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Where did you experience the best snow in Japan?


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newhere so be kind!

 

Wondering where the best snow you have experienced in Japan is.

Not talking about reputations or what is generally considered the best --- but the best that YOU have skied.

 

Mine was one day in Kawaba in Gunma. Perfect timing, there was 40cm of fresh snow overnight stopped snowing around 9am, lots of ungroomed areas, light as anything. The sun came out. Perfect day it was.

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I am not sure the best snow....but one day I remember was when i first came to Japan in the early 90's - a crowded day at Naeba. But what amazing snow on that day!

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Nozawa, three-day storm back in about 1993-94 left us knee to waist deep in powder as light as I've ever skied. Close seconds would be Niseko in mid-January 2003 and Kamui near year-end in maybe 1986-87 (although I was still very inept back then and couldn't really ski it).

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Equally amazing days (plural at the first four) at:

 

Niseko Grand Hirafu, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai, Kamui, Asahidake

 

Only skied on Hokkaido. Hopefully be able to make the comparison with Honshu this season.

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Niseko this Feb, it hadn't even snowed that much but damn that snow was light and deep!!

Followed closely behind by Shiga Kogen over the last New Year break, 3 days of mental light pow falling from the sky

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Happo1. Maybe my 5th or 6th day ever riding. Arrived on one of those tour buses from shizuoka, barely slept. pummeled up to the gondola, the lifty said "im jealous of your guys up there today, have a good one", i honestly replied "why?" and emerged into this sea of white.

 

At first i HATED it. I couldnt see where i was going, there were no markers, and the one run i thought we could do some dude said "i wouldnt go that way, theres cliffs and youll likely fall to your death if you cant ride well". I now realise in hindsight, the dude was a prick.

 

Anyway, no choice but to run the mens downhill course. Ate a kebab to settle my mind on it and then strapped in. Flew off a bump, landed on my back into a cloud of pure fluffy cotton wool. A huge grin started to break across my face and at that instant, i realised i was a powder whore.

 

I mean, it probably wasnt the BEST powder ever, but it was my first powder day, so its stuck with me smile

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Originally Posted By: Creek Boy
Originally Posted By: Chriselle
Kamui,.. But I used to go there pretty much every weekend.


Were you in Asahikawa? Did you like living there?


Yes...and No.. I officially lived out on the coast in Rumoi but my girlfriend at the time lived in Asahikawa and I crashed at her place most weekends. Asahikawa is probably my favorite place in Japan. We're thinking of moving back up that way. My wife is an Hokkaido girl and hates Shizuoka.
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I have spent a season in Canada and multipule seasons in northern Honshu visting spots all over the place and as much as I dont want to admit it, the best snow I have ever had was at Niseko, in Jan 2000. Extreme depth is only usefull when accompanied by extreme lightness. Could only see where I was going for a brief moment each turn. Other times I have had it that deep it has not been as light meaning when you get speed up you tend to float to the surface and when you go too slow you sink and stop.

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