grazza

Oh, that's good. That's very good. Makes you feel all tingly.

Go on, just for old time sake, show a pic at its snowiest. Pleeease.

Look, I love the cultural and gastronomic adventure aspects of Japan more than most, but... Japanese breakfasts - my stomach just isn't ever going to be ready for that. As for Natto...how much does that video make it look like baby poop? My good wife has a collective term for a range of natto/tofu/???? type foods that seem to pop up in most meals - Snotto ... as in "that's a particularly slimy Snotto dish, isn't it?". I of course can't condone such cultural insensitivity, but I know just what she means.

If Niseko is four, then Shiga is 21?

Does Shiga Kogen count as one? If so, I'm up to eight - Happo 47 Iwatake Nozawa Akakan Akakura Onsen Suginohara Shiga Kogen Two new ones coming up in 31 days - Niseko and Tomamu. So many places to places...

Why it snows in Japan so much. From this article Sea Effect Snow

Hey, it's Japan. Everything's on time.

8:35 PM, Sat Nov 28.

I'm a bit bigger than you Jynxx. 92kgs at last weigh in, so hopefully I'll have enough bulk to push it around. But no, Alaska ain't on the menu at all. Just some nice Hokkaido pow. Too much? I suppose I can always go back to the current stick if needed, but I'm hoping that it will take me to the next level. We'll see.

I got the 167, which is a big step up from the current board. Same as the Radon in that the dimensions are same nose and tail, but it's very directional all the same. 53 days to launch date. Not that I'm counting.

Against Ippy's sage advice (to be fair I ordered this as Ippy was starting this epic journey) this is what I have nabbed for this season. Freeride unforgivingness personified? Now I'm kinda scared it's going to be too much board for me and will beat me into senseless submission for my temerity in thinking I could ride it. Does look sweet though.

Originally Posted By: Go Native Originally Posted By: grazza prime examples of why Japan often feels like the most advanced country on the planet. You've never actually lived here have you? True dat. But I do live in Sydney, home of public transport apocalypso. I spose you see the warts up close, but for my three weeks a year, I'm always impressed. And Takkyubin and the train system are seriously good. Such an easy country to travel in.

Takkyubin is absolutely the way to go. As I recall, as you exit customs at Kansai Airport, the takkyubin counter is to your right about 50m. There's choice of a few companies, but they're all good. Have the exact address of your accommodation ready. Then it's a 100m walk to the train for your 70 min trip into Kyoto. Trains and takkyubin - prime examples of why Japan often feels like the most advanced country on the planet. Cost is minimal, but whatever it is, the joy of dumping all your heavy gear, and then seeing it in your room when you arrive after travelling around as a light as

That's where the best Japanese service out of a raft of brilliant Japanese services comes in. P Schumacher, let us introduce you to the wonderful world of takkyubin. Tour the country effortlessly with only a wallet and a change of undies in your day pack, while all your heavy gear rumbles on ahead of you to await your arrival, all for the grand price of two fifths of bugger all. Sublime.

Go down to London Sports in Kanda, Tokyo and buy for less than it would cost to rent for a week. My wife picked up K2 Phat Luv powder skis for under $A200 last year.

Categories I'd like to see: Places with frilly pink polyester bedcovers made in 1975 Places with only strange fishy stuff for breakfast Places heated to 45 degrees that completely dry out sinuses Places owned and run by Aussies with sloppy hygiene standards Just a suggestion.

Originally Posted By: Go Native How are you getting between the resorts? If private car there's a number of places you could stay on the drive over for a break between skiing. Interested. What are you thinking about?

Starting at Niseko, but looking for somewhere to spend the weekend as we go between there and Tomamu where we plan to spend the following week. Can't say a zoo does it for me. It would want to be a pretty bloody special zoo.

1. Relax, preferably in reasonable style 2. Take in somewhere interesting that we wouldn't get at home. In Honshu that meant towns like Kyoto, Nikko, Takayama, Nagano, a nice hotel or ryokan, walking around checking out temples, castles and the like, eating good meals, onsens, stuff like that. Nothing similar is jumping out in Hokkaido.

I'm looking for a tip on somewhere to chill out, enjoy ourselves and let muscles recover between resorts for a couple of days. In Honshu, it's easy - there's lots of cool places to check out, but in Hokkaido it seems harder. Any favourite non-skiing spots anyone wants to propose?

On the first day of our first trip to Japan we were in Kyoto. The first place we wandered into was a big beautiful temple near the station. There was a service going on, that amazing droning chant that they do. Maybe 90 people on the floor, in zazen position. I very quietly and carefully sat in the corner and soaked in it. It was a sublime moment. Or it was until a Chinese tour group of 20-30 rocked up like a herd of buffalo. Loud talking, flash photos, invading the space completely. After about about four or five minutes of this, a monk got up, went up to the group, gave them a major dre

Couldn't agree more. I'm currently planning my 4th Japan snow trip. Oz is completely off the radar now, especially as a speculative weekend trip to Thredbo last year left wifey with an ACL that didn't join up in the middle. She swears it came as a result of skiing on crap Australian snow, and refuses to contemplate it anymore. My strategy used to be: wait for a weekend that looks like it's going to dump and head down at the last minute to give us a chance of getting halfway decent conditions. It's been replaced with a new strategy: a week in Indo mid Oz winter to get warmed up and shacked

That's the problem. I was keen on a Burton Malolo, but getting someone to ship Burton to Aus is hard, and the prices here are stupid. How's the PO box thing work?

Just wondering if there was one. I'd like to pick up a powder board for this seasons adventure, but as we're flying direct into Sapporo a trip into the insanity of London Sports is not feasible. Is there a similarly insanely cheap outlet in Hokkaido, or do I have to pay the proper price? It's not something I like doing. And while we're at it, what are Hokkaido pow board recommendations? As a long time skier who converted three years ago, I do feel that the time has come for my equipment to reflect my emerging boarding semi-competence, but it's all a bit of a mystery.

After three Honshu seasons (the first of which was epic, the second mixed and the third way too much rain, slush, then pow over skating rink) we've decided to head north this year, seeking surer sub-zero temps. We do feel a little disloyal, but you gotta do what you gotta do, eh? Being contrarian by nature, this means non-Niseko options - Furano, Rusutsu and Tomamu seem good candidates. Would people recommend these or other spots? Unlike everyone else here apparently, we don't really care about off-piste - a good variety of long medium difficulty courses with great snow, decent accom and