[ski shop Yokohama]

This is also a quite big shop, though it's not conveniently located.

http://www.ibs-ishii-sports.co.jp/index.htm

Good luck!

[Powder "where is now"?]

BC lovers, Just have a look at http://p2222.nsk.ne.jp/~turu/

by Dr.Hayakawa, one of the most active, strongest and busiest(he is an MD and operating a clinic himself) BC skiers in Japan.

Very tempting routes are included with pics.

Unfortunately only in Japanese, though.

[Tochigi]

Never been to, but I've heard Aizu-Kogen is pretty nice that looks very close from your place if you use Tobu-line.

[Is April too late to go boarding in Japan?]

It's difficult to predict if it will snow in end of March,beginning April. It may snow, rain or having sunshine every day for that unstable period of change of seasons. However there would be for sure, enough snow for boarding at many resorts including Tashiro-Kagura and Myoko,Niigata Pref, or Shiga-Kogen,Happo-One and Tsugaike in Nagano Prefect. and Niseko and other Hokkaido resorts. They should normally be alright up until the golden week. Be careful due to lack of enough patrons some resorts may close earlier. Check resorts HP.

Pay attention not only to latitude but to altitude of a resort. Hokkaido resorts are in general low altitude, Honshu resorts much higher. EX. Shiga (1500-2200m), Niseko (300-1200m).

[Tochigi]

Hello Tochigi, you are well located for going skiing. The resorts in Fukushima prefec. are so close you can make day trip to such resorts as Nekoma, Alts-bandai,Inawashiro,Adatara. Even Yamagata resorts like Tengendai and Zao are not very far either. But the closest should be Gunnma resorts such as Marunuma, Oze-Iwakura and Kawaba when the Kinsei-Pass(connection Nikko with Numata,Gunma) road is opened up in April.(Due to snow pile the pass is closed in winter). Check web.http://www.npd.co.jp/malnuma/

I can't help but envying your location since I as living in the south of Tokyo I must cross Tokyo and negotiate Tokyo traffic regardless of destination.

Enjoy!

[so what gonna happen after the seibu collapse]

He has two faces as a loyal successor of Seibu empire that he inherited unlawful stock holding practices from dad and did not alter such wrong doing that he should have done it 20 years ago. But I admire his another face as an entrepreneur for developing ski resorts all over Japan. As a ski lover I wonder how much we benefitted from his facilities:Furano, Niseko-Higashi,Shizukuishi, Manza, Naeba-Tashiro-Kagura, Shiga-Yakebitai, Myoko-Suginohara, Karuizawa,...many of them were once forbidden to the population as the prices' properties. Now that he's down, I hope his successors understand great potentials of winter sports business, reinvigorate the ski resorts and will not close down!!!!!

[Effects of sur-zero degree temperature]

Would that necessarily mean that the sun beats down on the snow in daytime and the sub-zero temperature freezing the snow in nighttime, resulting in sub-optimal snow conditions, unless there is new snow?

 

snowzzang----Yes, it applies everywhere. In a typical spring morning, snow gets icy and in the daytime getting soft and slushy, sometimes becomming like mashed potato. I think this period stays longer than Korea because Japan in general has more snow depth so it takes longer for the snow to melt completely. Many people inclusive of me love spring snow as much as good snow.

[Late March - where to go?]

Iwatojin, Ja, we are just the next door neighbors. We have common misery that the snow fields are so far away from us. Last weekend we went to Shiga-Kogen. Nagano-Tokyo shinkansen and Tokyo to our place(Keikyu)is same distance durationwise. We felt envious to the people getting off at Omiya or Ueno.

 

Snobee, Myoko, Tsugaike and Happo won't be bad choice for end of March.

[Late March - where to go?]

Snobee!

Count on Shiga Kogen, Nagano where snow is almost always guaranteed up until the golden week and much closer to you than the resorts in Gunma. Don't forget snow chains. If you are lucky you will have fresh snow even in April there.