snosurf
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Posts posted by snosurf
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buy a camera before you go. There is a decent store in Kutchan I think it's called 'best' from memory. But unless you speak japanese not many of the sales clerks know english so you may struggle to find out anything about what you're buying. And it's no cheaper.
Also another tip-
- If you're planning to take lots of cash (which you should), make sure you get it changed at a bank in Australia before you leave. Do NOT take Australian Dollars because the exchange rate in Japan is far lower there than it is here (~10Yen).
- There is no ATM in niskeo but there is one relatively close-by.
Finally, if you have time go check out rusutsu and niseko moiwa
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My favourite restaurant is Abu-cha. Book a table as soon as you arrive, it's very popular.
Stay away from the permanently closed areas and strictly forbidden areas and your pass will be safe. ie If it says 'your pass will be confiscated if you enter this area' then it may.
Don't get drunk, become parochial and act arrogant then walk around making an ass of yourself and embaressing your country, like many visitors to Niseko do.
Enjoy mate.
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Definitely.... Prior preparation and planning prevents piss poor performance. No-body plans to fail, they fail to plan.
But still, as pointed out by Creekboy there appears to be no conscious effort by local governments to invest in tourism planners. I want to try to meet with some Hakuba local government officials while i'm there to discuss this with them. Maybe I can help as a tourism graduate. The framework is there to be used, it just has to be implemented asap.
Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, that is what has to be communicated to the revelvant authorities. Money aside, there are more important issues to be addressed starting with community harmony and environmental protection.
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Having gained mainstream popularity as an international tourist destination, Niseko is now the 'whipping boy' of J ski resorts - it is often the butt of our jokes on these forums since being overrun by Australian entrepreneurs and mass tourists in the past few years.Quote:Originally posted by SnowJapan.Com#1:
Rag-Doll, yes there is a big gulf. Last season most of the media contacts asking us for info and help were asking about Niseko. This time round (up until now) they are often asking about Niseko + Hakuba + what else? I think you will find it changing, it will probably take a few seasons.
The question is, would it be a positive or negative thing for Hakuba/Shiga Kogen/Nozawa to develop to the point that Niseko has now reached?
This question can be answered from a variety of different perspectives:
- local residents
- foreign tourists
- local tourists
Obviously, attitudes towards widespread exposure (which will inevitably lead to further development to meet demand) are mixed. Some like the idea of expansion, some hate it. Some will benefit, some will be disadvantaged. The bottom line is, effective tourism planning and administration which involves community participation and consultation is integral to ensuring successful growth and development. -
haha crazy.... thanks halfmachine. Well to be honest i've never even been to weiss...I was just trying to be funny.
I've been to moiwa and I had absolutely no idea that it was also called la ponte. I really thought that they were 2 different resorts.
Anyway, my real top 3 would have to be
1. Whistler/Blackcomb
2. Niseko Hirafu
3. Rusutsu
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1. Niseko Hirafu
2. Niseko Annapuri
3. Niseko Higashyiama
Unlucky to miss out...
4. Niseko Moiwa
5. Niseko La Ponte
6. Niseko Weiss
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I can't be bothered putting ours up....what's the point? I'll just have to take it down again in a few weeks time.
Plus it is a constant reminder that i'm going to have to go christmas shopping sometime in the near future
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I thought this was going to be a post about you losing your virginity in japan. How disappointing.
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If you're going to be there for 3 months you may want to consider buying a season pass. However, while this option my be more economically viable, it could limit your flexibility to ride different areas.
Hakuba - good choice, see you there mate
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haha choice...because he can! Yeh, sticking to one resort when there is an abundance of ski areas is really a prime example of excercising choice, thursday.Quote:Originally posted by thursday:
It's called choice. It's because he can.
I know everyone has the right to choose what they want to do. This is blatantly obvious. But in terms of taking advantage of opportunities, staying at one resort is just plain silly - in my opinion.
As for saving money by buying a monthly pass- I did that at hirafu last year and believe me, it makes you appreciate variety, the spice of life. Don't be a scrooge, fork out the extra and enjoy being able to choose to ride different terrain. -
People should stop incorrectly using the all encompassing term 'hip-hop' and instead use the term 'gangsta rap' when referring to hip-hop music that primarily focuses on the hood, gang warfare and drive-bys (etc).
It annoys me.
EBC - I agree with you about the Aussie/kiwi accents. It's fresh and I can sing along without sounding like a tryhard american!
DJ Format is cool...I love that track featuring Jurassic 5 (keep forgetting what it's called). Thanks for the support anyway!
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hakuba is not one resort... it's an area containing 7+ resorts.
Why do you think you have to stick to one resort? Are you in a wheelchair? Do you have mobility problems?
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So you are implying I am un-intelligent for bringing up the topic of Oz hip-hop? What do you listen to bettyx, just out of interest? Britney? Christina? Paris Hilton?Quote:Originally posted by bettyx:
just when i was becoming impressed at the level of intelligent debate on this forum,someone goes and brings up aussie hiphop!
There are some great artists within the Australian hip-hop genre sweetie. Listen to some hilltop-hoods, the herd, 1200 tehniques, TZU, muph and plutonic. Try to look past the fact that they're not imitating american accents and you may be surprised that there is actually a lot of good aspects to their music. That's just immature and idiotic to suggest that Australian hip-hop music (or the discussion of it) is in any way un-intelligent.
panhead pete, you know where it's at mate! -
Wow, 80% of you guys are clearly delusional....either that, or just plain stupid.
Hip-hop is a genre of music that has encompassed far more than just 'gangsta life' and 'street gang- banging'. While these themes were prevalent during the infamous crips and bloods era, the real origins of hip-hop can be traced back to funk and jazz of the 1960's and 70's.
For the presumptive ones out there, hip-hop is more than just bragging and acting big. It is about rhyming, lyrical eloquence, cool beats and funky rhythmic melodies.
ghostofwar, while hip-hop often talks about the 'struggle' of afro-americans, you cannot pigeon-hole the entire genre. Australian hip-hop does not talk about the struggle of blacks, for example.
Anyway, i'm not going to go into it too much because a lot of what i've just read is pure nonsense.
Hip-hop is great, and 90% of the time it goes perfectly with snowboarding segments - this is simply because the beats are awesome and the songs have a sense of 'flow' and casual style to them, just like boarding.
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Yeh flipside, I was referring to hirafu village....
I should add, some of the 'things to do' were tongue-in-cheek whilst others are actally quite amusing things to do.
I was in Whistler during the 2004/2005 'Season from Hell'....soooooo disappointing. Typical though...
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Jim.... you poor soul. I hope dementia doesn't hit me as hard in my old age.
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hi HD, are you living in Niseko? Do you work there?
Lovely place, despite what a lot of people here say. Who cares that there are a lot of Aussies, there's a lot of Aussies where I live (in Perth) too.
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I think I can help you out there sweetieQuote:Originally posted by I'm Sexy:
I want it now.. but i need a few week more earning money for winter.
Just kidding...
I tend to agree, thursday....Quote:Originally posted by thursday:
there's plenty to do in Niseko besides skiing.
There's the onsen,
the early morning real estate tour,
the mid afternoon pub crawl,
the evening pub crawl,
the visit to MaxValu on the free shuttle,
the list is endless.
watching the cricket one-dayers at yuki bar
stealing snow-ploughs for joy rides
visiting ice-bars and fridge bars
slipping on the ice out the front of seicomart
searching out the best burgers in town -
fluoro zinc...I have my hot pink and neon green packed and ready to go. Awesome.
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If you have trouble getting on a chairlift you should really be participating in some other sport like lawn bowls....
It's really not hard to look back, see when the chair is coming and then timing it so your ass lands on it.
In Niseko Hanazono last year there was a really cute Japanese girl lifty at the bottom of the Hanazono 1 lift. I felt so sorry for her when it was cold and windy - she had a big oversized furry jacket but i just wanted to give her a big hug to warm her up
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I like the sound of Que Tip - is that a hip-hop bar?
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haha yeh you have a point....maybe not a few bars. Sometimes I think i'm a rapper and i'm black. But i'm not, i'm as white as the snow. Still, doesn't change the fact i'm coolQuote:Originally posted by Early Cuyler:
Snosurf-Hand Jive the next few bars. That shit is to much..... A good mantis hand bend at the wrist would be the goonie thing to do on the snap of the turn on that snowbank. Heelside!!
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I picked up on the humour, it's ok, I have a sense for that....Quote:Originally posted by eskimobasecamp:
sorry snosurf, i was just joking... quite funny and interesting to hear some boy's comments about make up on the slopes.
hey, anyway your reply was a little harsh, but fair!
The girl i'm going out with is training to work for clinique so it's good to learn a bit...maybe i'll bring up the new 'chanel mountain range' of make-up at dinner on friday (clever work - nice hidden pun in there too, not sure you were intending it but i'll pay it nonetheless )
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I ride with headphones occasionally, if i'm with other people I will either not wear headphones or only have music playing in one ear so I am alert to what is going on around me.
Earl, I love a bit of hip-hop whilst riding. It almost always has a good beat, infectious rhymes and it amps me up the most. Sometimes, when i'm riding and I know there's a break coming up or a beat is about to drop I look for a hit or a powder bank and hit it as hard as I can in time with the music. That's a great feeling. Then when you stomp it you can hand jive to the next few bars of the song....sometimes.
first timers booked in to Niseko Jan17th-28th...anything we need to know?
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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doesn't matter if Japanese can't be spoken to buy a camera, research can be done on the net usually in english, then just a matter of finding the model that you want, which in Sapporro would be no problem.
That's why I go to a shop, to get advice from a salesperson. Otherwise i'd buy it on the net and avoid the overheads.
I was referring specifically to my experiences in Kutchan at 'best genki' before. I found-
-price was similar to in oz
-nobody spoke english
-the range of cameras on offer were minimal
But hey i still have the camera and it's a good camera so i can't complain.