Kraut_in_HongKong

Whistler (had a chance this CNY - BUT they have the Olympics then) North Korea (Disneyland, Stalin style) New Zealand (for no strange reason)

It's too late, but for other lurkers check the Aspen Hotel in Sapporo. It's a 4 Minute walk from the main train station. Large rooms, good price. Has a very high rating on TripAdvisor.

Originally Posted By: indiego Citadines Shinjuku.. relatively new.. affordable.. decent location.. BIGGER ROOMS.. and it's not expensive.. I will give it a try next month at will let y'all know. Rate is 13,000/room, about the same as a double in Astil. Have to add, when I walked around the Astil in Ueno I saw lots of small hotels. Some you can even book by the hour if you are just a little bit tired.

Originally Posted By: Mantas I think there in lies the problem. The U.S. is NOT a measuring stick for the rest of the world to measure up to. The automatic assumption by many Americans that their morals, values and ideals should automatically transfer to the rest of the world is naive at best. True spoken. But I still prefer to follow USA's morals, values and ideals rather then upcoming superpower China.

I thought they got vending machines for used undies in Japan? No?

Thanks! - Danke! - 谢谢! So it's 1:1 for Sukiyaki and 1:3 for Nikujaga (肉ã˜ã‚ƒãŒ - if wiki is correct). Rest is clear. I do Nikujaga sometimes too at home. Very nice dish, but seems really hard to find in restaurants (and I really looked last time!) Thanks you all!

I need translation help! I found some ready to use sauce in a supermarket here. I am not sure if that's ready-to-use or a concentrate that needs to add water. I read something like 本å“75ml and æ°´225ml， 1:3 mix, right? PS: Love the Canon S90 - amazing camera!

So you use Sake and not Mirin? I will give it a try next time!

I saw Avatar in an IMAX 3D cinema, it was well worth the US$20 ticket price. If you want to watch it in Hong Kong, go to the IMAX in Megabox, I heard the other IMAX doesn't have English subs for the native na'vi language talk. Originally Posted By: grungy-gonads Summer Glau in the TV series though makes for a lovely fembot, er, terminator. I love T:SCC! Shame it was discontinued! Also coooool but very different: Flight of the Concords

Really bad thing happen yesterday! I wanted to make Sukiyaki but my supermarket had no bottled Sukiyaki stuff! (So I bought something with "nabe" in the name, not really comparable) So how do you make the Sukiyaki base yourself? I guess Soy-sauce, sugar, maybe Mirin (can use Ricewine?) Does anybody has a recipe on hand with the exact mix? I just talk about the liquid base, the vegi and meat part is clear.

Quick question: Is there anything to do in or around Niseko for those that don't slide on snow in any form? Not all of the family ski, what can they do for 2 days in Niseko? Is there any possible sight seeing these days?

I stayed last time in Hotel Astil Ueno. It's 3 Minutes walk from Ueno station. Rooms are around ¥10,000 or so. You can book online, they don't ask for credit card when booking. I can fully recommend that place.

I will go to Niseko next week! I hope conditions will be ok. Here my question: I arrive Chitose April 6th 09:50 - is there still a bus every hour to Niseko on that day? Do I need to buy a ticket in advance or can I buy on the spot? If I need to book, is there a site I can book online? We are 4 and like to travel together. I worry a bit coz it's a bit late in the season...

Boredom and cold feet! We traveled around Japan a few years ago in February. My kids never saw snow before, then they saw plenty in Nozawa. It was really fun to watch the kids going crazy in the snow - however, as a spectator only it does get cold. Too cold. So I rented some snowblades and started.... Was fun from day one.

We had some helmet discussion withing the family with out any clear conclusion. Then, last year in Hakuba, my daughter had an accident and lost her memory (luckily, came back the same night) - now it's helmet only. Have to say now, it's way more comfortable then I thought.

Never have been to Hokkaido. It's first time. Since I am just a few days there I don't want to spend a day in a not-so-good resort. If Niseko is THE place, then I wil lgo there. I do not worry too much about Easter, coz I am there April 6-10 and leave right before the Easter weekend. That Friday is already travel day.

Originally Posted By: Jynxx What makes you think that because it is a resort it is safe. Delusions! Nothing has changed, it is a mountain, and nature can kill you. We had an accident last year on the Happo slopes on our first day. I had to bring my daughter to the clinic for a cat-scan. The clinic (I forgot the name) seemed to cater for ski and snowboard people only, the waiting room was full of them. One good point, no more helmet discussions after that day. So far I just know Happo and I like it. Will add my Niseko comment soon....

So what are the best places near Sapporo? Niseko sounds good. Is that a very good resort or shall I consider others too? Would be glad to stick to Niseko for now. BTW, I ski, and have a few beginners with me.

My first resort was Nozawa. It's a smaller resort but very nice. I stayed in St. Anton. They had really good food, their English was ok, which didn't really matter since their German was excellen. After that twice Happo.

I checked a few resort close to Sapporo on snowjapan.com . Seems nearby the resorts are rather small (am I spoiled by Happo?). My question would be, is it feasible to stay in Sapporo city and shuttle to the nearby resorts and should I stay in a actual resort hotel. Sure, that would be more convenient, but then I am also stuck to one resort. To put my meaning into perspective, to stay in Tokyo and ski in Happo is technically possible, but not really feasible. Eastern is April 11-13, but I stay in Sapporo a bit earlier, 6-10. For the snow possibility I will just see.....

I will soon be in Japan again. This time, beside the obvious Tokyo, I will stay in Sapporo in early April, 6-10 to be precise. Is Eastern a holiday in Japan? Is there still ski at that time? Checking the weather now seems ok for ski... And what are good resorts near Sapporo? Are there ski places you can reach from Sapporo, or is it better to go to near ski hotel - and risk total boredom after lift closure? PS: I have done zero research right now.

Just wondering, is Hakuba any good ski-wise for Christmas? I presume there is a high green hills risk, or?

no no, I mean something in English, just using Japanese script. Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic, so should be possible.

Are there English books or text in Hiragana/Katakana? Next time I go to Japan I like to read Hiragana/Katakana, I guess many words are just transliterations. I learned some Cyrillic before I went to Russia, that also helps a lot reading a menu and many words.

Originally Posted By: Mamabear There is just no such thing as queuing up and waiting your turn - which would clash horridly with the polite and patient customs of the Japanese. It's not exactly correct to say that people in China don't que up. They do - but often at the wrong end of the line. Ski is, and will stay and expensive elite activity that appeals to a small minority. It should be also remembered that people in China don't get paid holidays. They can only travel on national holidays, that would be name Chinese New Year - at that time Japan is already full to capacity with t