Raz 0 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hi all Long time reader of the forum, but first time poster Looking for suggestions for our next ski trip to Japan (will be Jan/Feb next year (2 week trip)) Our recent ski trips have been Niseko/Furano in 2010, Niseko/Rusutsu in 2011 and this year was Whistler, Canada. We really like Niseko (in fact all of the resorts we have been to in Japan), but was thinking it would be nice to try some different resorts on the south island (save us a plane trip to Hokkaido). Class myself as an advanced/expert snowboarder who loves the deep powder and the trees (don't we all) Like to have a good choice of resturants for the evening, but not a late night / pub person. Any suggestions for non-Hokkaido resorts I should start my research at? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hi Raz and congrats on making your 1st post!! I reckon you should start off looking at the usual suspects, namely Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa and Myoko but there are lots of smaller resorts that can also deliver the goods. Are you going to have a car or be reliant on public transport, as that will have a bearing on your choice(s)? Happy reading!! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 If you have a car and are touring then you can hit up a lot of places on Honshu, the ones Mick said, Kagura in Yuzawa, which is an onsen town and has restaurants and drinking establishments but totally local Japanese and nothing like Niseko, off the back of Tenjindaira in Gunma would also be up there for you (the resort itself is tiny, but the options for hiking and getting into the deep stuff are pretty rad) and Minakami is nearby and has a smaller Yuzawa feel. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Yeah, that's a good call for Kagura and whilst a car would definitely make life easier, you could base yourself in Yuzawa and get the train or bus to a whole load of other resorts nearby, Tenjin and Minakami included. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 And you can even mosey on over to Nozawa for a day if you want.... about 70 minutes drive from Yuzawa. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Yeah, first thing you should decide is if you want to stay in one area, base yourself in one area and drive around, or spend a little time in several areas. If you have a car you'll have the option of getting around to literally hundreds of resorts. Link to post Share on other sites
Raz 0 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks all for the replies. (I didn't think the post worked as my browser crashed when I hit submit and I haven't checked back since). Probably no car, but would like to visit two ski areas in a two week trip. Was reading up on Hakuba today and that is looking like a good choice. As an aside, I only discovered today that there are no more direct Perth to Tokyo flights. Our nice 9hr flight has turned into a 13 to 17 hrs plus stopover time. Not happy....... Well back to planning next years trip :-) Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Yeah Hakuba is a good base to set yourself in, there are a lot of options in easy access from the village. Link to post Share on other sites
Error404 0 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 don't let anyone there tell you that Zao is inaccessible though...... Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hakuba and Yuzawa both have plenty of locations to go to. Although I hear Zao is inaccessible as Metabo Oyaji left his car in the way. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 And anyway, (insert place trying to sell) is much better anyway. No green goo either. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I'm thinking of finally hitting up Honshu myself next season. Like Raz I love it deep and off-piste (I really, really hate on-piste). What would be the best resort on Honshu for easily accessible and legal off-piste and/or sidecountry skiing? Only interested in the skiing, base facilities and apres stuff doesn't matter. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Mt Granview most definitely ticks the boxes, even the après ski and base facilities as well. It even ticks boxes that aren't there! http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/21184-mt-granview-minamiuonuma-niigata-the-resort-that-time-forgot/ Not sure if you are gnarly enough though, Go Native. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 GN, go to Myoko! You'll love it. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 GN, you'd HAVE to drop by Hakuba.....after all the great debates on here, it'd be rude not to!! and it actually does have all the things you'd like I reckon. All about off the back, I'm sure there'd be a line of locals ready to guide you for the day! I reckon for backcountry skiing as well, Tenjindaira in Gunma would tick teh boxes for you....the resort is small but the options off the back look great. I only ventured off the side of the designated runs in the forests, but the mountains there are pretty spectacular and its known as a BC-lover's play area. Have you done Hakkoda and the northern Honshu resorts? Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Pity about Zao though, GN. Sounds like it will be blocked off from the world for at least 30 years: http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/21491-cant-get-to-zao-onsen-because-of-fukushima/ Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I heard that Zao had been destroyed. 500 Ice Monsters were brought to life due to massively high* levels of radiation and went on a rampage through the village. (Though some of them in an interview with the Daily Yomiuri was heard to be complaining that there was nothing to eat in the evenings and nowhere was open). Scary shit, anyway. And in another report just coming in, I heard that Hakuba was suffering from readings of 500 micro-seatbelts, and faces were melting away. It's all quite sickening. (* actually even higher than that) Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Haven't been to any resorts on Honshu TB. All in all in the 7 years I lived in Japan I've spent only about 7 weeks on Honshu and 5 of those were when I was stationed in Isesaki in Gunma by Nova. It was mid summer and 5 weeks there were 5 too many. The Kanto plains are no place to be for any normal human in summer!!! Quit Nova after only after a few weeks (at least I got my sponsored work visa through them) and scampered back up to Hokkaido where summer is considerably easier to handle. Spent a couple of weeks in Kyoto and Nara just before we left Japan. Other than that haven't been anywyhere else on Honshu. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 you should get in touch with Yamabushi and see if he'll show you round hakkoda. Definitely fun to be had down here thats for sure! Gunma I heard, was voted the worst place in Japan to live......by the people that lived there!! haha, why you'd want to live in a place you totally hate I dunno. I've been to Gunma winter as well as end of summer and there are some real beautiful parts of the country. The Oze Marshes are great hiking territory Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Yes I also really like what I know of Gunma. Tenjin area, Minakami, Katashina, Oze, Kusatsu, Harunako, Asagi...... Really nice places and quite close too. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I just couldn't believe how hot and humid it was. I've never experienced anything like it before and hope to never experience anything like it again. We actually had fog form in the evening even though the temp was still above 30 degrees. For the dew point to be reached at over 30 degrees you know that the humidity is crazy high! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Where abouts in Gunma was that Go Native, in the south part near Saitama? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 haha....like living in a steam room! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 We were in Isesaki muika. Yeah right down on the plains not too far from Saitama. One of the hottest places in summer on Honshu I'd think. Hard to imagine anywhere being much hotter or more humid! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Ah I see, no I don't think I would like to be down there. That's probably near where ippy is now hey? Northern Gunma would be much more pleasant I think. Link to post Share on other sites
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