Slippery Jim

30km between shinkansen stations is total nonsense, but of course politics rules.

Probably a loaner from US immigration!

Ummmmm....steak!

US airports are truly abysmal and an embarrassment to the country. I can't understand why any non-American would want to fly there for a vacation anymore.

Where are the top 10 ski hills for beginner? >>>At the bottom of each mountain And the best for off-piste? >>>Outside the ropes Can you please recommend restaurants and accommodation? >>>eki-ben & a sleeping bag

Well, they were special enough to find SnowJapan

You forgot typhoon, in between summer & autumn.

I hate it when the rainy season is declared finished...and then it drizzles for four straight days!

Can they get those through the shaken, Chris, or do they have to strip'em down every time?

I'd call Yuzawa an onsen town with ski hills/areas/jo. The onsen ryokan were around for centuries before any skiing.

1 Mt Granview 2 Niseko Grand Hirafu 3 Niseko Annupuri

Fly to Tokyo, take bullet train to Echigo Yuzawa. Book Hotel New Otani at NASPA, and keep in mind you're in peak of peak season for cost when there are no deals.

Perhaps someone who both boards and skis could provide a meaningful response

Ostrich is good eatin'

At Niseko, crowds may be a little smaller in late January, snow conditions better 90% of the time.

FWIW I never found one-time lessons much use. Multi-day lessons with the same instructor can really help.

jan 19-30, no contest.

Wonderful stuff. Looks like some fantastic runs (wish I was in good enough shape for the uphill!).

Oh, and that bus ride was a doozy back in the day -- dirt road with no guardrails and the dropoff kept getting deeper and deeper

Condolences Gozaimaas. Losing a beloved pet is always heartbreaking, remember the good times.

Best of luck to the guy, Chris.

Awesome, Manfred. A good reminder that powder isn't EVERYTHING (although that same run in knee-deep snow... )

Had a bunch of `best' days Niseko in the week of January 13-17 was spectacular. January 23 on the older side of a certain resort NOBODY goes to ( ). I had untracked knee-deep powder all to myself off the gondola most of the morning. I think 2 other people took a couple of runs each. February 11 an enormous plateau of shin-deep powder at the Parsenn in Davos, and nobody except self & a friend skiing it all day (lots of people tooling along the little 50-meter wide groomer that ran down the middle. We giggled as we hit untouched snow still at 3pm. And the goulash soup! There were a l

Lot of rugby training camps up there in summer; think maybe even the national team trains there.

Went there once early season many, many years ago and had good snow for first week of December. Rather long trip from Tokyo, though.