tripler

thanks for the info, I'll probably do Myoko again instead if tomorrow's forecast dump happens.

Can you get to the top of the mountain? "Now" page says: "Operations at Naeba and Kagura will be as follows: Naeba: - Prince 2 Gondola and 5 lifts. Kagura: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata No1 Quad - Mitsumata No2 Quad - Mitsumata No2 Pair - Kagura Gondola - Kagura No1 Quad - Kagura No5 Pair lift" But reception at Prince Hotel said only 10% is working at the moment. Is it worth hitting up Naeba this weekend? Thanks

Originally Posted By: Captain Stag Have to go this week or next though or chances of new snow are getting a bit slim. We just had a dump last night through till about 10am here in Nozawa. I'm off to hit it now. Considering how few people were on the hill this bank holiday Monday, I'll be outraged if I bump into more than 2 punters today. This season just keeps getting better and better!

I understand what you're saying. Though hoping people will complain by email first is wishful thinking, in my opinion. Forums are one rung down from a face-to-face conversation; emails are more like a letter. People will usually go for the more direct approach.

David I hope you won't hate me for saying this, because I totally think you're doing a great job, but sometimes you take people's posts a bit too personally. So he accuses the Now report of lying? So what? If you feel you absolutely need to respond, then just correct him on the facts. Whether he's made inflammatory posts in the past is irrelevant. PS. I hope I'm still welcome in the office. With so much time off at the moment, I'm planning a visit.

tour operators should be slashing their prices right now to *make* people think about coming, irrational fears or not. Brits have a history of holidaying in war zones if the price is right.

This is a friendly little resort with one 2 man chairlift, which moves damn fast for the benefit of the local ski team who make up 95% of the punters. I was the only boarder and only gaijin. A cafeteria offers the usual Japanese fare. The resort is accessed by a right turn off the main road coming into Nozawa Onsen. Stats Vertical: 200 meters Steepest run: 40 degrees Tree runs: yes Gondola: no Lift ticket: 2200 yen Hokuryuko Onsen's unfettered awesomeness is not at first apparent. First you think, "Like, hey dude, this is just a one horse town." But then you get off the ch

This is the collapsed ceiling of the Nagasaka gondola restaurant in Nozawa Onsen. This part of the resort is currently closed but only requires an easy 30 mins hike up snow mobile tracks to access the runs under the gondola. A further 10 mins hike gets you to Skyline. Earthquake damaged Nagasaka gondola restaurant Top of Nagasaka gondola after closure of Yamabiko area of the resort. Restaurant on the 1st floor.

thanks Rob. I was trying to find it from inside the forum section, duh!

You could check "My Way" on the karaoke machine, it's always on there. I sang it the other day, complete with ad libbed Japanese obscenities, but I can't remember how they spelt it. Though I can't see anything wrong with マイライフ, except perhaps a space between the two words. As someone mentioned above, vertical or horizontal isn't an issue - it just follows the format of the rest of the text. If it's a stand-alone tattoo, either is ok. Personally I think vertical would look better.

I want to upload a pic to SJ and use it in a post. I did it before, last season but can't figure it out now. Thanks

Same in Nozawa.

I'm riding the silver lining of this mega disaster, and lovin' it! Instead of having to suck my boss's Japanese dick to get a morning off on a powder day, I've got all the holidays I want. Got paid a few days ago, all of which I'll be donating to Nozawa's snack bars and izakaya, in an effort to single-handedly save the Japanese economy in this time of need. Temperature has plummeted, been snowing all day. Not sure if the powder was Bollinger or Moet, but definitely champagne. No punters to get in the way, still snowing hard; tomorrow should be bottomlessly awesome!

thanks, doll

Sorry to hear about Madarao's early closure. I had a great time there last Sunday, I'd love to see it on a powder day. Do you know if "part open" will include the lift to get between Madarao and the adjacent resort (Tarado or something like that). That was all that was missing Sunday. If it is I might go again before Tuesday.

Originally Posted By: JackY I'm just scared of the radiation exposure, it appears that it all depending on how strong the wind's blowing and which direction that it's blowing... Man up, dude! Chernobyl was 1000 times more intense and went on for months, but the only people who suffered health issues from radiation were those living in the same (small) town as the reactor. Fukushima is 600km (400 miles) from Niseko. The wind can blow in that direction all it likes, it's not going to give you cancer or grow you three heads.

hear, hear! Go Native. When it comes the radiation or terrorism, people get bloody ridiculous.

Both gondolas are out at Nozawa, though Higake gondola will be open at weekends. Nakasaka gondola's pylons have serious structural damage and I assume it will stay closed for the rest of the season. Today the top of Challenge pair lift (about half way up the mountain) was as high as you could get, though that still accesses the best runs on the mountain. With a dump forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday should be awesomeliously sweeeto! If, like me, you hate all other skiers and boarders, hit up Noz and you'll have the place to yourself. I walked 15 mins up the length of Paradise quad (which w

Originally Posted By: iiyamadude Been speaking to a few friends in Nozawa - lots of cancellations coming in now. A visiting friend said her mother saw on television that one of the Nozawa gondolas fell over. Is that true? I haven't been in Noz much the last 2 days so I don't know what's going on. The only damage I saw wondering around early Saturday morning was a broken window in one of the hotels.

SJ resort page said closed when I checked around 7am, I didn't think of checking the "now" page. A call to Madarao with no. obtained from helpful resort page confirmed it was business as usual and we had a great time. Thanks for the tickets! I'll post a full report with pics in the next few days.

Anyone know? It was closed yesterday. Thanks

Nozawa Onsen's had strong shakes on and off for the last 30 mins. Strong enough to topple stuff off shelves and get people coming out into the street at 4am. I'm on the second floor, now dressed and ready to get out if the building looks like it's coming down.

I just put stuff back on the shelves, then another strong one and it all fell off again. Awsome! People starting to come out into the street. Strange electrical noises...

I've just felt tremors on the second floor of a building in Nozawa Onsen. Strong enough to wake me up at 4am and topple everything from the shelves and knock over snow boards. Several lesser tremors in the last 20 mins. I've put clothes on so I'm ready to get out if the building looks like it's coming down. Wow, I didn't know they have earthquakes in the mountains! Though a guy told me he'd experienced one in Kokusai Lodge in Hakuba. Wonder if this one was the same strength on the pistes.

obviously I didn't say I want to DSYSB to her face. D'you think I'm a f'ing idiot?