skidaisuki

If you can afford a taxi, it'll be about 16,000 one way - well worth the hassle if you can share the cost with others.

I'm with Spud on this - the article is falling into the usual wonder-at-unique-Japan cliches...but I don't suppose many of the Guardian's readers will appreciate that. The point about holidays, though, is generally right - Japanese may have 'em but they aren't going to take the family on a skiing holiday over Christmas and/or the New Year like Brits or Europeans do. Nozawa does have some neon lights as I drunkenly recall from last season, but nothing too reminiscent of Blade Runner...

Go for 2 weeks in January and I will be very jealous. December may be too early - unless we have another freak early season like last year.

The highway buses can and do get delayed in the season, especially if there's snow or road congestion on the way. Super Azusa is surprisingly slow given the fact it's a direct train. Shinkansen to Nagano connecting to a bus to Nagano is the best way to go - though it isn't the budget option. Be careful to identify the nearest bus stop to your hotel / pension in Hakuba - it is a long town, so a mistake can mean wasting quite a lot of time to get back. Enjoy

I agree that people who won't use passes at all shouldn't enter. Good luck. Hope that we can stay with you sometime during the winter.

Fattwins - good luck since u are in Hakuba. Thought you had a business to run during snow season though? Understand your position, but your stance is a bit like saying only poor people should be allowed to enter lotteries 'cause rich people don't need the money.

"Rowdy behaviour in public places such as onsens, bars, restaurants and lift lines will not be tolerated" Yes - that one deserves a laugh. Japanese always behave perfectly at izakayas, after all....

Everyone's forgetting the vital performance element - shorter carvers are easier to carry

Wow - 1 pair of off-the-shelf Atomic carvers does it for me. A helmet's all I'm buying in advance of this season

It is a nice place to go - but outside the snow season. If the Prince does have early man-made stuff in November, then I might go for a laugh

Bushpig - I only said that because of a couple of messages that I read (out of 15 pages)... that's why I mentioned. I haven't been to Niseko since the Aussie invasion so I don't have personal experience of whether Hirafu is better or worse for it.　I'm reserving judgement until Jan/Feb 07. From what I heard, on the whole they've livened the place up and the local bar owners think that they've died and gone to heaven...

I haven't bothered reading this whole thread as I'm not interested in a 15-page slanging match, but...it seems to be a natural trait that gaijin based in Japan have a bit of pride about their 'rights' as residents despite the fact that, language skills apart, we look exactly the same to most Japanese anyway. Nobody should get too much of a big head about their status in Japan - just go out and enjoy. The advantage of being resident is that there's so much more that you can do that visitors naturally can't. To any overseas visitors coming to Niseko, my advice would be enjoy yourself

I might add that from what I've seen, I wouldn't bother with Karuizawa in full season. Right or wrong?

Slow - thanks for pointing that one out. As I recall, Karuizawa Prince is very close to the station. Great to be able to jump on the shinkansen at Tokyo and be on the slopes within 90 minutes in mid November.... Trouble is it's still 8-9 weeks away!

When the summer heat fades away (next few weeks) and the cool winds start blowing, that's when I really feel the autumn coming on. I love it when my appetite comes back and I start to feel alive again. Still 31 degrees here in Tokyo during the daytime but the nights are starting to be relatively cooler. If you have time, I strongly recommend anyone gets to the mountains for some hiking before the snow season, especially in October. There's a buzz about any resort town in advance of the first snow and I get a kick seeing all the preparations being made for winter. A good chance to recc

Shinkansen (Bullet) to Nagano is about JPY 16,000 return, as I recall. You can do a return from Shinjuku by highway bus for about half that (it's 4-5 hours each way depending on traffic and weather). Bullet train is of course faster but Nagano's not that close to Hakuba so the Nagano-Hakuba bus takes at least an hour. Accommodation in Hakuba - depends what degree of luxury you want. Can get 3000 yen per night (without food) if you are seriously budgeting. Lift tickets - price varies considerably between resorts. Budget 3000-4500 yen per day. Fun? You're not coming here for

le spud - Mt Yotei is the symbol of Niseko. Is it really so strange that they use it in their website? I don't think so. If you want to ski / board Yotei-san you can do it, just get a helicopter or hike. If you clicked on the Trail Map icon and it showed pictures of Yotei-san, then I'd be complaining too, otherwise you seem to have some sort of weird grudge against what's an excellent resort...

Pete, If you have the money, Niseko for sure. If you are on a budget, Hakuba will probably be cheaper to stay and get to. Last season everywhere was good from mid December to mid January, but other years mid December would be a bit early. You may be lucky though. Stay at the Hakuba Alps Backpackers if you want a cheap place that's friendly and close to the slopes: http://www.hakubabackpackers.com/

Why bother moving around. Spend the whole time in Shiga.

Where were you skiing / boarding on 27 November?

Steve, you're booked now - but assuming that you haven't decided yet which resort to go to or where to stay, it's worth pointing out that staying in close to the slopes needn't be expensive. I've met some lucky people in previous winters who've had the time to stay in Hakuba at various budget lodges where it'll only cost 3,000-4,000 yen a night (e.g. Hakuba Alps Backpackers) for several weeks. Sure, you have to self-cater but the accomodation's warm, dry and close to the slopes. Often the hostel owners will drive you around if you ask them politely, as well. I like Shiga Kogen more as

My aim this season is to get out as early as possible. Have only made it onto the slopes twice before Christmas in Japan - and only once during December in last year's epic early season. What's the earliest you've been out in Japan, and where?

If there are 3 of you, 16,000 yen's not that much each, and if you are maximising your time on the slopes as a consequence then its a good idea. Trouble is that the snow at Shiga will be crap from now on, so is it really worth travelling from Australia for? I'd go to Niseko if you are coming that far anyway...

Nagano Stn to Ichinose (far end of the Shiga Plateau) costs about 16,000 yen by taxi. Worth doing if you have to, if you are in a hurry, or if you are with friends. Bear in mind that a taxi gets pretty crowded when you have 4 up plus skis, boards and gear...

I heard that Japan winters reflect those in New Zealand and that this season in NZ has been good. Can anyone verify this connection? Hoping for a mid-November start this year, as opposed to end of December in '03.