thursday

repeat: what paper?

I reckon those fans also dry your eyes out so you can't blink.

Fatts, What are you using?

actually having re-read the OP, beginners should first try rental skis before plunging for a new set. At least with rentals you can always switch to board if you don't think skiing is cool enough for you.

I use my golf shades for walking around the resort, they're Oakley iridium, high contrast for spotting golf balls. No advantage for spotting snowballs in a snowfield.

I thought about the recon before deciding on the outlaw. Decided that more off-piste makes sense and the wider outlaw would make it nicer on powder. I got mine from a Tokyo store, the guy said they will only work on Hokkaido snow. So I have to stick with Hokkaido snow for the life of these skis.

RD, It's on Now TV on BBC Prime channel. Absolutely nothing on terrestrial worth watching.

those with vested interests in either resort will be too biased. I suggest find Dorikin and send him to Hakuba with his mates.

TJ, you thinking of off-loading already?

this is what happened last year. http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/archivednow.php?caldate=2005-11-14 you may or may not take it as an indication of the coming November. To be safe wait for December if you possibly could.

Some advice I read from an inbound ski tour operator, not hard to guess who. Respect your hosts • Learn a few simple Japanese words before arriving as a little can go a long way. • Remove your shoes when entering homes and some restaurants. • Be polite and courteous to shop owners and accommodation managers. • Rowdy behaviour in public places such as onsens, bars, restaurants and lift lines will not be tolerated. • Chopsticks etiquette: Do not hold the chopsticks between your teeth, use your chopsticks like drumsticks, stand your chopsticks up in a bowl of rice,

While risking hi-jacking this thread, what you have observed is the antitheses of what I see. You only have to express that you like a certain place and people come out of the woodwork to dis it. Now is that protectionism or is it just good old fashioned prejudice Now back to the tittie bar discussion.

Quote: Originally posted by bobby12: so its probably just some total weirdo who somehow found this site and took a liking to it. that sounds like most of us here.

leave office before 6 if poss and get home before 1 if poss.

there are programs that do this, that's why Yahoo has the optical recognition for characters so skewed that only a warped person can read.

The pictures are nice and this is meant to be the premier resort in China. The places to keep away from are the ones near Beijing. Last winter, news reports on TV showed chaos with people queueing for over an hour to get on the lifts. There is massive demand for ski instructors, even English speaking ones.

RD, I get your point. My point is that the China ski industry is a feotus right now. The ski resorts near Beijing are packed to dangerous levels. There are massive opportunities in China. Compared to the mature industry in Japan, China is an enormous emerging market. Therefore, middle class ski investment money will stay in China. And real estate speculative money will be in Shanghai and Hong Kong, though the tax measures now will cool Shanghai. There are loads of negative posts on this forum about Niseko. And the posters admit they have never been there!! I love the place

There are far more productive investments for the Chinese middle class than Japanes ski resorts. There is also a Chinese national resentment in investing in Japan.

> morally ....incapable of going skiing in Japan for a week yeah, have to ski at least 2 weeks.

Yabuli, near Harbin, Heilongjiang is the home of the China Olympic Ski Team.

we get drunk but we don't go destroying people's property for the sake of showing off. These guys were lucky they were in Osaka. If they were in, say London, they'd already be not of this earth.

Harbin is the nucleus of the Chinese ski industry. Though chaotic now, in maybe 5 years time, it could be a destination to try for skiing.

holo, This is the norm here. The forumers have been brain washed. Whenever Niseko is mentioned, posts like: "foreign influx is bad", "disrespect for locals by visitor", "violent street crime", "drunken yobs taken over the village"...etc..etc. All makes interesting reading. Whether you decide Niseko or Hakuba or anywhere else in Japan, there's general opinion that the Japanese ski industry is in decline. The resort that lasts longest would be the most high profile one cos that would be the one people have heard of and are more likely to visit. Here's the N word again, and the

Quote: Originally posted by holo: I will as you suggest contact a couple of the Niseko agents to get their thoughts as well. Yes, get some unbiased views from them.

yep