Saitaman

Kandatsu is small and compact yes with short courses. Quite a lot of ungroomed area when I went and fairly steep bits too that hardly anyone was touching. I thought it was ok but I don't think I'll go again.

How's Kagura for trees?

Is it Jigatake or Jiigatake? That hiragana up top seems to be Jii? Nice report thanks. And look forward to Bob and teams work

Something from the area you live perhaps. Local beer, some good food. Nicely packaged.

Yes I think Spam Man was looking on at Cheeseman who is of course and institution!

Cheers all!

Damn another one. Last one this season please.

Works just fine. Having said that, there's not really anything to go wrong is there - contact info is contact info! You must have either offended them with your requests for 80% off or used your wrong email address or something else

Down as in 'turned off'. Come on, the little guy in there needs a holiday too!!!

If noisy gaijin are something you want to avoid, the list of places to try out is huge. Even in a place like Yuzawa, you can spend a day and hardly see a gaijin out there. There is so much more to Japan than Niseko and Hakuba and the other few big names, it's almost funny.

Well there surely are monkeys. But THE monkeys live in Jigokudani, Yamanouchi, base of Shiga Kogen area.

Anko-mochi at new year

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died at the age of 69, state-run television has announced. Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said. He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months. His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s. North Korea's state-run news agency, KCNA, urged people to unite behind the younger Kim. "All party members, military men and the public s

(The movie, not oblivions avatar!)

It's crap as well, so not worth watching at all

I had no idea there was any skiing in Japan when I came. Came to "teach" English for 1-2 years.

Got it! Thanks

Good to hear it can all be done at once. Hate it when you "have to go back another day". Thanks!

Thanks Black Mountain. Once you take the number to the new company, is it an instant switch over?

Yes I hadn't noticed that at all.

Hey I was wondering.... how much of a hassle is the MNP or whatever they call it when you change from one mobile carrier to another? From what I can gather, you go into your current place, get some kind of number, pay a bit of a fee, then trundle on down to your new place and start up a new contract. Does the switch get done there and then or is there more waiting? Cheers

On the first one, is that Gala Yuzawa and Ishiuchi on the right there?

(My definition being 3.5km).

I did a marathon last night.

The point is tight on the border Nagano/Toyama just to the south of Hakuba it seems.