Richard78 0 Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Hallo snow bunnies!!! I'm planning to visit Japan this late January or early febuary to see my Gf and I'd like to get in a day of snowboarding while while I'm in town. Can someoen recomend an uncrowded ski/onsen town? My GF never skied a day in her life so I'm looking for a beginner friendly resort but also some long fun runs for me Also, can I rent a size 11 snowboard boot? japense have little feet so I'm not sure if they would have my ultra gaijin size boots I would just like to get an idea of what to expect abput skiing in japan. Any dvice anyone could offer up would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks Richard Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Richard, What part of Japan are you coming to? How's your/GF's Japanese (does she need an English ski instructor, etc.)? Budget? etc. Size 11 is iffy at the rentals. some may, most won't have size 11 (29 cm plus is rare). Try to bring your own. The obvious solution to avoid crowds is to avoid the Tokyo peoples ski resorts and for God's sake weekends! If your travelling away from the kanto (TOKYO area) area you can find some good, relatively empty places. Just need more details about what you're looking for. Good luck Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Nozawa Onsen. It has two huge areas suitable for beginners, some of the best steeps, and the most reliable powder. The rental near the lower carpark also has boots to Japanese 32 which works out at around 11 or 12. (Note: I've never seen boots on sale in that size, but some rentals do have them.) It has free onsens as well as ones that charge. (I always sing the praises of this place, but unless you want a park, Nozawa is tops for nearly everything else). Link to post Share on other sites
Richard78 0 Posted December 23, 2003 Author Share Posted December 23, 2003 hey guys! danke fur dien info. To answer your question my Gf is japanse so her jp is perfect so she can get instruction while I hit the fluff . me on the other hand? ...well that's a differnt story, haha! I deffinately wana get away from the Tokyo crowds!!! How far is Nozawa by tran from Tokyo or shizuoka? What about Gunma and shiga? how are the crowds? Arigatou Richard Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Nozawa Onsen is the place for you. It has the feeling of a little Japanese village with a big ski resort just kinda attached, unlike some of the places that are just a quick place to take a few runs when you can sneak out of Tokyo. It is totally where I would go for a romantic getaway if I wanted to get some riding in as well. To get there you take the Nagano shinkansen all the way to Nagano-shi. (1hr45min - 7700Yen) and then take the local train to Iiyama (1 hour, cheap). I would try to arrange a place to stay before hand and they should be cool enough to come pick you up at the Iiyama train station. I took the bus one time but it wound around for what seemed like 3 hours dropping off school children before finally getting to the slopes. You'll definitely have a good time there and it is a great place to learn. Link to post Share on other sites
Richard78 0 Posted December 24, 2003 Author Share Posted December 24, 2003 O, BTW how much is it to rent boards and boots? Merry christmas and happy new year!! Richard Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard 0 Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Renting is usually about 2000-2500 yen for a board rental from what I can remember. Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted December 26, 2003 Share Posted December 26, 2003 Sometimes after new snow fall some of smaller resort in Gunma is good. For example, Kawaba or Houdaigi. Link to post Share on other sites
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