HotMagma 0 Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Got one of the Japanese ski mags yesterday and in it is a "top 20 ski area" in Japan list. And here it is! 1 Shiga Kogen 2 Naeba 3 Happo 4 Nozawa Onsen 5 Tsugaike Kogen 6 Niseko 7 Oze Iwakura 8 Appi Kogen 9 Meihou 10 Zao 11 Tanbara 12 Takasu Snow Park 13 Blanche Takayama 14 Hunter Mtn 15 Maiko Kogen 16 Rusutsu 17 Ski Jam Katsuyama 18 Goryu/47 19 Myoko Suginohara 20 Dynaland Voted for by readers, apparently. Hmmm. Link to post Share on other sites
Siem Reeves 0 Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 so, appi seems to always get in the top ten... why is that when everyone who i have talked to would rather go to hachimantai or somewhere else? i haven't been there yet (so i can make my own decision) but i will this year since my season pass to geto will include appi too... i remember there being much more snow at geto last year than appi, most of the time better snow conditions too... they do have a park and halfpipe though, which geto is sorely lacking (fingers crossed and hoping like mad they will this year!!!!!) Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 You have to take into account who is voting. Voters are not always hard core powder hounds and they are voting on a resort or area around the resort. Also places like dynaland and takasu get in there just be sheer demographics, beening only an 1.5 hour drive from nagoya 3 from osaka. Hell of a lot of voters there. We all know little gems that hold there own, I prefer that those beautities stay as they are if they can. Choice pow, great vibe. Link to post Share on other sites
slimeypete 0 Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 13 Blanche Takayama Really?!!? Some interesting choices in there. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted October 17, 2003 Share Posted October 17, 2003 Some surprising things on there, even if it is a general public thing. Oze Iwakura? Hardly a high profile place is it? Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Tsugaike Kogen. I wonder why that gets so high up there. I was unimpressed. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 I bought a seasons pass there this year. Tsugaike plan to ski in the back country so its basically the gongola that I want. Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Tsugaike was great. Try the heli/hike to Tengupara. They open the south face of Norikuradake when the snow condition is stable. Siren Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Where's Furano? Very overlooked resort. Link to post Share on other sites
Tufnell 0 Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Zao always seems to hit the top 10 Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Its nearly always same resort in this top 20 listing I think, especially the top 5 or so Link to post Share on other sites
slimeypete 0 Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 I wonder what the Top 20 for Japanese hardcore powder hounds would look like. Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Same mag (looks like), some more charts. WITH "EXPERTS": 1 Happo 2 Shiga Kogen Yakebitaiyama 3 Nozawa 4 Urasa 5 Hakkai-san 6 Tengendai Kogen 7 Teine Highland 8 Owani Onsen 9 Ontake 10 Kanazawa Seymour FOR "FLYERS": 1 Ishiuchi Maruyama 2 Seki Onsen 3 Hakuba 47 4 Dynaland 5 Can't read it, but not a major place. 6 Aizu Kogen Nango (?) 7 Hunter Mountain 8 Okutadami Maruyama FOR FAMILIES: 1 Tanbara 2 Tangram Ski Circus 3 Parada 4 Katashina Kogen 5 NASPA Ski Garden 6 Tsugaike Kogen 7 Blanche Takayama 8 Meihou 9 ?? 10 Hachimantai Resort FOR POWDER: 1 Hakkoda 2 Niseko Higashiyama 3 Hachimantai 4 ?? Ropeway 5 Seki Onsen 6 Arai 7 Shalman ?? 8 Hakuba Iwatake 9 Tateyama ?? 10 Tanigawa Onsen White Valley FOR FACILITIES: 1 Arai 2 Naeba 3 Appi 4 Kiroro 5 Alts Bandai 6 Mount Reisui ?? 7 Ski Jam Katsuyama 8 Echo Valley 9 Hakuba Goryu 10 Geihoku Kokusai Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Its good to know that I'v got trips planned to the top 3 pow places already. If only I could be closer to an air place. Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I never get why Naeba and Happo get so hyped up. I never went to either place last season, although I was in Happo village quite often. It was just the sheer masses of people swarming the place that drove me away, and by the stats that I have seen, the same is even truer of Naeba. Who wants to dodge other skiers/riders all day long ? I don't get it. anyone ? Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 The hype is just that, and often outdated as well. In the case of Naeba, go on a weekday and out of holiday periods and you will have lots and lots and lots of space. Not that many people around, honest. If you can get it on one of those days, you will more likely than not really enjoy it. I think the resorts are fibbing a bit with some of the official numbers they throw out... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Happo very big and very open. You dont dodge people until the end of the day. At the end of the day at any ski resort you dodge people cause there are only so many runs to the car parks. Lots of trees and only true open powder sking in hakuba open to the public. Happo gets moguls why? cause they dont groom everything. Great trees if you know where to look and the run off the peak isnt bad either. patrol arent half as bad as 47 and the price is so much better. I dont think Ontake should make the list for experts the steepest run is 30degrees. The place sucks. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hey, what magazine is this? Will try to look for it later today... Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 スキー&スノーボード ゲレンデ案内 2004・全国版 1850 yen don't get too excited, thats about the most exciting bit, it's just one of the main guidebooks Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 That book is no doubt published with the cooperation of every resort, so I think they've tried to get as many names in as possible. Iwatake for powder is taking the piss. No. 7 is Charmant Hiuchi. It's behind Arai and like Hachimantai has no ropes. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 No fakie, Chaumont should be higher. Most japanese dont even know about the place though. Magazines have to pay the bills. So you always see Atomic skis rated high cause they pay the most money etc. The same applies to snowboards. The North America top ten list is pretty bang on. Whistler, Vail, Tahoe, Utah and Jackson flip flopping all the time. You cant fake those results cause it is too clear which are the big resorts. That doesnt mean those places dont pump money into the mags though. My top list for pow. Cortina Happo for open sking on pow days 47 goryu if you dont get caught kawaba short but many BC possiblities in the area and outside. Takasu for always having something to ski short hikes and inbounds. Niseko chaumont and on reputation (never been) Arai but I found it to be a fight. Myoko great hiking and ob Air no doubt takasu and dynaland. No other plase can you find the stuff maintained twice a day. huge or samll they dont slack off. Big pipes. Happo for making kickers 47 but busy on the weekends and no super pipe. Ontake has good jumps. For taking care of you Cortina 3500 yen gets you sking, fed and the biggest sento ive found in the area. Happo hakuba town you have so many restaurants and shops whithin walking distance. Goryu base again lots of choices near the base. Myoko huge base area. Takasu town nice cheap pensions. Again just my list Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 BC skiers, kanazawa seymour is great. Deep, steep ungroomed powder... Link to post Share on other sites
WOD 0 Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 Never heard of it. Interesting lists there. Link to post Share on other sites
Ms Zoidberg 0 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 How long does it take for you to get to Dynaland from Kyoto, Fattwins? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted November 3, 2003 Share Posted November 3, 2003 about 2 to 3 hours depending on my driving. If I feel genki and want to drive fast then I can cut the time down. If I feel relaxed and I drive slow then a little longer. Link to post Share on other sites
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