SnowJapan Admin Popular Post SnowJapan 178 Posted November 18, 2011 SnowJapan Admin Popular Post Share Posted November 18, 2011 Introducing SnowJapan Route Finder In October 2010 we introduced individual map pages for every ski and snowboard resort listed in our Resorts section and all of the accommodations listed on the Places to Stay section of SnowJapan. This year we introduce a way to find directions and plan routes to and from ski resorts, hotels or indeed any address in Japan. We hope that people will find this new Route Finder functionality to provide a lot of fun as well as being useful --- even for people who do not use cars for their journeys. Ever wondered where Hakuba is in relation to Nozawa Onsen? Or Shiga Kogen? Or where Yuzawa is compared with Myoko? Or how to get from Niseko to Rusutsu? Or how many km it is from Niseko to Kiroro Snow World?.... These things can easily be found using Route Finder. You can find routes, view large versions of the maps, send a link to yourself your friends.... We have created 3 types of Route Finder - a general page and also a page for each resort (470+) and accommodation (200+) on our site. GENERAL http://www.snowjapan...oute-finder.php Using this page you can must specify a Starting Point and Destination Point. Multiple destination points possible. This will give you a Route from A to B (to C to D...) >> VIDEO DEMO RESORTS Links to Route Finder can be found on every Resort page (and prefecture listing page) on SnowJapan. Sample of Resorts Route Finder: http://www.snowjapan....php?resortNo=1 Using this page, the desination will always be the specified resort - so you choose a Starting Point and the map will tell you the way to get to that ski resort. >> VIDEO DEMO PLACES TO STAY Links to Route Finder can be found on every Places to Stay page (and prefecture listing page) on SnowJapan. Sample of Accommodation Route Finder: http://www.snowjapan...er.php?hotid=16 Using these pages, the desination will always be the specified accommodation - so you choose a Starting Point and the map will tell you the way to get to that accommodation. >> VIDEO DEMO ----------------------- We have prepared a Help page that explains the functionality - you can find that here: http://www.snowjapan...inder/help.html **** Please be sure to read the important information regarding Japanese text, the possibility of incorrect routes as well as the disclaimer on the above page **** We know that it is not 'perfect', but we hope that people will nevertheless find it to be a really useful tool and also a lot of fun. Here's a few example routes we found earlier: Hakuba to Nozawa Onsen (Large map) http://www.snowjapan...velMode=DRIVING (Within site) http://www.snowjapan...velMode=DRIVING Myoko Suginohara to Iwappara (Large map) http://www.snowjapan...velMode=DRIVING (Within site) http://www.snowjapan...velMode=DRIVING Over the coming weeks we plan to add some of these kinds of links for popular routes to the Travel section of the site. We have done a lot of testing on this functionality, but as with all things as complex as this it is possible that bugs will be found. If so, we would like to hear about them. Thank you to the kind friends who helped out with testing. Hope you enjoy it! 9 Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted November 18, 2011 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just to be clear and show you where to find all of the links going in to the relevant Resorts and Accommodation Route Finder tools: RESORTS: http://www.snowjapan...fecture=Niigata http://www.snowjapan...fecture=Niigata http://www.snowjapan...il.php?resid=16 http://www.snowjapan...php?resortNo=16 PLACES TO STAY: http://www.snowjapan...l.php?hotid=16 http://www.snowjapan...p.php?hotid=16 http://www.snowjapan...commodation.php (The links will also soon be added to the other regional Places to Stay listing pages) Link to post Share on other sites
Azuki 0 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 That really is very useful, I like it! Fun playing around with the settings. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just had a quick play. Excellent job. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Excellent new tool to play around with. I have enjoyed finding out distances between places and surprised myself at how far/near some places actually are. Hope you guys can take a bit of a rest now! Link to post Share on other sites
nagpants 1 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Very good idea and well executed. Going to enjoy using that. Cheers and have a good weekend folks! Link to post Share on other sites
yoroshiku onegai shimasu 2 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just watched the videos which -- great idea to show people how to use something. Not had time to play with it yet really but it looks like a very useful addition. Otsukaresama. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Wow love it!!! I have used googlemaps to try and find stuff before and usually got there but bringing it into the site and those easy to choose drop downs and everything.... brilliant!! Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Great addition to the site! Re the Myoko to Iwappara example, I've been over that same route via Madarao in summer, and unless the road has been improved quite a bit I wouldn't want to try it in mid-winter. Do you know if the system will take into account ``closed in winter'' roads? Edited November 18, 2011 by DiGriz Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 You mean Myoko, not Hakuba? That road from Myoko to Madarao is fine, DiGriz.... I actually did it myself this last winter, it was clear and no problems. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Arrgh, yes thanks Muika. I meant the Myoko route. Will edit to fix. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted November 18, 2011 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted November 18, 2011 Do you know if the system will take into account ``closed in winter'' roads? Unsure. But there is no setting that we could have implemented to make sure of that. Tried asking the question to Google but did not receive a response. If such a setting/possibility had existed in the code, we would have done it. That is one reason why we very much wanted to let people specify multiple points. For example, if someone asked for a route from A to B that google maps automatically uses a closed road in winter for, a helpful soul might create a map using multiple points A to B to C, so avoiding the closed road. http://www.snowjapan...inder/help.html Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Pietastic! That's really fun. Top job Bob and gang. Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Excellent new tool - definately not a spanner Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 It's a terrific addition to the site in any case, David. We just have to be a little careful and realistic, maybe take a look at satellite views when planning mid-winter trips it it shows a short cut that looks too good to be true! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Fun tool. Here is a tentative suggestion for Bags and 2pints' next itinerary (can be fleshed-out further if too limiting): http://www.snowjapan...velMode=DRIVING Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 That is really cool, very well done. DiGriz, things might have come on since the horse-drawn 50's. Link to post Share on other sites
yamayamayama 2 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Just been playing around with it. What a great idea! And seems to come up with good routes pretty much all of the time, understand it is coming from google anyway. Will be very useful to post links to show people when questions get asked! Definitely a quality new tool. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Haha good one Metabo! Didn't realise you could add so many points! Link to post Share on other sites
moshi-moshi 0 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Just spent an hour with it. It was fun just visualising and seeing where different places were.... something difficult for me who doesn't know much. Will be very useful, cheers. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Fab work guys, all the hard effort has paid off. I'm sure it will be a very popular part of the site. (Has anyone tried the jetski to Korea thing yet?) Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Always impressed how much effort you guys put in every year, always moving it forward often in big steps. You provide a really amazing service, I'm sure tons of people agree. Hope that lots of ski resorts etc know and appreciate it too. Now, let's get some snow!!! Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Bloody excellent, something that I will definitely use a lot. Just created a topic actually on some good routes http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/20819-useful-routes-discovered-using-snowjapan-route-finder/ Link to post Share on other sites
dale#1 1 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 That is very useful. I just showed a friend who works at one of the accommodations on your site..... they asked if it is ok to put a link on their website to their Route finder page here, as it would be very useful for their guests to be able to quickly find their way. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Moderator SnowJapan.Com#4 5 Posted November 19, 2011 SnowJapan Moderator Share Posted November 19, 2011 Hi Dale, we would be very happy for them to do that. Please let them know they are very welcome to link to any of the pages. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
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