Parksie 0 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Have booked our first trip to Japan this New Year. I am looking for best resort recommendations. Here's some further info to give you an idea what we're looking for: 1. Dates 30/12 to 06/01 so needs to be a place that can handle the crowds & has a good snow early season. 2. Good boarding terrain with some backcountry (& powder please !) 3. Scenic resort with nice village (no concrete jungles) 4. Availability of good hotels / ryokans / restaurants & some night life. (please recommend any really good ones) 5. Best way to travel to resorts - train or rent a car ? 6. Ideally no more than 4/5 hours travelling from Tokyo but would consider Hokkaido if it really is worth the trip. 7. Looking for a large resort or one with other resorts close by or connected. 8. Full-on Japanese skiing (well boarding really) experience. A friend of a friend recommended Yuzawa - any good ? Really looking forward to our trip. Many thanks for any replies. Parksie Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 6. Ideally no more than 4/5 hours travelling from Tokyo but would consider Hokkaido if it really is worth the trip. ^^It was that requirement that stopped me from recommending Switzerland France or Austria, cause that what you described Go to Hakuba or Yuzawa. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Yuzawa = nightlife 0 Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 It has a traditional Japanese tea house with kimono wearing traditional Japanese women and is full of tattooed snowboarders. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by db le spud: It has a traditional Japanese tea house with kimono wearing traditional Japanese women and is full of tattooed snowboarders. Sounds like a place full of excitements! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Nozawa Hakuba Kagura Naeba Shiga Kogen Myoko Nothing is the full Japanese experience anymore. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I would say that Nozawa is still pretty much a traditional Japanese place. Link to post Share on other sites
Parksie 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Thanks for the replies so far. If we go to Hakuba do we stay in the main village or are the hotels at each resort - Happo-one, 47, etc ? Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I would say, stay in the village. There are free busses every 30 minutes or so towards any of the major resorts around, plus that if you stay in the village you will be able to check some of the local bars. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 and the bus ride to most of the resorts isn't long anyway. In fact you can walk to some of them easily enough depending on where you stay. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 You mean Echoland/Misorano area right Tsondaboy? If you stay round either Happone or Goryu instead then it's not going to cost that much to get cabs out to wherever there's any nightlife going on anyway. Just don't expect that much to be going on midweek as a rule of thumb. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Sorry, NYear there will prolly be stuff going on whenever as it's the big break. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I was talking about hakuba vilage. Never been in Echoland area during the winter, so I dont know whats happening there. Is Echoland a diferent area than Echovaley? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Its new years if you choose any backpackers it will have life and people can drag you around. If you stay at a hotel then you should think more about where you want to ski and what you want to do. the shuttles will get you where you want to go easy enough Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 If you go to Hakuba, depending on your budget, the momonoki is pretty good and is a very short walk to the Happo lifts. If you're in Hakuba for NY look at sorting out a NY tour. Some friends and I did that a couple of years ago (we did ours with Evergreen). You get taken around to a nice dinner in a big old Japanese house and then on to the local shrine for some sake and drums and then back to another shrine to bang the big bell thing. Walking up to the shrine and through the torii gate with snow falling and the drums rumbling was pretty special. Some might call the whole thing a bit naff but even after living in Japan for years we still loved the experience. Not sure if they still do it but if you want something "traditional" you might want to consider something like that. Where ever you stay might have something as well - but you need to make an effort to tap in to that sort of stuff. As a foreigner it can be a bit easy to skate on the surface of Japan and miss out on a lot of cool stuff happening around you. Book soon because Japanese NY is pretty full-on and most places will fill up very quickly. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Rag-Doll: You get taken around to a nice dinner in a big old Japanese house Shinanojaya RIP Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 ps mr. wiggles there was a bear spotted 100meters from your home Link to post Share on other sites
Parksie 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Rag-Doll / Mr Wiggles - the NY tour sounds good, I am sure my wife would like it, as long as it's not too touristy. Where do you find more info. I think Hakuba is looking a good choice for our trip. Any recommendations for a really good hotel / ryokan. Somewhere more Japanese than western biased would be preferred. The emphasis is on quality rather than cost. Thanks again. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 japanese or quality? Link to post Share on other sites
Parksie 0 Posted October 14, 2006 Author Share Posted October 14, 2006 OK, if its one ot the other, quality please ! There must some places that can offer both ? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 the best place for your money is... email me it is in my profile. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Kyoto? Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 I would vote against Kyoto myself. Nozawa was nice at New Year - as it is all year round. I'm not looking for a rowdy gaijin party though.. Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Parksie, Why don't you check out the accomodation section on this website. Theres loads of accomodation available. Link to post Share on other sites
gnmg 0 Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Which resort in Shigakogen is least crowded during shogatsu? Link to post Share on other sites
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