grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 For the sake of Fukushima, let's hope it works better for them than Liverpool FC! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
minus 1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Have you gotten to Adatara yet Metabo? I have a colleague at work who's folks have a place up there, I have just found out. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Nice! I'm aiming to get to Adatara tomorrow, highways willing. (Looks like they are already on chain kisei -- hope they don't shut down entirely...) Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Well, the highways did close over night, but re-opened just in time to get to Adatara Kogen yesterday. The pacific side of the Ban-Etsu does not usually get much snow (which is perhaps why it is closed so easily when it does get some); the trees were sporting a fresh dusting: Dake Onsen: Adatara Kogen Rest House: Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 How was Adatara, Metabo? Any good? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 ganbape?! Is that Fukushima-ese for Ganbatte? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Tubby: It is a Fukushima (and Ibaraki and some other parts of North Kanto/South Tohoku) way of saying "gambarou." grungy: See here: http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/21490-adatara-kogen-fukushima-201233/ Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Gamba-ppe! 日本語は難しいですね！ Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Gamba-ppe! 日本語は難しいですね！ The expression has become particularly well-known in the context of disaster recovery. Examples: Other local expressions have also been used, particularly further north where the dialect changes. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Never heard of that one before. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I like the shape of Ibaraki Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 How have you found places generally Metabo this season? Quieter or about the same as you have experineced before now? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 A bit hard to say, cal. Nobody's down 90% or anything like that, but newspaper reports indicate places are down from 10% to 50% or more, depending on the place, which is hard for a visitor to really calibrate. Would really need to see the receipts. I can only go on weekends, and nowhere has been a ghost town. Not much crowding of lift lines, either, but then that has never been a big problem in previous years, either. (One of the reasons I like the region!) I have seen some subtle, and not-so-subtle, signs of hardship (cancellation of nighters, hotels closing completely or part-time, idled lifts, difficulty in areas retaining ski instructors due to lack of demand, and general reduction and consolidation of services), but I think we will have to really wait until the end of the season to see some final statistics reported. (And some places just won't report, I suspect.) One thing I have noticed, and I am not sure if this is a new thing this year, but the license plates of the cars in the parking lots and on the highways are overwhelmingly from Ibaraki or Fukushima, with only a smattering of other places represented. Of course, other neighboring prefectures have their own ski areas to support, but the impression I get is that not many people are going from Tokyo, say. Which means that hotels are probably suffering more than ski areas, even. (A day-tripper from Ibaraki or Fukushima does not need a hotel, obviously, just a lift ticket.) This may actually be a general trend in the Tohoku area this year, from previous news reports. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I am seeing lots of Ads for Tohoku and Fukushima on CNN. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 A bit hard to say, cal. Nobody's down 90% or anything like that, but newspaper reports indicate places are down from 10% to 50% or more, depending on the place, which is hard for a visitor to really calibrate. Would really need to see the receipts. I can only go on weekends, and nowhere has been a ghost town. Not much crowding of lift lines, either, but then that has never been a big problem in previous years, either. (One of the reasons I like the region!) I have seen some subtle, and not-so-subtle, signs of hardship (cancellation of nighters, hotels closing completely or part-time, idled lifts, difficulty in areas retaining ski instructors due to lack of demand, and general reduction and consolidation of services), but I think we will have to really wait until the end of the season to see some final statistics reported. (And some places just won't report, I suspect.) One thing I have noticed, and I am not sure if this is a new thing this year, but the license plates of the cars in the parking lots and on the highways are overwhelmingly from Ibaraki or Fukushima, with only a smattering of other places represented. Of course, other neighboring prefectures have their own ski areas to support, but the impression I get is that not many people are going from Tokyo, say. Which means that hotels are probably suffering more than ski areas, even. (A day-tripper from Ibaraki or Fukushima does not need a hotel, obviously, just a lift ticket.) This may actually be a general trend in the Tohoku area this year, from previous news reports. Sad to hear but I guess not totally unexpected. Metabo, I'm still holding out hope of hitting up Fukushima this month and am tentatively thinking of Sat 24th if you were thinking of going to Grandeco that day?? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 The 24th is out for me, I'm afraid. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Interesting that, Metabo. It will be interesting to hear how things have panned out. Link to post Share on other sites
SheldonB 0 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Good for you Metabo Oyaji, supporting them like you are. Hard to imagine how all of this has affected so many people in such a big way. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 I reckon it's good for us all in Japan, Sheldon, so there is an element of self-interest involved. And it's where I would have done much of my skiing anyway, so not like it is a sacrifice or anything. Back of Mt. Bandai, seen from Grandeco ski area on 2012.3.11: Lake Inawashiro, likewise: Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Nice Metabo. Brings back memories too. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Some information on closings: Alts Bandai closed for the season on 3/18. Inawashiro's last day will be this Sunday, 3/25. Adatara Kogen will be open until 4/1, weekends only. Inawashiro Resort will operate until 4/8. Numajiri will go "until the snow is gone" in April. Nekoma and Grandeco will go until Golden Week. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Wow, Alts closed early!! Any particular reason(s) why, as I seem to recall it having quite a good base? Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Alts seem to have been on a self-implosion thing since March 11th last year. Wonder why. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Yes, I don't know why exactly, but Alts does seem to have been in particularly severe triage mode this season, more so even than other places in the region. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Interesting about Alts for sure. Whats going on there? I was speaking to a friend here and they said that a ton of staff had been cut as well. They seem to be going to cut down route rather than the all out gambaru one. Link to post Share on other sites
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