taguchi 0 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Interesting. Maybe the Japanese who go to Niseko will start to enjoy the nightlife aspect also and it become more popular. Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Originally Posted By: thursday Well, actually I thought this summed up the situation precisely. Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll It seems to be that a lot of complaints about there being too many Aussies and the overall increase in popularity of Niseko come from two distinct groups of people. Type 1 - Those who don't live in Japan and seem to think that skiing in Japan must also include some sort of cultural experience. Many of these people will have booked themselves a package deal offered by a tour company making its money from economies of scale. They then get to Niseko and bemoan the loads of (other) Aussies doing exactly the same thing. Many of these same people won't be familiar with the typical Japanese ski resort that has zero night life and so when they go out at night looking for something to do all they see are other Aussies doing the same thing. This creates a distorted impression of the general number of Aussies in the place. The locals still out number Aussies by a large margin, they're just not visible at night because they're all sitting in their rooms. These people are often want it both ways – cheap and easy trips with local infrastructure to accommodate non-Japanese speaking visitors to places that retain their cultural uniqueness. If you want to be a trail blazer, go some place else no one else is going, don't go to Niseko because everyone is talking about it and then bitch because it is over run by multitudes of unimaginative tourists. Type 2 - Long term residents in Japan who for a variety of reasons (few of them particularly flattering) like being the only foreigner in the village. There is a strong parallel with that Little Britain sketch about being the only gay in the village. These people resent the influx of foreigners because it means they are no longer as exotic or as unique as they once were. This group of people (comprised almost exclusively of men) would rather remain the only foreigner in the village and bitch about slow lifts, crap safety patrol policies and dreadful food rather than share Japanese ski resorts with visiting foreigners who might enable the resorts to actually make a profit or improve the facilities/policies and, dare I say it, force them to face some uncomfortable facts about themselves. Nice one RD. You certainly have a unique perspective on complicated issues that really aren't that complicated. Link to post Share on other sites
Snow-Woman 0 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Sounds very reasonable to me and a lot of truths in it too. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Bless you Snow-Woman, you're obviously a woman of considerable taste and intelligence. Not one of my better posts though, I have to admit. I think Thursday just dredged it up to stir things up a bit! FT is right. It wasn’t aimed at or intended to apply to any of the regular posters on here. I think by definition, if you're hanging out on an English language website that provides heaps of info to non-Japan residents about accessing the snow in Japan then you're very unlikely to be a type 2 type of person. I got a bit carried away with the type 2 description. It was largely in response to the impression I was getting that some people were objecting to the increase in Australian visitors, simply because they were Australian, which, to me at least, suggested a deeper malaise. And to completely re-hash the topic – that is not to say that having lots of Japan novice Australians descend on Niseko doesn’t bring with it some problems because it clearly does. But IMHO the benefit such a thing brings to the area out weighs those problems by miles. Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Then there are those of us that organise our own bookings, find a terrific spot between Hirafu and Higashiyama, hire a car to get to the lesser visited places and eat out in Niseko Town and Kutchen rather than Hirifu. Niseko can offer an excellent holiday if your comfortable enough to get away from the hordes and do your own thing. Next for me, learning Japanese which is difficult as there are no lessons in my area but I will give it a go. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 The biggest problem by far with the Aussies is they keep bringing thier Beer in the Onsen Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Forget the beer mate. What about this. Originally Posted By: SirJibAlot What about an inflatable crocodile in the onsen - would anyone object? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Rag Doll, I found your diatribe to be on the money. I like it and will quote at my convenience. Thanks again. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 29, 2007 Author Share Posted May 29, 2007 It is just too tempting to get in there and start batting again! But , no! I'll keep my mouth shut! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 you'll get a duck this time. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 29, 2007 Author Share Posted May 29, 2007 Not bloody likely! I'm an Aussie! Link to post Share on other sites
kaiser soce 0 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Originally Posted By: ausi ski bum Next for me, learning Japanese which is difficult as there are no lessons in my area but I will give it a go. Get some Pimsluer CD's and practice in the car. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Just in case there's any doubt out there that the sun will shine brighter and the snow will be whiter up north: This from the land mongers: "In 2006, the international financial services company Citigroup acquired Niseko Higashiyama Ski Resort, the Higashiyama Prince Hotel and its surrounding golf resort. What exactly the future holds for Higashiyama Resort is yet to be revealed, but all signs are pointing towards further development of the already popular resort and improving its amenities and infrastructure to cater to the increasing number of visitors. There is talk of land becoming available in the near future, however nothing has been confirmed as yet. We look forward to bringing you the news of any land opportunities or future developments as they are announced." Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 29, 2007 Author Share Posted May 29, 2007 Oh that won't do! The locals miss out again! Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Originally Posted By: thursday Just in case there's any doubt out there that the sun will shine brighter and the snow will be whiter up north: This from the land mongers: "In 2006, the international financial services company Citigroup acquired Niseko Higashiyama Ski Resort, the Higashiyama Prince Hotel and its surrounding golf resort. What exactly the future holds for Higashiyama Resort is yet to be revealed, but all signs are pointing towards further development of the already popular resort and improving its amenities and infrastructure to cater to the increasing number of visitors. There is talk of land becoming available in the near future, however nothing has been confirmed as yet. We look forward to bringing you the news of any land opportunities or future developments as they are announced." Can you cite your source please? Mantas, I'm thinking 6 foot blow up Kangaroo in the onsen next season! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 thats all good thursday but how many people does it take to track out the mountain? Link to post Share on other sites
samurai 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I second that FT. Not many. I LOVE that I have private stashes. this may be the only time in my life where such easily accessed/non-skied terrain exists. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Well Fatts, thats fine, the stuff I got from the email was not targeted at the purests. They are land mongering to the speculators. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Jibs, I will PM you on the source. I do not want to advertise these people here. Nonetheless, they watch this channel also. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 yeah but you made it sound like more hotels will make it better. Investment is great im all for it but if you are selling the snow at what point is enough? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted May 30, 2007 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted May 30, 2007 Quote: I do not want to advertise these people here. Thanks for your constraint thursday. One of the reasons why we have to keep things like that off here. Just the other day we had someone post on here with an only vaguely hidden promotional message for their friends - we know this because we know who posted it, their close relationship to the company they were promoting and the frankly lie of a message they posted in order to get a message out and post a website address. It went something like this: "Hey does anyone know a company called ABC in Niseko? I've heard they are really great and do some wonderful things (and help kids and charity too) and want to know more. Their website it here: website address. It looks ace and I'd really go visit if I were you." It didn't last long so hardly anyone probably saw it. Whether SJ has a relationship with any particular company or not, that kind of thing ain't allowed here. With the traffic here though people increasingly know that posting something will get peoples attention. It looks like this kind of thing is something that is only going to increase. I could go on but will leave it at that Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 being a forums administrator, do you sometimes feel like God? i mean, i know the various SJs are real people and all, but it seems like we're in this virtual world, and every now and then you come down and sort things out. plus you're always hovering around in the background, like some all knowing omnipotent force. seriously though, how do you guys (and gals?) keep track of everything that goes on this site? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 they track trouble makers like you. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 sweet. i like the attention Link to post Share on other sites
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