gerard

I'd love to live in Nagano for sure, but one other good thing about Hokkaido is that you can actually understand what people are saying. Cross into Aomori and you might as well be in Korea. Or Scotland.

If I could live anywhere, I'd probably be outside of Sapporo or maybe in a smaller town like Asahikawa. As it is, my job lead me to Tokushima. Nice town, a little far from the skiing... Built a house on 55 tsubo. Done deal. I guess it's a question of what comes first - employment or location. Too late for me, but maybe you should take the family and run while you still can...

Maybe Nagano strictly for skiing but Hokkaido to live. I love the space.

Why so confrontational, 1? No need for an "organic feel". An intrawest/Disney-style, seemless resort should do the trick. Not exactly my cup of tea but it will be interesting to see what they do...

I managed to get one late-season powder day in on them last year - short lines in 30 cm powder. It's 185 but skis shorter because of the rocker. On piste, it liked to go straight, compared to my other skis and handled the piste just fine. On powder they still like to go big but you can slash tighter turns no problem too. It'll do what ever you want. Then I tried taking it on moguls but the ski said 'Pft. No Way' and I didn't push the issue. It was fun but I think it will be more fun on bigger powder days next year (if there's snow. ha ha. umm....)

I was thinking about those but went with the atomic blog instead. I'd still love to demo the czar sometime. Looks like a really fast straight ski.

That spells a warm winter (after two awesome winters). Might be time for another trip to Hokkaido. They seem to do OK during El Nino.

News last night said this year would be warm with fronts sweeping along the pacific side. Because of La Ninyo or ninya or whatever...

I'm back into it. Feels good. Since we moved though, my new route is less inspiring. Used to jog along the beach.

But they're considered part of the Ryukyu island chain which is under the domain of Okinawa. Of course Ryuku used to be distinct from any of the current players. Hell, I'll go out on a limb and say they're Japanese in as much as Okinawa is Japanese. China didn't give a crap until oil was discovered in 1968. Silly Chinese. Silly Ishihara, too. What a dumbass.

I think it goes back to around 1900. Some dude put a bonito processing plant on the island which eventually went backrupt but there was still a name in the books here in Japan. On the China side, the islands were included on a Ming dynasty map but they were never inhabited.

The evening news yesterday said they were on the way.

Should be interesting to see what happens when 1000 Chinese fishing boats pit themselves agaisnt a small number of Japanese coast guard (or SDF?) ships.

Except those look like trees in the aerial shot so that doesn't work.

South pole? I don't know how that's "Japan ski related" though. Anyway, it looks pretty polar, not just by the bleakness of it but also the long shadows....

I think that should be a question mark, no?

I've slept in my car a couple of times. If you're a little discrete you can pretty much 'camp' anywhere for free but of course the cost of renting the camper-van sounds high. On the other hand, you can easily find comfortable accommodations for 5000 yen or less, including a meal or two.

OK, thanks.

OK, I'll bite. Snowdude, how are you arriving at your predictions? Solar flares or something?

Tomorrow = when it's not so insanely hot.

Good profile photo, CrazyPerson!

Niseko for sheer dryness and Whistler one time after the alpine had been closed for a week and heaps of snow down to the village. And probably Nozawa too.

Is that my computer screen or did a big slab slide off right below the skier?

Let's go with Tsugaike.

I wonder if Japanese people have become more inward looking after the whole Tohoku thing, and maybe also because of the world economic slump, etc. etc. Or maybe not..... Anyone notice any changes in Japanese peoples' attitudes / outlook?