joannek 0 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hi, planning to ski Japan this year with my family. We started skiing 3 seasons ago and love it. Did the Thredbo/Perisher for the first 3 seasons and then Colorado for a month this December, lowest temp was about -5 degrees. My children aged 7, 5 and 3 all ski. The 3 year old can ski all day, we put her on a harness though she is now stopping and turning on her own, but too small to load a lift herself so the harness helps with that. The boys can ski blues/greens easily and ski parralell and understand about not going too fast and how to slow it down. My kids are all happy to wear their boots all day, don't complain about the cold and carry their own skis/helmets most of thet time. But walking far on icy sidewalks can be tricky hence my question about where best to be situated. I don't mind taking the bus/shuttle as long as it is door to door. Do they have ski lockers for ski's and gear in Niseko at the lifts where you can leave your stuff overnight? I am a Mummy skier, scared to go too fast but getting better each season. Their Dad is pretty expert now gets in around 30 runs on a full day and goes off and does his own thing and then will come pick up the boys for some top of mountain stuff for an hour or two a day. We are planning to arrive Dec 9th and leave Dec 21. My questions are: Is Niseko suitable for us if we book lodging near the lift? If so which would be the best for me and the kids to be near? Kids and I don't need fresh tracks, deep powder, or vertical drops, we need access to blues/greens and some facilities at the top or the bottom for getting warm/hot drinks. Is Niskeo going to be too cold for the children, we wear good gear but I have never been to -15. Is there such a thing as a ski nanny in Japan? In Colorado I booked a local uni student who helped me with the children. He wasn't through the ski schools though because we skied 4 different resorts and he travelled with us. Kids have been to ski school but they don't like all the waiting and the lack of skiing, if there is no such thing as a ski nanny then I would book one in and have two ski with me and alternate them. Is there a standout ski school for kids in your opinion? One where all 3 can be together? They will be aged 4, 5.5 and 8 in December. I would welcome your feedback, I have read lots on Niskeo, the Aussie Yob discussion (I don't think the kids will drink more than 2 or 3 beers a night), what attracts me to Niseko is that there will good snow, Oh, also I suffered for a month with acute mountain sickness in Colorado which is why Japan at Christmas is appealing rather than North America. We also want to be there early December and that is a bit too early for Colorado and Europe from what I can tell. I am not keen on club med by the way, we don't need all the food/drinks/entertainment but if any of you think I am making a mistake not trying this let me know. We prefer to self cater when skiing. Finally are there onsen for families? I saw that there is separate sexes but haven't seen if the children can go with Mum or Dad ? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 JoanneK, Welcome. Good long post that. Lots of questions. First, early December might be a bit early even for Niseko. December 2006 only kicked itself into starting around 16th I think. But I've known it to be OK even in Late November. December 2007 could be very good, there's a better chance of good snow in Niseko at that time more than most other places in Japan. There's tons of places to stay near the lifts. I'm guessing you'd like to try Hirafu instead of the hotel complex at Higashiyama, cos that's all you get at Higashiyama, a hotel. There are some excellent ski schools in Hirafu. The kids can have ski lessons in English from a Japanese instructor who will take them full day on the family slopes. The school outside the Alpen is a good start. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hi Joannek, and welcome I'll help as much as I can. Ski lockers - yes! Niseko suitable - yes! It will be cold but just get wrapped up. Ski nanny - don't know, but I am sure there are services up there. Ask the accommodations. If you prefer self-cater then Club Med probably isn't for you. Children can go with mum and dad, but it is usually m or f together. You might find some places with private reservation onsen though. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 To add some more. Is Niseko suitable for us if we book lodging near the lift? If so which would be the best for me and the kids to be near? Kids and I don't need fresh tracks, deep powder, or vertical drops, we need access to blues/greens and some facilities at the top or the bottom for getting warm/hot drinks. If you're staying in Hirafu, particularly near the shuttle route you're not very far at all from the slopes. A lot of the new apartments are in the upper village so none of them are very far from the lifts. So there aren't a lot of icy footpaths to navigate. Another option you might want to consider is staying at Annapuri. IMHO the green runs are more interesting, the resort is a little more sheltered and there is some interesting terrain to keep hubby entertained as well. When bad weather closes the linking lifts at the top of the mountain trapping the foreigners in Hirafu, Annapuri is almost deserted. Is Niskeo going to be too cold for the children, we wear good gear but I have never been to -15. Rug up. it's often -15 half way up the mountain. The top is colder and the wind is stronger and the lifts slower. It can be freeeeeezing! Also because it snows almost non-stop think about face masks and don't expect to be wearing sun glasses. The good thing though is that there is very little melt so you tend not to get wet like you can in Aust Is there such a thing as a ski nanny in Japan? In Colorado I booked a local uni student who helped me with the children. He wasn't through the ski schools though because we skied 4 different resorts and he travelled with us. Niseko is still a bit rough and ready when it comes to services like this. It's way better than most other J-resorts but still has a way to go. Nevertheless, there are lots of businesses up there and people looking to self fund a season in the snow so probably best to ask the tour operators up there. We found a nurse to work as a baby sitter for us a couple of years ago. She was up there with her boy friend for the season and looking to make some extra cash. Ask around. Kids have been to ski school but they don't like all the waiting and the lack of skiing, if there is no such thing as a ski nanny then I would book one in and have two ski with me and alternate them. Is there a standout ski school for kids in your opinion? One where all 3 can be together? They will be aged 4, 5.5 and 8 in December. Sorry, don't know. I would welcome your feedback, I have read lots on Niskeo, the Aussie Yob discussion (I don't think the kids will drink more than 2 or 3 beers a night), what attracts me to Niseko is that there will good snow, Oh, also I suffered for a month with acute mountain sickness in Colorado which is why Japan at Christmas is appealing rather than North America. We also want to be there early December and that is a bit too early for Colorado and Europe from what I can tell. As Thursday said, early Dec can be a bit too early for Niseko as well. You might get lucky and have an empty snow covered mountain, or you might not. Also, for the hubby, one of Niseko's big seling points is the off piste fun. Even with a decent coverage on the slopes early Dec probably won't have enough coverage to do the off piste areas justice. No worries about altitude, Threadbo is probably higher I am not keen on club med by the way, we don't need all the food/drinks/entertainment but if any of you think I am making a mistake not trying this let me know. We prefer to self cater when skiing. There are off snow activities in Niseko (in door pool, onsens, tours around the area etc.) but if you're not on the snow the options are fairly limited. That said, it is changing all the time so there might be other options for ex-snow activities. Depends where you're staying, but if you're staying at a self catering place (apartment etc.) they will probably have multi regional dvd players and stuff so that is an other option for restful afternoon. Give some consideration to hiring a car. It will give you some freedom to visit other places and let you carry a bit more stuff for a day's outing without having to go back to the apartment. It will also mean that you can stay in Hirafu for the food and entertainment but still scoot around to Annapuri or over to Rusutsu if the weather has closed the lifts at Hiarfu. A car will also let you explore the area which can be really pretty in the right circumstances. We're going to Club Med this season (haven't been before) simply because we think it might offer more entertainment options for the non-skiers and indifferent skiers. Niseko is the better option though for anyone who ques for first lifts and spends all day on the snow. Niseko doesn't have a monopoly on the good snow. Other places may not be able to claim boasting rights over Niseko but just about anywhere in Hokkaido and most places in Honshu regularly get super quality snow. Finally are there onsen for families? I saw that there is separate sexes but haven't seen if the children can go with Mum or Dad For kiddies in the onsen, it's like any public pool. Some places might have a rule about unsupervised kids below a certain age though. Link to post Share on other sites
joannek 0 Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 Rag Doll, thanks some really good information. I will investigate Annapuri. Link to post Share on other sites
the best skier here 0 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 It might be idea to do both - try Club Med for half the time and then self catering the rest of time. Link to post Share on other sites
taguchi 0 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Quote: Some places might have a rule about unsupervised kids below a certain age though. I think many place do have it. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Annapuri is great , we stay near Higashiyama and ski over to Annapuri frequently. The food at the restraunt at the base of Annapuri is excellent. I would spend 80% of my time at either Annapuri or Higashiyama as I find Hirafu a little boring to be honnest. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Personally I wouldn't stay at Annupuri unless you hire a car or are very familiar with the region. There are nowhere near the services, accommodations, restaurants or bars at Annupuri that can be found at Hirafu. The skiing at Annupuri is certainly great though and generally less crowded than at Hirafu. Hanazono is also a good beginner/intermediate area. It is cold on the upper mountain but remember at -15 or below the snow is incredibly dry so you won't get wet. A thermal followed by fleece and then good ski jacket will be fine. Something to cover the face is also advisable if the wind is up as I have got frostbite on my cheeks a couple of times. No problems with altitude as the summit of the mountain is not even as high as the base of Thredbo. A couple of the ski schools in town have kids clubs and english speaking instructors. Main ones being Niseko Base Snowsports NISS Both are well situated at the base of lifts. In terms of onsens there is no problem with children coming in with you. Most onsens in the region are separate sexes but there is one that is mixed at the Grand Hotel at Konbu Spa. Most tour companies here can organise trips to this onsen. There is also an onsen near Niseko train station where you can book a private onsen bath. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 anybody know how the average mountain temps of niseko compare with the big resorts in Europe, the 3 valleys for example?? Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Nope! (Sorry ) Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 At the base of Niseko you are looking at about -10 to -2 (night/day) in the cooler months. On the upper mountain something like -17 to -12. Not exactly sure how this compares to Europe but let's just say it's cold enough for some incredible snow quality. The main thing is that Niseko receives 14+m of snow per season which is far in excess of most European resorts. Of course Europe has real mountains though unlike Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 GN, is Niseko Express still being published? That had quality information in it (although in Jap) but the maps there for Onsens can be read by anybody...there are more mixed baths in that region than prolly anywhere else in Japan. Kyushu has a few but mainly theyre reserved baths, like around Hakuba. What I love most about the Niseko region is there are soooo many onsens not in the books/mags. Mud, salt, sulphur, they have em all. Niimi Onsen situated in a small valley area with a stream out back is sweet. Nobody there other than my coworkers and I and beers sitting behind us in the snow. Epic. Further out at Asahi, Iwanai, and Raiden are good too. The list up there goes on and on but a car is a must. A lil Japanese reading ability might be needed as well for places further out in the boonies. Not much English way out there from memory... Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 All my family wants is an onsen they can wear bathers at, they hate the whole nudie bit but like the idea of a relax in the water, perhaps we will hire the private one at Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 swimsuits in the onsen? no no no. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 You're allowed to wear a towel in the rotenburo. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Quote: All my family wants is an onsen they can wear bathers at, they hate the whole nudie bit lose your inhibitions and embrace nudity. it's very liberating. if you want to wear bathers in the hot tub, go sit in a spa in north america or europe Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 a towel the size of your hand is what you can wear. Now c'mon, when in Rome, do what the Romans do. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I'm fully in favour of total nudity in a mixed onsen. Soubriquette and Chef chose to wear towels. Very disappointing. Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 My daughter is 15, no way on earth she would go nude, I know its the way it is. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 How about sports in Oz? Don't they take showers? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I think the jist is this: If you go skiing in Japan, and you skip the onsen, then you've missed an integral part of the experience. Wearing swimsuits in the onsen is not respecting the local customs. You can of course choose to take it or leave it. Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Nudes not the problem, it taking beers in that I was worried about. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 i'd be more worried if a talking wombat with beers hopped into an onsen Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 jeeze, the toilets and showers are just beside the onsen, who would be so lazy to wazz in it? Link to post Share on other sites
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