon - the mountains shape is actually some of the local mountains here in Minamiuonuma.
Obviously, the top graphic on the Forums here is based on a large sea creature.
But I'm well pleased with it and very happy that we made that move.
It will eventually be appearing on the main site and in a few different guises in other places too.
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A very big thank you to David, Pete and Michael on a job very well done, as well as the people who helped out with testing along the way.
Oh yes, and Bob, Hilary, Ben and silly-sausage too.
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Making massive amounts of cash from these Forums has always been one of our top priorities and you can only expect much more of that. Lots of new flashing gifs coming your way soon, maybe even some of those great big talking smiley ad things. They must make a ton.
As well as lots of green, of course.
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Yes sorry about that. We're nearly there now I think.
Can't wait to make the switch!
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Well, our experiences with them was.... Strict.
And the well-worn story of taking such a long time for approvals.
Bit shocked to see something like that get through. Wonder what Nintendo say.
Once it's online though it's great - that 70% we get buys a ton of donuts. Bet it gets a few for Apple too!
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Once waited for an hour for the Kagura quad. That was way back in 1992. Wasn't much of a fun day spent more time lining up than skiing.
30-45 mins for a pair at any of the main places over a weekend was pretty commonplace if my memory serves.
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I arrived in 1992, so DiGriz has 12 years over me!
I used to live very close to Yuzawa IC and people going back home from places like Yuzawa Park, Iwappara, Yuzawa Nakazato and that area used our road to get back to the IC and Route 17. Some of the queues down the road were just madness - not moving for literally hours on end, and chocca from late Sunday morning. Almost hard to believe now.
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They were in my neighbourhood for the first bits there.
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Originally Posted By: bobby12I want it to display better on iphone...
Just to respond to this point bobby... I think you should find the updates will display better on mobile devices, or at least have the option to be more suited to the small display.
It's started!
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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Isn't really that cold in these parts of late.
Still autumn mode really.