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Originally Posted By: Go Native
I agree with iiyama, go with a sense of adventure and try out a place that's not overly popular with the foreign crowd.
I've been living in the Niseko area for close on 4 years now and absolutely love it but recognise that this area is not 'real Japan'. It's one of the main reasons I love living here but for yourself may not be what you're really looking for.


Why do people think that a ski trip to Japan has to also entail some sort of cultural experience? Do people go skiing in the rockies hoping so also see some cowboys? Do they go skiing in Germany hoping to see a bloke wearing leather shorts? Why is Japan any different? The funny thing though Matt is that if you really did get to have a more traditional Japanese ski experience, you would be pissed off. Why? because the traditional Japanese ski experience is pretty poor. Sure the snow is great, but the resorts usually have boring low standard accomodation with NO night life. There is a report somewhere on here about a girl working at Shiga Kogen for a season. Great snow but can you get a beer after 9pm? Not a hope in hell. And you can forget any prospects of hooking up with some locals, they are all locked in their rooms by 6 pm.

Japanese cultural experience in the snow? Forget! you'll need English language lessons, you'll want some place that offers a range of beginner runs and something a bit more, because after two weeks you won't be a beginner anymore and even if you stay at a low level, after two weeks you'll be sick to death of going over the same old runs again and again. You won't want to be shuffling from one resort to another so forget about anywhere in Yuzawa. Also many of the Japanese style resorts have poxy off piste rules too so there are also hassles with that, should you get good enough.

So, where does that leave you?
Hakuba - heaps of different resorts, a fair bit of night life and still enough of a pokey Japanese town to let you feel like you've gotten off the beaten track.
Niseko - it's all been said before.

These aren't the only decent places by any means, but for 3 young fellas the other places won't really do it for you I reckon.
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Why do people think that a ski trip to Japan has to also entail some sort of cultural experience?


It doesn't but for many people Japan is an "exotic location" that they might not normally go to and/or is culturally sufficiently different from their own environment that the country as a whole holds an interest and not just the snow. (No offence to the culture of the rockies and cowboys).

I would think that many people coming to Japan (not counting hardcore crowd) will be wanting to take in some of Japan as well as hitting the slopes.

I know I would.
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You won't want to be shuffling from one resort to another so forget about anywhere in Yuzawa.


I'm not an expert on that area, but from what I gather there are tons of shuttle buses running all over the place to all the resorts that seem to be within 15 minutes of each other. Sounds pretty much like Hakuba to me that.
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Yes there are heaps within a 15 min taxi ride but not quite in the same league though as Haks. But would you really want to travel all the way from Aust to ride Iwappara or Naeba or Pineridge (or Kandatsu or whatever it is called these days) or Gala etc? Those places are great for trips from Tokyo but not really the sort of places you'd want to spend two weeks at.

 

And why is Japan anymore exotic that France or Canada? It is a funny mind set. Just as people seem to be ok travelling to Hong Kong, but to go all the way to Japan (!) seems like a major undertaking. For some reason in many people's minds Japan seems to be much further into the Far East than Singapore or Hong Kong. Go figure.

 

 

Matt - go where ever you want but if you find yourself wondering the halls of your hotel looking for a beer vending machine at 8 pm, you've probably picked the wrong place.

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Originally Posted By: thursday
Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps
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And why is Japan anymore exotic that France or Canada?


Because it is, perhaps? wink



Because it just is.



I don't know - men in leather shorts swilling beer, cowboys, bear dodging mounties, sophisticated women who smoke and wear black and insist on taking their dogs to restaurants - now that is exotic. Slippers in the toilet, eating raw fish, low door frames, overwhelming numbers of geriatrics - what is so exotic about that?
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Okay Matt here are a few more things to think about and totally do your head in.

Niseko has night skiing so you can ski all day and into the night, then go hit the bars.

Not only do you have the beginner runs at Hirufu but you can ski across to Higashyama and Annupuri.

Being a beginner are you going to be up to skiing EVERY DAY (or is it just us oldies that need a lay day!!) Niseko has regular shuttles into Kutchan where we spent a day just walking around and getting lost and shopping in the local supermarket. Also a train trip to Otaru sightseeing.

AND MOST OF ALL - Yeah there may be a world wide recession at the moment but I would be checking which resorts still have accomodation available. smile

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Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll
Why do people think that a ski trip to Japan has to also entail some sort of cultural experience? Do people go skiing in the rockies hoping so also see some cowboys? Do they go skiing in Germany hoping to see a bloke wearing leather shorts?


HELL YEAH I wanted to see cowboys in Canada & Leather Short wearing Men in Germany (or should that be in another thread rollabout) . I ate Poutine, Pancakes and Maple Syrup, TIM HORTONS, went to the ice hockey. When I am in a country do as the locals do.

When people come to OZ it is usually a visit to the beach, pat a kangaroo and cuddle a koala.
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wow...this is what happens when I dont check the forums often enough! So much to read. That opening by Rag-Doll....WOW! lol.

 

I have to say that I noticed you live in Singapore. I've visted there twice adn I have to say the place is very cool for me. Seriously living in Australia is very generic (for me anyway) Japan will blow my mind I must say.

 

 

However all the points that have been made are starting to move me in the direction of Niseko. The night time skiing is cool, the night life is a bonus and its closeness to other thigns to do seems cool as well.

 

Bah! So hard to decide. We might take a stop over in some other part of Japan for the cultural experience and leave the slopes for skiing and partying!

 

Though I am still put off by large crowds...and large Aussie crowds at that. I won't feel so special :( Just feels weird doing what everyone else does. Though then again we can just explore during the day ad go different places, and then spend the night at the popular spots.

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Matt,

Having been to Niseko (twice in 05/6 and 06/7) and Furano (once, last season) I feel somewhat qualified to respond.

 

Niseko is becoming quite "australianised" to the point that we were playing "spot the local" on the slopes. We'd have gone back last season except we were too late booking and the places that catered for our age (all 50-60) and group of 4 people were all booked out. So ... we went to Furano and had an absolute ball.

 

Our Japanese is not very wonderful, and it was even less so when we went in January, but the language problem was not very much in evidence. We found that a few basic words (such as please, thank you and excuse me) get you a long way. That and "the universal pointing language" will win every time!

 

If you go to Niseko, make a point of talking to GN! He's an authority and worth a few hours of your time.

 

Whatever, you should go through the archives and the resort reports here.

 

Cheers

John

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I remember when I first came to Japan I could hardly speak a word. Somehow I got by and what fun it was. I would highly recommend it and say that you will have a lot of fun even if you go to a place that doesn't cater so much for English.

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Originally Posted By: Go Native
Well as I alluded to earlier one of the main reasons I love Niseko is because it is not 'real Japan'. I'm not much of a fan of Japanese culture to be honest.


As in, "Japan would be a really great place if it weren't for all those Japanese"? confused
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I'm surprised how much this thread took off. Didn't read all of it but read ragdolls post about Japanese ski culture and he's hit the nail on the head. Old-school Japanese expect their hotel to take care of them so they don't venture out (ie. to restaurants or bars). Hey, did anyone mention Nozawa on this thread? Surely that's a contender if Matt really wants to experience someplace Japanese.

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