"Not busy at New Year" resorts - any advice?

[cal 6]

Anyone been to any resorts over the last few years that have been surprisingly not crowded over New Year. I am now wondering where to go, don't want to hit crazy crowds, but do want to get out there.

 

Any specific experience anyone?

[006 0]

My first season, but I am going to go to some smaller places that aren't the main ones and hope to avoid the crowds that way.

[frannyo 2]

Just stay in and drink copious amounts of beer and wait til the slopes clear up a bit.

[stemik 14]

Try Sugadaira. I went there for New Year last year, very quiet on "white davos" esp. the advanced courses.

[reed 0]

I would think if you went as far as Hokkaido that crowds would thin abit (as compared to Honshu) due to the difficulty of getting there, though not necessarily so.

Standing in lines may be inevitable, though finding space on the slopes should be possible.

I have never been to Niigata's Arai mountain and I think it is not as well known as the other resorts in Honshu (Hakuba, etc) so perhaps it would be less crowded?

[garynyberg 0]

I usually skip skiing on the 1st and 2nd and then take a couple of days off from work to make up for lost time.

 

I actually checked for accomodations in the Zao area last night and found rooms available for the nights of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Also rooms were still available for the 30th.

 

So my skiing this New Year's holiday season is for the 31st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th.

 

31st will be Shiga Kogen. The 4th-6th will be at Yamagata Zao.

 

The following weekend is a three-day and plan on skiing at Happo-One on Saturday, Sun Alpina on Sunday, and on the way back to Tokyo on Monday will hopefully be able to do the heli-ski at Sugidaira.

 

Gary