Top 10 reasons to Ski Japan - as recommended by Aussie travel agentss

[nzlegend 1]

Travel Agents on Monday who attended the Ski Japan seminar hosted by Japan National Tourist Organisation were delighted to learn why Japan is fast becoming one of the leading ski destinations in the world. Over 15,000 Aussie skiers travelled to Japan in 2005/06 and below we list 10 top reasons to recommend Japan to your ski clients:

 

1. Direct flights from Australia with easy access to snow fields from all major Japanese gateways.

 

2. Superb quality dry powder snow with average base of 3 meters. Best time to visit is late December until end of March with resorts in central and northern Japan.

 

3.Great skiing, trekking & snow boarding on Alpine mountains up to 3,000 meters with variety of terrain and backcountry adventure trails.

 

4.High speed efficient lifts, gondolas & rope tows with day passes from only AUD$40. Queuing is rare. All resorts offer ski schools with courses for the complete novice to the expert skier.

 

5.Indoor and natural outdoor thermal hot springs. See Snow Monkeys bathing in the wild!

 

6.Accommodation for every budget from hostels, pensions, traditional Japanese lodgings to modern 5 star hotels/resorts.

 

7. Most ski fields have a variety of activities to suit singles or families for that perfect winter holiday. Apart from skiing you can enjoy local sightseeing, events & festivals.

 

8.Easily combine a sporting holiday with a cultural city stopover in Osaka or Tokyo.

 

9.Eat delicious healthy Japanese cuisine. Drink traditional Sake wine and excellent Japanese beers. Most resorts offer a variety of nightlife including bars, restaurants and discos.

 

10.Japan's ski fields offer inspiring picturesque natural beauty. Beautiful clear sunny skies enhance the peaceful and tranquil settings, usually non-crowded with pristine ski conditions.

 

 

Interesting list. Didnt know Niseko had snow monkeys

[Fattwins 0]

where did you get that from mate

[mattlucas 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by snowglider:

4.High speed efficient lifts, gondolas & rope tows

Bullshit

[nzlegend 1]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Fattwins:
where did you get that from mate

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp?id=52049&nav=79

here.

[Fattwins 0]

it should say all mix at one resort. you can ride a 50 year old lift one minute and a 1 year old lift the next

[jgraves 0]

So where the bloody hell are you?

[marnix 0]

Here some snow monkeys in hokkaido.

 

[damian 0]

Only Australians, and perhaps the French, would claim that Japan has excellent beer.

 

(I used to think the same until I woke up to what real beer is)

[jgraves 0]

That reminds me of a Japanese saying that means something like "even a $hit-eating insect has preferences about the $hit it eats."

[jgraves 0]

That last comment wasn't a slur against you Spud, nor Australians, or the French (well maybe the French)

[NoFakie 45]

It says this from the Japan National Tourist Organisation so you've got to expect a lot of spin and marketing to the moneyed classes.

 

Though it's an interesting spot, the snow monkeys are not exactly wild. They get fed every day.

 

Compared to the number that come (and could potentially come) from Korea and China, 15,000 is not all that many surely.

[damian 0]

Good point. My guess is that 15,000 is a drop in the ocean from a capacity and revenue perspective? It is worth researching properly, but any well linked resort group can turn over that many people on their lifts in a few hours? It is the start of an improvement though. More Australian's will quite fairly come to Japan. Wouldn't you?! Australian's should be flocking to Japan in their masses for the snow. I have always held that these two countries have more reason to uniquely* be connected than any other big pairings in Asia Pacific. This is off topic and likely quite meaningless, but Japanese is the only compulsory language in the Australian government funded late-primary and secondary schooling system (I may be corrected on that). My guess is that Australia is the only country in the world that makes Japanese compulsory.

 

* I emphasise unique. A counter example: the Australia - New Zealand pair is strong, but not unique. Likewise the Malaysia - Indonesia pairing: strong, but not unique.

 

ps - tohoku bum: no slur percieved at all, I laughed loudly when I read it! I think the shit eating insect saying unintentionally describes the drinking+culinary habits of Anglovulgaris (the common Anglo) quite well, although I am sure it would offend many. As for France: it is impossible to buy a nice or even drinkable beer in that country. The one big downside for a nation that I otherwise struggle to fault (from grub and booze perspective... and snow+surf. Girls aren't bad either. Not to mention good cars, nice farm land. That town called Nice).

[Yuki's Passion 1]

>8.Easily combine a sporting holiday with a cultural city stopover in Osaka or Tokyo.

 

right, WTF can you see in Osaka and Tokyo besides buildings? Id never recommend anybody to visit Osaka for sightseeing. Osaka has....? The Osaka dome? Banpaku park? Hep 5? Takoyaki? What is so appealing about Osaka? Had they said Kyoto or even Nara Id understand. Had they said something that is culturally significant Id understand. I think youd get a better cultural experience in the country than in the city but thats just my 2 yen.

 

..Tokyo - wont touch that with a ten-foot pole.

 

>10.Japan’s ski fields offer inspiring picturesque natural beauty. Beautiful clear sunny skies enhance the peaceful and tranquil settings, usually non-crowded with pristine ski conditions.

 

Was this written by Laficido Hearn?

 

>5.Indoor and natural outdoor thermal hot springs. See Snow Monkeys bathing in the wild!

 

They make it sound like many onsens have monkeys chillin out in em. How many can you actually see monkeys in? 2? 3? Any onsens besides the 1 in Nagano?

 

>Most resorts offer a variety of nightlife including bars, restaurants and discos.

 

Discos? Ummm, where? Fattys?

 

Hire me as a new PR bloke

[Rag-Doll 0]

I doubt there are any resorts in Japan that have even a majority of the items in the list.

 

I can imagine some poor bastards next season sitting on a “romance” lift at a place like Tashiro during a white out and with their belly a full of curried rice (because that is all they could afford after a night out in Tokyo) thinking that somehow this isn’t what they were expecting when they signed up for their combined Japanese ski and culture trip!

 

I like the cheeky combination of blue sunny skies and 3 meters of base - as if you get that much snow without it snowing just about every day during the winter.

[eskimobasecamp 0]

Yo wait a minute CB there are discos, i met Toque in one lol and what a dancer he is! Monkeys, yeh umm you kinda have to go looking for the ones who are into hot spring action - otherwise i know a road with a LOT of monkeys on it. The lift things is a total joke - this year Davey jumped off one it was going so feckin slow... ok that's a lie, the lift had stopped, but they go so slow they make you wanna jump off them screaming "where are the high speed funiculars like in france?!"

[Yuki's Passion 1]

that place is a dive though

[eskimobasecamp 0]

the best part is that they play the same music everyweek - my favourite is that mishmash of r'n'b and d'n'b - don't know where they get those records from, it's like fat boy slim gone wrong. yeh a cool bar (ok shin is cool) or club would be cool in hakuba - like eh the classy establishment dick's tea bar in val d'isere. naughty in tsugaike has a skateboard ramp though, maybe you could come next year with your rollerblades and take on a few skaters lol

[cheeseman 1]

Unfortunately Japan can't use cheese on lists like this as they are sadly lacking in facilities (and indeed types of cheese) for us cheesefans.

[fukdane 2]

They should put cheese on the list anyway cheeseman, even if it is a stretch. You know, just for all the cheesefans!

[snowboarding-sam 0]

 Quote:

Queuing is rare

Obviously not been to Naeba or Gala on weekends.

[cheeseman 1]

Well yes you do have a point fukdane.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

yes, a fondue would be nice

[brit-gob 9]

A fondue with all those snow monkeys.