tripitaka

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver yeah I'm scottish. Don't think Wales has any ski resorts, maybe dry slope skiing, but that'd be it. Northern England has 2 I think but again I think mainly they are dry slope and if it snws they pack that slope. Scotland has 5 Ski "resorts". Met a couple of Scots who live in Hakuba who like to get down a mountain..... fast.

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver Its the same with ipod's though. Apple markets itself as the cool alternative, but in actual fact it becomes the norm. 1 thing is though, unlike other products, Apple products never seem to lose the "alternative" tag The iPod and the Mac are not "alternative," neither is U2. It's a machine and a very nice one to use. There are other practical reasons for using Macs such as a Linux-based architecture that makes it more stable to run than Windows machines.

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver wow Oz is WAAAAY expensive. Seems to get as good snow as Scotland (which means its shite) but it only costs 24 pound (roughly 4800 yen) for a lift pass to ski Glenshee TB, are you a Scot?? Does Wales have any resorts?

Originally Posted By: boardbaka with the kiwi dollar where its at treble cone NZ is the most expensive adult day pass on the planet- as t taka says there are some very unhappy campers - mind you a lot of the tradesman working in queenstown / wanaka would make close to that in an hour for perk jobs- its all relative I hear the company that bought TC are brutally capitalist and have basically flipped the index finger to the grass roots skier. NZ skiing used to have a honorable lack of pretension. I can't see that being the case any more. Even on a Japanese salary, I can't afford $99 per da

Originally Posted By: Mamabear I don't think so... I have not been in the sport for long Trip, maybe one of the diehards can tell you what prices were like 5 years ago. But I would guess that Aussie resorts are small compared to Japan, have to make a lot of thier snow, and have to work hard to keep it ridable - I would guess that adds to the costs. Plus wages aint cheap. Edit to add: Also supply and demand - there are already LOOONNNGGG queues for the lifts, if they made it cheaper more would come, longer queues... Sure, the costs are high. Any resort in the world usually requires

Originally Posted By: Mamabear Peak season day rate 2008 at Thredbo is yet to be decided/advertised but the 2 day rate is AU$190, that is approx Y17800 for 2 days, so at least Y8900 for the day based on current exchange rates. Just AU$2 cheaper for the same at Falls Creek. And AU$6 more than Thredbo at Perisher. Anyone see why it starts to look like a very affordable option to come to Japan? Mama, is the result of the property and mining bubble?

Originally Posted By: thursday. 7,400Y Treble Cone passes have gone to $99 (8000 yen) in 2008.

Even NZ has hit $90 per day in some resorts. The less wealthy Wanaka locals are very bitter about the situation.

Is it as over-rated as New Years? I don't know but it is an excuse to get trashed. Hope to attend at least two of the four days of chaos and fun at Murphys in Osaka. Anyone else have plans?

Originally Posted By: bobby12 Quote: In a way, whats the point of having it then? Its just a stamp of approval and nothing more. You still have to pay the gaijin tax and jump hoops every 3 years. In my case, the point of having PR is to be able to operate my own business without relying on a sponsor. Also, I expect it will help if I plan to buy property and borrow money with fewer hassles.

This article's worth a read. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20060912zg.html You don't have to be here 10 years to get PR provided you meet some criteria. Being an English teacher is looked upon as less desirable these days so you have to talk it up if that's your way of earning a crust.

Originally Posted By: 2pints,mate triptaka, do you actually read and think about the meaning in the posts (both here and in the other thread), or do you just see a few words scattered around and then like a bull seeing red fly off in a rage to your own pre-determined discussion with yourself? If you actually took time to read the things and consider what is being said, you might see the comments in a different - and as they are meant - light, rather than misunderstand them as you so obviously do. (Sorry about hijacking the thread a bit. I'll retire from it too). Interesting story a

Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Quote: Is there a problem with that? Not at all. Quote: If you go back to the original post, Do you mean my original post? Quote: ....the writer actually brought the topic up and there were a few references to shady foreigners that I wanted to address. Yes, but then you went off on a complete tangent into your own world. Talk about what you want mate. Obviously you will. If it's unrelated bollocks though, expect people to respond. Having said that, I won't be anymore. OK, but what is bollocks to you as a 10-day touri

Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Quote: I talked about "local pride" on another thread and got slapped down pretty quick. Pride's all very well, but don't be fooled into thinking that exploitation is purely a corporate animal. The reason you got 'slapped down' as you put it was because you were getting on your (white) horse and blathering on and on about things totally unrelated to what the discussion we were having was about. Seems to be a real "topic of interest" this for you, doesn't it? Yes, it is. Is there a problem with that? If you go back to the original post, th

Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan No, I think that's just provincial. Imagine if you complimented a Japanese person on their use of a knife and fork.

Originally Posted By: OkemoLoon I am very excited to see what comes of this, it could be great step for our community. Of course there are always downsides, but Nagano has a long way to go and I don't think corporate exploitation will take over Hakuba. The region is far to proud to let that happen. I talked about "local pride" on another thread and got slapped down pretty quick. Pride's all very well, but don't be fooled into thinking that exploitation is purely a corporate animal.

Originally Posted By: Critta I agree with the issues regarding accessability. What's a 10yr old hiace van (or similar) worth to buy and run per annum (insurance/ rego etc)? The current finnacial market suggests rates will stay down in the near term - who knows what may happen over the next 5 years though? To make it work as a foreigner, rental income is an absolute necessity and this has me questioning two things: 1. How difficult is it to have an old house approved to rent out as holiday accomodation. 2. How busy is the shoulder/ summer season (ie how many occupancy weeks wo

Originally Posted By: TJ OZ Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll I just heard that 47 has been sold to a US company that has plans for condos and other development type stuff. Is this the beginning of the end or the start of the beginning for Hakuba? They have only recently purchased the resort and there is no talk of changing the current management or condo's being built yet but you would have to think that an American company will follow an American model. All just rumours. I am sure they will have a plan however I look forward to many peoples doomsday thoughts. Hopefully the propose

I've heard the same rumour that an American investment fund is "considering" buying 47.

Critta, Regardless of your agent, I don't know how easy it is to get independent property valuations in Japan (would you buy anything without one). Even if you can, I would always err on the side of caution. I've seen many foreigners walking around giddy with excitement about prices, potential, etc., but Japan is not a place to invest if you can't stomach the idea of falling property values. In my opinion, many foreigners have been burnt, even if they don't know it yet.

Good one Eunice. I worked and lived in Vail about 15 years ago and loved it. And I agree, skiing in Japan puts the space limitations of NZ in perspective.

Thursday, trust me, I'm definitely not an expert on the economics if Japanese resorts, but I know enough to see a familiar pattern in Hokkaido, Nagano and Miyazaki.

Originally Posted By: 2pints,mate No offence taken. Think what you want mate.... obviously you will!! I'll be open-minded about it. I guess a bit of suspicion is normal.

Originally Posted By: thursday. change may not be inevitable, but when it comes and comes rapidly, locals will feel that they have missed the boat or feel hard done by with foreigners milking the cash cow that perhaps had always been there but not exploited. I find that almost laughable. The locals made a killing during the bubble era. The foreigners are picking up the pieces from the drunken orgy.

2PM, no offence intended to your host but I stand my comment that it would be hypocritical of the Japanese locals being overly suspicious of "foreign investors." Like I said, the prefecture (including hakuba) has been a source of Japan's most deep-seated corruption post-WW2. Japanese themselves are well aware of it. Attitudes and practices here don't change fast, and there is a lot of complicity. There will be other Japan-based foreigners who should know what I'm talking about it. So, yes, I feel it's a bit ripe for any Japanese being "overly" suspicous of foreign intentions. Any foreign