We are planning a holiday in the snow for December 2009/January 2010. We are a family of four - my husband has skiied before but our two sons (who will be 11 and 8) and I have never even seen snow. Having done lots of reading, we are leaning toward staying in the Shiga Kogen area, thinking that this might be a good mix of beginner skiing and sightseeing. (?) We have been to Japan once before in spring last year and that two weeks was just enough to wet our appetites. Perhaps we will spend a week or so in the Alps then head down to Kyushu where we have some Japanese friends (or the other way around). I would be grateful for any advice anyone may have regarding the best snow town for us to base ourselves in, any recommended accommodation (we like clean and comfy but are on a budget), best dates to aim for, amount of days recommended in the snow area, etc etc. Many thanks in anticipation.
First time snow holiday advice needed
Hi.
Nobody answer to pickachuAustralia?
I go skiing to Shiga, Hakuba or Sugadaira every weekend now. I felt Hakuba%26#39;s snow quality in this year isn%26#39;t good. Skiing in Shiga Kogen is nice choice if you like to ski in Nagano prefecture. You won%26#39;t be dissappointed. Because of high altitude, there are lots of powdery snow. You perhaps have already known, here is Shiga Kogen website: http://www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/
Jigokudani monkey park is closed to visit.
Shiga Kogen has some areas: Oku-shiga and Yakebi; Ichinose, Takamagahara; Hasuike; Maruike; Giant; Buna; Sun Valley; Kumanoyu and Yokoteyama. You can move by a shuttle bus showing your lift ticket.
For beginner, Yokoteyama/Kumanoyu, Ichinose, and Okushiga%26#39;s base areas have beginner flat slops; and I think staying in Ichinose area is the best for some reasons -- ski slops are for family, very beginner to high intermediate; accommodations that you will have many choices from and the price are moderate. The location is nice for access to another area easily.
Ichinose ski area has their own web page, you can check the every accommodation page. It is in Japanese web site, but after click some accommodations, some have English pages and you can check and read. If not, use an online translation site.
http://www.ichinose.gr.jp/hotel.htm
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/
I stayed ';Shiga White Hotel'; in this January. They have lift %26amp; stay package, so I could save lot of money for lift ticket cost. Their buffet dinner menu changed every nights was good. (Hotel #2 on the web.)
';Hotel St-Moriz'; (Hotel #1 on the web) has nice rooms both in western style and Japanese style. Their dinner was not buffet and it was a Kaiseki dinner, small version. I stayed this hotel last year and would like to stay again because of their dinner. The owner is getting used to have Australian guests and learn their favorites, did speciality for them -- I read about it from his diary blog.
';Hotel Khuls'; (Hotel #13) looks nice building and is located beside ski slops. They have a lift %26amp; stay package. The hotel provide ski equipment free of charge.
I have ever stayed another hotels in Ichinose, Hasuike, and Sun Valley. But I won%26#39;t tell about them all now. I have never seen ';not clean, not neat'; rooms in Ichinose area%26#39;s hotels. A ski wear shop which is located in Grand Phoenix hotel in Okushiga is my favorite than buying it in a shop at Tokyo Ochanomizu/Jibocho area.
It is free or not, all hotels have ski equipment rentals, you don%26#39;t need to find a specific shop. (But ask the size, maybe.) Some have wear rentals.
Always ask the package -- accommodation %26amp; lift, equipments, and clothes. ';Package'; is called ';Plan'; in Japanese language. Buying lift ticket at the ticket booth is expensive than buying at hotel front. But discount tickets are available for their hotel stay guests.
It is too early to book for ski 2009/2010 season; you can start to book from October 2009 for it. It is still 2008/2009 season now; however, it is good chance to see the web sites how it looks in winter time. They change web sites in summer or fall version after snow are melting.
I saw an English-speaking Caucasian instructor in Shhiga. You will learn how to ski from experts. Just in case, if you quit to ski because of difficulty, ';Snow shoe hiking'; is a nice activity there. -- enjoy snow and no need to have skills.
To go to Fukuoka, Kyusyu after Shiga Kogen, take a flight from Matsumoto Airport or Haneda Tokyo airport is another option.
I hope you can understand and guess my English.
Cheers!
First time snow holiday advice needed
Hi,
When in December are you planning to come? Snow is if-fy in the 12th month of the year, especially in Shiga. It%26#39;s the beginning of the ski season, and sometimes, even snow at New Year%26#39;s is a gamble. In recent years, I have quit ';predicting.'; We play it by ear (and eyes) every year. It%26#39;s ';supposed to'; snow, but we have stared at the sky many times and hissed at the rain.
Here%26#39;s a Japanese website that shows the weather in Shiga.
http://www.shigakogen.com/
Click on ';Weather.'; If you see a lot of snowmen, you%26#39;re in luck!
Have you thought about Hokkaido? I know that it%26#39;s not an ';authentic Japanese'; experience, but the Club Med in Sahoro is a good place to learn how to ski and have fun as a family unit. Plus, the snow is better in Hokkaido earlier in the season.
clubmed.com.sg/cgi-bin/…
The slopes are all ';local,'; so you will have a chance to feel like you%26#39;re ';in Japan.';
The grounds used to be an apartment complex of some sort (that went bankrupt), so there are tatami rooms as well as beds in the units.
Food is buffet style -- and yes, they have sushi and sashimi as well as ';international'; favorites!
You would be able to take a train to Sapporo and spend a couple of days there before heading down to Kyushu, if you wish. Or you could also go to Noboribetsu Hot Springs and do the tourist bit.
noboribetsuspa.dip.jp/nobo/e/spot-info.aspx
It would be the best of two worlds!
I have to say as a Canadian I am very jealous of the fact you have never seen snow! I%26#39;ve seen way too much of it in my life, including the 15cm that fell last night. Shovelling the driveway is not my idea of an ideal time!!!!
Enjoy your trip. I am sure you will have fun..my only real advice is do not rent a car. Driving in snow is a totally different experience and not ideally learned in a foreign country. Nothing like driving in a blizzard and white-outs to raise your stress levels.
Thank you all so much for your advice. Will check out your suggestions then may be back with some more questions! Cheers.
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