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Hi, I just found this forum, some great info here. Thanks!

 

I'll be traveling to Japan on business at the end of February, and would like to stay a few extra days and do some skiing. I'll probably be able to ski for two or three days. I think I've narrowed it down to Niseko or Shiga Kogen, but I'd like to get opinions from people in the know.

 

I'm a fairly strong skier, although I don't have any need for extremely steep terrain, and I'm not a big fan of moguls. I'm definitely looking for some above-treeline and lightly-gladed terrain, things that I don't get much living in the northeastern US. Snow conditions are obviously important, but I assume that in the first week of March that won't be much of an issue anywhere. I like large mountains, where I can roam around and explore, but don't want to do anything where I need to take buses to get from section to section.

 

I speak only English, although I'll certainly learn the key phrases in Japanese, as I always like to give some effort at speaking the language, but I certainly won't be conversant. I'll be traveling alone, but will not be looking for heavy nightlife, just a nice meal and a drink or two to unwind after a long day of skiing. And of course, meeting my needs for great skiing is more important than the lodging/dining aspect.

 

Any suggestions on whether I would do better at Shiga Kogen or Niseko, or some other place entirely, would be greatly appreciated.

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I can't speak for Niseko but.

 

Shiga Kogen is a fine place to ski and a very large area. Just one part (the southern part - Kumanoyu/Yokoteyama) is 'separated', with you needing a short bus ride. It's worth checking out though.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/japan-ski-town-maps/shiga-kogen/shiga-kogen.html

 

You can easy spend a few days there no problem.

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We stayed at Shiga Kogen last month and had an absolute ball. It's a huge resort, with the majority of runs linked. Basically you can spend the whole day skiing from one side of the valley to the other without catching a bus, notwithstanding the Yokoteyama area mentioned above. We don't speak any Japanese (other than some of the niceties we picked up along the way)and we got along fine with communication. There were surprisingly more people who understood English than I expected. There is a ton of accommodation, so jsut look at some of the links on this site and do a few web searches and something will grab your attention. Some people we met raved about the Shiga Chalet (or Chalet Shiga?) in Ichinose. Said it was comfortable and cheap. We ate there and the bar and food were pretty good. We stayed at Hotel Sunroute in Ichinose and it was comfortable and well priced. The service was fantastic, but the food wasn't anything to write home about, and definitely do not hire their ski gear - I think they bought it in the 80s.

 

Snow conditions were amazing, runs were varied and most runs were pretty much empty during the week.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Cheers - Snowy

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Shiga is high on my list as I've yet to hit that resort area. One of my co-workers who skiis absolutely loves Shiga and raves about how good it is there. Fairly easy to get there from Tokyo Station by Shinkansen and bus.

 

As for Niseko I don't think you can go wrong if you choose to go there. I'ver made five trips there and was never ever disappointed. It seems like it is constantly snowing there, thus consistently good conditions. It's about an hour flight from Haneda, then you can connect to a bus from the airport for a 3 hour ride to Niseko. You're probably looking at a bit more travel time and money too. The last time I was there was six years ago just before the Aussie invasion. So, I'm sure it's changed alot.

 

Keep reading up on reviews for both and you'll get a good idea.

 

Go Sox!

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I've decided on Shiga Kogen. I think the size of this resort interest me, and it is also located more conveniently for me to make my flight back to the US without a wasted day. I'm very excited, it sounds like this is a great place to ski and enjoy.

 

I'm currently working on getting prices for the Shiga Prince, the Sunroute Hotel, and the Okushiga Kougen Hotel. I will be sure to post back with the results of my trip.

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Still not sure if it's going to be Okushiga Kogen or the Prince hotel, waiting to see what hotel my colleague can get into.

 

Are there specific places that I should go to rent skis? I'll bring my own boots, but would like high-performance skis, not standard rental equipment.

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