SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 23, 2012 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 23, 2012 Good morning. I would like to ask a bit of feedback from everyone. Most of us probably know the main "popular areas" like Hakuba, Niseko, Yuzawa, Shiga Kogen etc. But how about some other perhaps less well-known "areas" or destinations. I'm not asking about one ski resort out on it's own, but rather "areas" where there are perhaps a few resorts close-by that can be grouped together and named, like Shiga Kogen. They don't have to be linked up or owned by the same company or anything like that. We have our own thoughts on this of course, but I thought it would be good to see what other people think. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites
Error404 0 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The Bandai area of Fukushima (Alts, Inawashiro, etc) Minamami Katashina ...though they are towns/villages of course. Link to post Share on other sites
BoredRider 2 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Minakami is a winner I reckon, with Tenjin, Houdaigi, Okutone, etc. Also, white world is ment to be as good as anywhere after a big dump when Tenjin is closed (haven't been personally but)... Area has heaps of onsens, gaijin friendly accomm (and full Japanese style) and pretty easy to get to from Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
onsen tamago 0 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 White World is actually in Katashina village, not Minakami and a bit far away to group with those places. How about the region in Gifu with those resorts.... what do people call that area, Gujo? Link to post Share on other sites
Kansaiash 6 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 My knowledge of the Gifu area isn't that great but I have always called that area Gujo. Not 100% sure what the locals call it. Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The Takasu Area of Gifu Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Tateshina area, Nagano: Blanche Takayama Kirigamine Echo Valley Kurumayama Kogen Shirakaba Kogen Kokusai Shirakaba Resort Shirakaba Royal Hill Shirakaba 2 in 1 Tateshina Tokyu Pilatus Tateshina Yachiho Kogen? Koumi Riekkusu? (snowdude may have an opinion here, for example on whether the last two should logically be included) Aizu Kogen area, Fukushima: Aizu Kogen Nango Aizu Kogen Daikurayama Aizu Kogen Takatsue Aizu Kogen Takahata Hinoemata Tadami? Fairy Land Kaneyama? For the Bandai area, I would be tempted to include all of the following, and perhaps name it "Bandai-Adatara area": Alts Bandai Grand Sunpia Inawashiro Resort Inawashiro Family Snow Park Bandai x2 Urabandai Urabandai Nekoma Grandeco Listel Ski Fantasia Numajiri Minowa Yokomuki Onsen Nihonmatsu Shiozawa Adatara Kogen (Alternatively, the last 5 could be split off into a separate "Adatara area," but that seems unnecessarily detailed to me.) Room for adjustments in all the above, of course. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 And then, of course, there's "Paradise Alley." (Will defer to mick rich for details.) Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 23, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 23, 2012 Thanks folks. Any more thoughts most welcome. (Of course, we already have Paradise Alley all lined up no problem!) Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Furano, Kamui, Tomamu, Sahoro, Asahidake, Kurodake in the Hokkaido interior offer a wide variety of terrain and facilities all within a couple of hours of each other. Fly in to Asahikawa and base yourself in one town and do day trips. Or a relaxed road trip. An easy alternative to the Shiribeshi ski areas of Niseko, Moiwa, Chisenupuri, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai and Teine. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Furano, Kamui, Tomamu, Sahoro, Asahidake, Kurodake in the Hokkaido interior offer a wide variety of terrain and facilities all within a couple of hours of each other.. But what would you call that 'area'? Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Furano, Kamui, Tomamu, Sahoro, Asahidake, Kurodake in the Hokkaido interior offer a wide variety of terrain and facilities all within a couple of hours of each other.. But what would you call that 'area'? The Hokkaido (w)Hinterland Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I very much doubt SJDavid is asking for cheesy marketing like one-liners...... Good selection there Metabo Ojaji. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Apart from Paradise Alley, of course! Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 23, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 23, 2012 No, not interested in any kind of marketing talk, so we will have to rename Paradise Alley something boring like.... Minamiuonuma. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Surely "Paradise Alley" is not cheese, but merely brutal reality. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 23, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 23, 2012 You do make a good point. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 With all due respect, are you sure you're not trying to fix something that ain't broken? I understand the rationale for grouping areas together under an umbrella designation when it works (Hakuba, Yuzawa, Myoko), but most of those that `work' are already grouped. Putting Niseko and Teine together under Shiribeshi is pretty useless (sorry MikeP) as that's not a name that's ever going to catch on. It'll just be confusing. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted October 23, 2012 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted October 23, 2012 That to me, DiGriz? Not trying to 'fix' anything and nothing is broken. Perhaps you'll be in a better position to make that observation when you know what we are actually doing, which obviously I haven't revealed yet. For now I am simply asking for thoughts on the matter, which I think is pretty harmless. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Well, to SJ in general. And yes, without knowing just what you've got in mind it's hard to say. I just think most of the groupings that actually fit together have long ago been made, and for the rest generic terms like Nagano or central Hokkaido already work. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 dunno though, the less travelled path resorts like the Fukushima ones could probably do with a grouping (especially one that doesn't say Fukushima), perhaps of course the well trodden prefectures like Nagano and Niigata and Hokkaido perhaps don't need to as they have been grouped ages ago. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 With all due respect, are you sure you're not trying to fix something that ain't broken? I understand the rationale for grouping areas together under an umbrella designation when it works (Hakuba, Yuzawa, Myoko), but most of those that `work' are already grouped. Putting Niseko and Teine together under Shiribeshi is pretty useless (sorry MikeP) as that's not a name that's ever going to catch on. It'll just be confusing. I was replying to this from the OP: But how about some other perhaps less well-known "areas" or destinations.I'm not asking about one ski resort out on it's own, but rather "areas" where there are perhaps a few resorts close-by that can be grouped together and named, like Shiga Kogen. They don't have to be linked up or owned by the same company or anything like that. We have our own thoughts on this of course, but I thought it would be good to see what other people think. Thank you. Sure Hokkaido (w)Hinterland was an off the cuff name for what is Central Hokkaido but Shiribeshi is a name that I didn't come up with. If it's confusing then that's down to education and marketing. But then I'm called to task whenever I use 'Niseko Resort Area' rather than just Niseko. My understanding is the 'Niseko Resort Area' includes the connected ski areas of Annupuri, Niseko Village (Higashiyama), Hirafu and Hanazono along with Niseko Moiwa, Chisenupuri (not quite sure of that) and the defunct areas of Niseko Weiss and Niseko Iwanai. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I'm called to task whenever I use 'Niseko Resort Area' rather than just Niseko Not by me, Mike. I routinely refer to the `Niseko region' myself. Was just using Shiribeshi as an example of a name that won't catch on globally -- too many syllables and Niseko already established. But let's wait and see what the SJ'rs have in mind. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 But then I'm called to task whenever I use 'Niseko Resort Area' rather than just Niseko. Oh come on now, lets not be overly dramatic shall we. I think I read that comment about..... once. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 It seems fairly clear to me that SJ folk aren't in the business of bothering themselves with cheesy one-liners and probably are interested in referring to area names as referred to by locals. For example, what rider69 told us about the Gujo area, didn't know that actually. Perhaps complaints should be reserved for until they show you what they do with it. Link to post Share on other sites
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