mrbrisbane

Most places in Shiga will have the option of private bathroom - although it may be more like something that you would see on an aeroplane than the facilities that you may be more familiar with - ie very compact. If you view their website with google chrome it will translate enough to get you the info. Another clue is in the rates - which generally differentiate rooms with private facilities. If you go to this Shiga Kogen website, linked to on the below page (right hand side banner): http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/index.html there is also an accommodation directory which disting

PS - not sure from whence you are coming but a stop at Nakano at the Jusco to stock up on Western style nibbles, instant coffee, and drinkable red wine if that is your taste is well worth while as shopping options in Shiga are very limited. PPS - Chalet Shiga had the cheapest beer vending machine of anywhere that I have seen, but it was Kirin not Asahai.

We've been to Shiga twice now and are heading back for another week this Xmas. We tend to go to 3 resorts for about a week each but are getting a little boring because of the followers that we have who like "known destinations" Places we have stayed at Shiga - Chalet Chiga which was a really good place with good solid food and the benefit of bar down stairs which served light meals, close to a great little isakaya and of course the main st of Ichinose with its erraticly opening convenience stores and 1 or 2 reataurants. Much more Japanese than Sunroute (little Newcastle )and 2 doors

Plans for 10-11 - Nozawa for a week and Shiga for a week as we intro others to it but oh for the 3rd week - who can help out with a worthwhile destination between Nagano and Narita. We will be 15 down to 4 by then and really want to go somewhere that we haven't been before.

In 2006 we aere in a similar position and had planned to take the west coast train (Nihonkai service) which is on overnight to Aomori. That was the year that all the train services north out of Osaka were disrupted by severe weather and we ended up having to fly. On the way back we did the train from Kutchan to Hakodate (gr8), then the ferry from Hakodate to Aomori (gr8) then various trains from there down thru Yamagata (ZAO) and Aizu (Bandai). It was all a bit slow - took over a week but wow did we see some different terrain and experience a whole lot of Japan. Cheapest of all the

Hey, I'm sure the busses were on time - just working out when that was, was our problem. Nothing like like a regular - at 10 past the hour interval and the Japanese only timetable was beyond us and any who did not recognise the place names. Anyway we got there in the end and the rewards were worth it.

How long each day - out at first lifts and ride the last rides to highest point at end of day - Must say the one really really good thing about Niseko is that night ski-ing is ski-ing with most of Grand H lit up which is not what one usually finds in most places. Flow style bindings - Just gotta love them although lots of resistance amongst the cool set who seem to be running some sort of extended trial on how waterproof the backsides of their pants are. I get into trouble all the time for strapping up prior to getting off lifts which is the best way around the delay at the top.(if t

Hey Black Mountain, can you tell me what the ski resort is in the picture captioned view into the distance. Our only regret whilst at Myoko was not spending more time at Ikenataira and Suginohara. The tops of the hills are spectacular and the top to bottom run really lets you know where your legs are. Very appealing to us Aussies. The only criticism, that I have of the whole Myoko experience is of the shuttle bus service which although punctual was neither regular nor frequent and the timetables which defied the best efforts of even native Japanese to accurately interpret. We l

Hey Iiyamadude, Can you tell me about the 2 hills that one sees lit up most nights across the way from Nozawa - pretty close I think to Iiyama. Never seems to be anyone terribly visible on them, and I always wondered whether it would be worth the trip to extend the day.

We sure did .... and for you Japan Virgins - what are you waiting for? Do the sums it costs no more to get amongst some of the best ski-ing to be had in the world and certainly what we have found to be consistently good than to take pot luck in Aus or NZ at winter school holiday times. The travel time from SEQ or anywhere except Melbourne or Sydney is similar and the scene change - immeasurable. Japan is a land of contradictory extremes - eg Ski resorts fanatically groom the slopes - but by mid morning (with a little luck) you can be ski-ing knee deep pow. Next cubicle to a squat

We get around the shortage of seats on the long weekend...

It seems that Trevor on Master Chef is not the only one to use the bait in the meal....

The girls do "man legs" on a romance lift...

Tree hugging - Myoko style

Evening drinks on the front terrace at Alpen Glow - what it lacked in toilets it sure made up with location, space and cuisine. [font:Comic Sans MS][/font]