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Japan Ski Trip 2017
  • Sam Evans

Japan Ski Trip 2017

Een 15-daags avontuur van Sam Meer informatie
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  • Het begin van de reis
    17 februari 2017
  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Arrived in Japan

    18 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    We had a good flight with minimal disturbance. Lunch was served quite early in the flight, we had a chicken salad for lunch and apple crumble dessert, the apple crumble was actually quite nice. Later in the flight we had a meat shortbread thing.

    Qantas' entertainment system isn't known to be the best, however there was still enough there to keep us entertained. I watched Wolf of Wall Street and Lincoln as well as a few episodes of TV shows.

    We arrived just on dusk and noticed a lot of agricultural land (and many golf courses oddly enough) in the vicinity of the airport as the plane descended. Narita Airport is located near to the City of Narita within the Chiba prefecture. The city itself has a population of approximately 130,000 people and is located approximately 50km east of Tokyo. The area historically had a strong agricultural sector, however the opening of the airport has reduced the farming population by two thirds (through land expropriation and poorer conditions due to the construction and operation of the airport).

    The history of Narita Airport is actually quite interesting. Haneda Airport (opened in 1931) was for many years the main airport servicing Tokyo (in fact, in terms of pure passenger numbers it still is larger than Narita). Due to the rapid expansion of Japan after the Second World War, and the limited ability to expand Haneda Airport, a second airport was considered necessary. The area where the airport currently sits (Sanrizuka, near Narita City) was eventually chosen in the 1960's.

    The announcement to build the airport at Narita caught the residents by surprise as there had been no prior consultation. As such there was significant opposition to the plans for the airport. Up to 60% of the land required for the airport was held in private ownership and residents were unwilling to sell their land to make way. In 1971, the government decided to make forceful acquisitions of land as is permitted under Japanese Law - this is starting to sound a bit like an offshoot of The Castle.

    The compulsory acquisition of land didn't do anything to curb the anger of residents and the already violent protests turned more violent. Three riot police were killed during a protest in 1971 and there were numerous other examples of heated exchanges. In one instance, the airport control tower was infiltrated over night and protesters destroyed the control towers equipment.

    The protesters did succeed in delaying the opening of the airport, originally slated to open in 1971, it did not open until 1978. The opening of the airport did not stop protests however with around 22,000 people rallying on the airports opening day. Later that year a plane landing at Narita Airport was successfully hit by fireworks fired by protesters.

    The years following the opening of the airport, the protests started to lose momentum and eventually effectively stopped. There remains only occasional outbursts of protests to this day. The above-mentioned violence is the reason for such tight security at Narita Airport. Airports nowadays in Japan are generally constructed on reclaimed land to avoid a repeat of the Narita Airport fiasco.

    Narita Airport still serves as the primary international airport in Japan and has a successful air freight operation.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo

    19 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    We caught the Narita Express (NEX) to Shinjuku Station (about 1.5 hours). The Narita Express is operated by JR East Rail Company so we were able to use our newly acquired JR East Pass which allows us to travel on any JR East operated train for any 5 days during a 14 day period. We were able to order our passes through the JR East website prior to coming to Japan and we collected them from the JR East Customer Service Centre located near the train station at the airport.

    Following the train trip we had about 15-20 minute walk to our hotel which we managed to find without any hassle which was an achievement considering we didn't have a map or phone reception.

    Shinjuku is the busiest train station in the world with an estimated 3.6 million people using it per day. We had to exit the East Gate to get to our hotel which we found without hassle. However we did have some difficulty actually finding out how to get out of the station building proper. We almost ended up walking back through the gates to the main concourse area.

    Once up on street level we were greeted with thousands of people, dazzling lights and lots of noise. We managed to navigate our way through the crowds to get to our hotel.

    It was about 10° in Tokyo when we got out which made for a chilly walk. It was a relief to get to our hotel. Once at our hotel we dropped our bags off and took a 500m walk to Mos Burger for dinner.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Ghibli Museum

    19 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    This morning we went to the Studio Ghibli Museum which is located in Mitaka, about a 15 minute (13km) local train ride west of Shinjuku.

    It was beautiful day, a brisk 7° in the morning but clear skies and minimal haze. It was that clear we could see Mt Fuji off to the west from the train.

    Administratively, Mitaka is a separate city from Tokyo (though it forms part of the broader Tokyo Metropolis and there are no urban breaks) with a population of almost 200,000 people and an area of 16.4sqkm. It functions largely as a commuter city for Tokyo though there there is a cluster of animation studios (interestingly though Studio Ghibli is headquartered in nearby Koganei city, which also is home of another prominent anime studio, Gainax) and also the global headquarters of the high performance arm of Subaru.

    The Ghibli Museum is located approximately 20 minute walk from Mitaka Station. We enjoyed a lovely walk through some quiet residential streets which were characterised by low level houses and narrow alleys.

    Studio Ghibli is a Japanese film studio best known for their anime productions such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. It was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata who have coincidentally produced most of the studios films.

    The Museum itself is nestled within Inokashira Park and is of a wonderful child like animation inspired design. The museum features many nooks which make it a child's paradise. Obviously the museum is very much an attraction for locals considering the popularity of the Studio in Japan however it is still fascinating to see how they bring still images to life. I also love the unique style of Japanese anime which manages to convey so much of the characters emotion.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Inokashira Park

    19 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Following the Ghibli Museum we took a walk through Inokashira Park. The park is quite large (38.5ha) and was first opened in 1918, at the time the park was considered a gift from the Emperor to the general public (the first park to be founded in Tokyo in such a way).

    On our walk, we were lucky enough to come across what appeared to be a few early blooming Cherry Blossom (or Sakura in Japanese) trees (or, if not, some trees with pretty pink flowers).

    The park includes a large pond in its centre which is surrounded by many trees including Cherry Blossom's - though these had not yet bloomed. It made for a lovely site on a cold winters day, I can only imagine how great it would look in spring. The pond also attracts much wildlife including (apparently) migratory birds which call the pond home in winter.

    There were many people in the park (as you would expect) and you could hire paddle boats which seemed very popular. It is said that if you ride on a boat in the pond with a girlfriend you will 'surely break up soon' - so I guess it's lucky we did not have time to do that.

    Inokashira Park is one of 81 parks managed by the Bureau of Construction in Tokyo. According to the Bureau, the total area of parks in Tokyo comes to 7,642 hectares which is the equivalent of 5.77 square metres of park per person.

    From Inokashira Park we walked up to Kichijoji Station which is a short walk through bustling streets lined with interesting stores. I would love to come back and explore this area further.

    Despite a minor hiccup getting on the wrong platform, we managed to find out way back to Shinjuku and our hotel to collect our bags before heading to Nagano.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Shinkansen to Nagano

    19 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    We caught the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagano. To get to Tokyo Station we caught the subway from Shinjuku-Gyonmmae which is a private line (so we couldn't use or rail pass). Once at Tokyo Station, we struggled somewhat to find the actual track the Shinkansen would depart from (to access the Shinkansen tracks you have to go through another set of gates once you are in the station). Once we got through the gates we managed to find our track with a few minutes to spare.

    It was late afternoon by the time we left and we enjoyed a nice sunset as we left Tokyo. We again saw Mt Fuji which is just to the left of the sun in the photo.

    It was about half an hour into the journey before we actually broke free of the urban area and saw some clear, unpopulated land. The extents of Tokyo itself can actually be defined in many different ways and it can be quite confusing, particularly to a foreigner. Administratively, Tokyo Metropolis forms one of 47 prefectures in Japan and measures approximately 90km (east to west) and 25km (north to south) (it also extends to islands as far as 1,850km south of Tokyo). Tokyo Metropolis has a population of over 13 million people and is divided into 23 'special wards' which form what is traditionally referred to as 'Tokyo City' as well as a number of cities and towns and villages located west of Tokyo. Each 'special ward', city, town and village has its own local government consisting of their own elected officials.

    More broadly the Greater Tokyo Area (or National Capital Region), which is actually defined by Japanese legislation, includes areas outside of the Tokyo Metropolis including cities such as Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba. The Greater Tokyo Area has a population of approximately 38 million people making it the most populous metropolitan area in the world.

    Once outside of the Tokyo urban area, there were still many urban communities interspersed along the way, though Japan's urban form does largely follow their rail network (smart aye). We also got our first sighting of snow at Karuizawa which is a small Snow Park which obviously includes night skiing. Sally got very excited at seeing snow.

    The rest of the trip was largely within tunnels beneath mountains and we arrived at Nagano early in the evening - around 6:30pm.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Hotel Metropolitan Nagano

    19 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Our hotel is located right next to the Zenkoji Exit (Western Gate) so it was very easy to find. Sally was especially excited to see actual snow on the ground outside the station.

    We managed to jag a slight upgrade in our room (from 18sqm to 25sqm) though in doing so we now have two beds in our room which we can't work out if they are oversized single beds or undersized double beds.

    After settling in we took a short stroll around what appears to be the main part of the city which encompasses all of two or three blocks. There were quite a few restaurants and bars around, however quite intimidatingly, they appeared to have minimal English. We eventually settled on a place for dinner which was a Japanese style tapas. We initially struggled to work out how to order, however with the help of a friendly group of Japanese tourists at a table next to us we were able to grab the wait staff's attention. Turns out, it is actually customary to raise your hand and call sumimasen (excuse me) to grab the server's attention. We enjoyed ourselves greatly and had a good meal featuring tempura shrimp, grilled rice cakes and some form of seaweed thing amongst others.

    After what has been a long day, we are pretty keen to get a good night's sleep before heading off to the Snow Monkeys tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Snowing!!!

    20 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    We woke up around 7am this morning and looked out our window to snow! Looks like it will be a bit of a miserable day. Temperatures are forecast to be between 1° - 4° with rain most of the day. We are heading off to the snow monkeys shortly, so should make for an interesting day.Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Jigokudani Monkey Park

    20 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    Despite the early snow, the temperature rose above zero and with that, the snow turned into rain which would continue pretty much non stop all day (the overtrails and rain jacket kept us both very dry, thanks Glen & Jenny).

    Not to be deterred by the poor weather, we made our way to the Jigokudani Monkey Park by bus (caught from the eastern exit of Nagano Station) to see the Japanese Snow Monkey, or Macaque. The bus trip took about 40 minutes and took us through the outskirts of Nagano and along an expressway towards Shigakogen. We also past the 'M-Wave', a building which hosted the speed skating in the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano.

    The park itself is located within the valley of the Yokoyu River and is approximately a 2km walk from the bus stop. It must be said that I found the walk itself to be almost as enjoyable as seeing the monkeys. Steep cliffs, lots of snow, tall pine trees and a fast running creek at the base of the valley made for enjoyable scenery.

    The name Jigokudani stems from ancient times and is a reference to the harsh environment which is exacerbated by steep cliffs and the steam produced from the hot springs running through the valley. Thus the translation to 'Hell Valley'. I certainly didn't feel as though we were walking into hell. There was a thick scent of sulfur in the air from the hot springs and I wouldn't want to lose my footing off the side of the track.

    The Japanese Macaque (there are 23 species of Macaque's spread across the world) is native to Japan and they reside naturally within the valley, though they are not endemic to the valley itself rather they are found throughout large parts of Japan (found on 3 of the 4 main islands (not found in Hokkaido)).

    It was interesting to learn that the female monkeys will remain with their 'packs' their whole life and form a very close bond with their offspring. The male monkeys will however rotate through many 'packs' throughout their lifetime. The monkeys do not have a permanent resting place, instead they will sleep in different locations each night for safety. Also, you will notice the monkeys do not have long tails or ears, this is due to the cold weather (makes sense when you think about it).

    Once we reached the park we found 100's of monkeys. They are obviously well accustomed to human interaction as they would often walk straight past you without you even noticing. Many came within touching distance and one even tried to snatch someone's food.

    The monkeys come down and bathe in what is a man made hot spring. It was fascinating watching them go about their daily business. While it may appear that the man made hot spring was constructed to create a tourist attraction, the park has been used for a great deal of research into the monkeys which makes you feel somewhat better about paying a 600 yen entrance fee and being part of a large crowd of people gawking over them.

    Overall the Snow Monkey Park was a great experience. The monkeys are adorably cute and the walk is beautiful. I would definitely come back next time. Maybe spend a bit more time on a slightly better day to take some more photos.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Shibu Onsen

    20 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    Following our visit to the Snow Monkey Park, we took a 5 minute local bus (which was quite an achievement considering to complete lack of English anywhere to be seen - turns out there is only one bus and it is actually very easy, but we'll still count this as a win) to the nearby village called Shibu Onsen. This has got to be a lesson in researching where you visit before you go there because this was an absolute gem of a town. Most tourists skip Shibu Onsen entirely and will take the direct bus to and from the Snow Monkey Park, it is their loss though.

    We got off the bus in the centre of Shibu Onsen next to the Information Centre. The village is actually very small (no more than 1km long and only 1-2 blocks across) and can be easily explored entirely on foot. We enjoyed walking the cobblestone laneways which are surrounded by traditional wooden Ryokan (Japanese B&B's).

    The town has over 1,300 years of history and is famous for its 9 public baths. Each of these baths is said to provide users with unique medical relief/protection. Good fortune and health will come to those who visit all 9 baths. Unfortunately we did not have a chance to take a bath this time but did enjoy the use of one of the two footbaths in the village.

    For lunch, we wandered into a tiny little cafe and enjoyed a fantastic Japanese Curry, Green Tea and ice cream. The cafe would have seated no more than 8-10 people and was run by a lovely lady who was very welcoming. We were able to warm ourselves up as we enjoyed the view outside.

    A number of shrines are scattered throughout the village and there is also a shooting range (a bit random I thought). The village is also home, as we would later find out, to Ryokan Kanaguya which is rumoured to be one of the bath houses to be the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. This stunning wooden building has over two and a half centuries of history and is one of many amazing buildings that walk that fine line between quaint and extravagant that make Shibu Onsen such an amazing place.

    This would be a fantastic place to 'get away' for a few nights to relax. I would love to come back and spend some more time in the village and do the tour of all the baths.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Yudanaka - Nagano

    20 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    Following the great afternoon we had in Shibu Onsen we caught the local Nagano Dentetsu Line train back to Nagano from Yudanaka Station. The Nagano Dentetsu line is a private railway line so our JR East Passes do not work on this line. One of the great things about Japan is the availability of rail travel. Many of the lines are run by private companies. It is very easy to tell the difference between different rail companies as they depart from different platforms (or tracks as they are called in Japan) and you need to go through different gates to enter them.

    Yudanaka Station was about a 20-25 minute walk (probably around 2.5km) from Shibu Onsen. We managed to arrive with a few minutes before our train departed. The train was a small three carriages. Hot tip for future travel, if you sit at the front of the train you can see out the front as the driver sits above the car. We only discovered this when exiting the train at Nagano.

    I was very impressed with the ease in which we were able to navigate around and find our public transport. Despite most of the writing being in Japanese it is still quite obvious what is happening.    Meer informatie

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    Togakushi

    21 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ -5 °C

    Wow. How great was Togakushi!

    We boarded the number 73 bus from outside Nagano Station (very easy to find, busses starting in 7 go from stop 7, busses starting in 6 go from platform 6 and so on - Brisbane could learn something from this). The bus took us north of Nagano up into the mountains which surround the city. The trip was scheduled to take an hour however was closer to two hours due to some traffic in Nagano and some cars sliding on the snowy roads up the mountains. Despite the delay, it was still an interesting ride seeing the countryside.

    We managed to get off at the right stop (Togakushi-Chusha) which was right at the middle shrine and next to the Information Centre. The gentleman at the Information Centre was very helpful (despite his lack of English) and we were soon on our way.

    Togakushi Shrine lies at the base of Mount Togakushi and consists of five shrines (Okusha, Chusha, Hokosha, Kuzuryusha and Hinomikosha). I had read about this sacred area and its amazing natural beauty. The five shrines are separated across a couple of kilometres of walking track and are steeped in a rich and mythical history.

    There had been significant snowfalls recently and it snowed all day we were there. As a result of the snow we discovered that many of the walking tracks were impassable and as such we decided to make tracks along the roads. The roads were very quiet (probably passed no more than 10 cars all day) and we enjoyed a peaceful walk for a few kilometres (though we were a bit concerned whether or not we were going the right way at first).

    We made our way along to the start of the walk to the fifth and uppermost shrine (Okusha Shrine). I had read a lot about the incredible walk to this shrine which is lined by 17th century majestic Cryptomeria trees. We gave it our best shot to get to this part of the walk however it soon became very difficult as we were sinking to knee deep snow every step. This made it exhausting and after about 500m we felt we had no choice but to turn around and go back.

    Despite this, where we made it to was still beautiful and well worth the walk. We did pass a few people with snow shoes and on cross country skis, so next time we try in winter I think we will hire some gear to make the walk a bit easier.

    There are ample walks to do in this area, including to the a Kagami Pond which is famous for the mirror like reflection it provides to Mount Togakushi. We passed a group who were making the trek to this pond. They seemed to have all the right gear and quite experienced.

    I would definitely love to come back here again (in both warmer months and winter) and explore the area further. There are many pensions dotted around the area which would also be fantastic to stay at also.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Soba Noodle Lunch

    21 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    It is a very cold -7° and has been snowing all day - I have never seen so much snow! We are pretty cold and wet so popped in to this Soba Noodle restaurant for lunch and an escape from the cold.

    Togakushi is well known for its Soba Noodles, with the making of these dating back to the Heian Period.

    Our soba was so good. Once the soba noodles are eaten you are provided with soba-yu which is the broth the noodles were cooked in which you drink. The water absorbs the nutrients from the soba making it good to drink following your meal. This was a fantastic way to end our day of trekking through the snow.    Meer informatie

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    Last night in Nagano

    21 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    Enjoying some last night drinks in Nagano at the hotel bar on the top floor. At sunset there was a lovely view of the mountain ranges that surround Nagano city.

    I was very keen to try a Japanese Whisky, so I went with the Hakushu 12 Year Old. Distilled in the Southern Japanese Alps, within the Chubu region, the area is known for its pristine water which is used in creating the whisky. The Hakushu was lighter in colour and was gentle on the nose, some aromas of freshly mown grass and cornflower were detected. It had a lively body, I got a sense of creme brulee and a medium-to-long finish. Who am I kidding, it tasted like a good whisky.

    Interestingly, Japanese Whisky production began around 1870 with its origins in the country largely attributed to Shinjiro Torii, a pharmacist who studied distilling in Scotland. Scotch and Japanese Whisky share many similarities in their production, however Japanese Whiskies tend to have a lighter and sweeter profile.    Meer informatie

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    Lodge Matsuya, Nozawa Onsen

    22 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    We just checked into our room for the next week. We have quite a spacious traditional Japanese room with tatami mats and futons. The view from the room isn't too shabby either.

    We took the Shinkansen from Nagano to Iiyama which took approximately 11 minutes (which isn't too bad for a 30 kilometre journey). Iiyama is located north-east of Nagano and has a population of around 21,000 people. It is primarily an agricultural city, however the surrounding ski resorts and hot springs also contribute to the local economy.

    The city is located on the Chikuma River (otherwise known as the Shinano River outside of the Nagano Prefecture) which is the longest river in Japan (367km in length). Iiyama is home to a number of festivals, including the Kamakura Snow Hut Festival which occurs annually in February (we just missed the dates). In this festival snow huts are made and lights put inside. Sounds pretty basic, however I think it is something that would be great to see if you are in the area at that time of year.

    From Iiyama Station we boarded the 'Nozawa Onsen Liner' which took us direct to the centre of Nozawa Onsen. This 20 minute trip cost 600 yen each and we enjoyed some lovely scenery, particularly as we came closer to Nozawa Onsen. From the Nozawa Onsen bus stop, it was only a short walk to our accommodation. Sally was very happy to find her skis had arrived safely and were in the dry room downstairs.    Meer informatie

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    Furusato no Yu - Public Bath

    22 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    Onsen translates to hot springs, so as you can imagine Nozawa Onsen has an abundance of hot springs which make for great public baths. There are 13 public baths scattered throughout the village (as well as numerous private baths in hotels and lodges).

    Wanting to immerse ourselves in Japanese culture we took the plunge (some what of pun, however it is considered rude to 'jump' into a bath) and give it a crack. We were recommended by our hotel to try Furusato no Yu which is Nozawa Onsen's newest public baths (opening in 2011).

    It was a bit daunting first and I will admit to a few nerves on the way there. Once you get into it though it is actually quite enjoyable and very relaxing.

    There are a few customs to follow, however they are generally common sense:
    - take your shoes off before entering (as is the case everywhere);
    - wash yourself thoroughly and wash away the soap before entering the bath;
    - don't splash or swim in the bath; and
    - dry yourself before going to the changing area.

    This bath had an indoor and outdoor bath. I tried them both. It is certainly a very relaxing way to end your day, and imagine it's something we will look forward to after skiing tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Nozawa Onsen - First Impressions

    22 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

    Wow. Every now and then you come across a place you just know you will fall in love with before you actually do. This is such a place.

    Narrow cobblestone streets, the constant sound of running water, the occasional whiff of sulfur from a hot spring, beautiful traditional Japanese architecture, sweeping vistas to the Japanese Alps, vending machines on every corner, wide ski runs, tall pine trees, everything comes together to make this place what it is. Oh, and the snow! As far as the eye can see.

    We took the opportunity this afternoon to have a look around, originally thinking we would be gone for an hour or so, we got back to our lodge about 4 hours later. Despite being such a small village there is so much to see and do (before even getting to the skiing).

    The towns traditions appear to be very much in tact. I look forward to exploring more of what this wonderful place has to offer over the coming week.    Meer informatie

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    First Day Skiing

    23 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    The day got of to a bit of a miserable start with rain falling over night and through the morning. As such, we took the opportunity to have a bit of a sleep in and take our time getting up to the slopes. We got up to Nagasaka, one of the two gondola stations in the resort probably around 11am.

    We spent the day on green runs (easy runs) so I could build my confidence and practice my turns. By the end of the day I felt as though I was doing pretty well. It all came back pretty quickly which was good.

    We headed up the Nagasaka Gondala a bit before lunch and were greeted with thick cloud cover. We had some lunch up the mountain to see if it would pass, which it didn't. We had visibility of about 30-40m so decided to take it easy down a green run which goes all the way down the mountain. It's about 7km all up, so by the end of it we were pretty spent.

    We played around a bit on the lower slopes where there was better visibility (though the snow was noticeably more sludgey).

    Stack count for the day for me was 2. Each time I drifted off the groomed run onto some heavier snow - the runs are very wide and sometimes it is difficult to tell where the groomed part stops.

    It was a miserable day, so no photos. It's snowing outside now, they are hoping for another 10-15cm overnight so let's see what tomorrow brings.    Meer informatie

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    Shabu Shabu

    23 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    For dinner tonight we enjoyed Shabu Shabu. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot style of dining where you cook your meal in a hot pot of boiling water. The name Shabu Shabu is derived from the noise the meat makes when you cook it.

    Meats are sliced thinly for quick cooking and you also get a plate of vegetables and noodles to cook also.

    We tried two meats the 'standard' which was Australian steak and the 'premium' which was Wagyu Steak. Both were lovely (though the Wagyu was exceptional) and we could not finish our meal as there was simply too much.

    Shabu Shabu is a very enjoyable meal to have also. We made an absolute mess of our table as we were continually dropping noodles and vegetables. It would be a great way to eat when there are a large number of people to entertain also.    Meer informatie

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    Second Day Skiing

    24 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    It snowed all of last night resulting in around an extra 15cm of snow on the mountain. Despite snow continuing throughout most of the day it was a great day on the slopes. Visibility was essentially unimpeded for the most part and very little wind.

    No lesson again today (weather permitting we will have one tomorrow) however feeling a lot more confident. We have essentially skied every green run (easy) and have started on some red runs (intermediate/blue). Sally thinks I'm getting better also.

    No stacks from either of us today. Though I awkwardly fell over when not moving at the top of a slope much to Sally's delight.    Meer informatie

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    Okonomiyaki

    24 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    Tonight we ventured to Akibitei Okonomiyaki for dinner. This is a local restaurant which serves Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and Yakisoba (stir fried noodles).

    What a treat. Saito-san, the owner and chef is a lovely man who cooks the dinner in front of you. It was absolutely delicious, quick and cheap!

    This place was off the beaten track a bit (we found it using a restaurant guide produced by one of the local tour providers) but well worth the walk. A quaint, non-assuming building with simple interiors. Thoroughly enjoyable and we think we'll be back before we leave.

    Also, it was a clear night tonight and we could actually see the stars!    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Day 3 - Nozawa Delivering the Goods

    25 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    3 days of skiing down, 3 to go. Big improvements today for both Sally and I. We got away pretty early this morning catching the Nagasaka Gondala up to Yamabiko Station (1,407m) and skied down to Hikage.

    The weather in the morning was snowy however minimal wind. In the afternoon however the weather cleared and we were greeted with clear skies and sun.

    We had a lesson in the afternoon which allowed us both to work on our technique. At the end of our lesson our instructor took us down a black (advanced) run. This was my first black run and I made a positive start, navigating my way down the first 30-50m of moguls which was quite encouraging. This proved to be a bit of a false dawn however as I spent the next 100-150m falling over and sliding down the slope on my arse (the photo of me skiing below was one of the few times I was actually upright). It was at this stage I gave up and decided to walk the rest of the way, which proved to be just as difficult, if not more than skiing.

    All was not lost however as we made great progress throughout the lesson and will tackle more of the red runs and explore more of the mountain tomorrow.

    In the afternoon we were greeted with an amazing sunset over the mountains to the west. We went with a very traditional Japanese dinner of burgers (at least my beer was Japanese) and got some washing done at the coin laundry down the road.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Nozawa Onsen Day 4

    26 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    We (especially me) woke up this morning feeling pretty tired and sore so took it pretty easy. We headed up the mountain around 10am and skied a few runs before lunch. After lunch we ventured up to the top of Mt Kenashi (1,650m) which is the highest part of the resort.

    We skied back down to the resort via Skyline which is a red run running along one of the ridge lines. It was enjoyable however challenging due to an icy run and large crowds. The ice did however make it quite quick.

    Another highlight was when we were doing down the Karasawa slope we noticed a partly submerged shrine of to the side. We ditched our skies and trudged (in knee deep snow, which bought back some memories) closer to it and found a lovely spot.

    For dinner we headed to a place called Sukai which offers a sort of Japanese tapas. It was a delicious meal. To finish we enjoyed (especially Sally - we'll see if she still enjoyed it in the morning) a Sake served in a wooden cup.

    One of the things we have noticed here is Sake is generally poured to overflow the glass and is caught in a saucer. After asking the owner of the restaurant and doing some research it appears as though there is no entrenched tradition in this apart from a fad which developed in the post war period and had since caught on. The purpose was to make the patron feel special by giving them more then what they purchased. This however is a bit of a con as the a single serve of Sake should be 180ml.

    The Sake was served with salt which we put on the lip of the cup. This contrasted with the sweetness of the Sake. This 'Yin and Yang' approach to food is something I've found often in Asian cuisine and is something I would like to play with more at home. I feel as though it is underutilized in Western cooking.

    Much of the same tomorrow. Only two days of skiing left so we will try to make the most of it.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Nozawa Onsen Day 5 - Uh Oh!

    27 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    Today started off pretty well. Despite our best endeavors we slept in and had a bit of a late start. Still feeling pretty sore, we decided top take it pretty easy to start off doing some shorter runs and heading up to the top of the mountain and exploring some more runs up there.

    We headed down to 'Paradise' Slope and had lunch at Buna which is an Indian style restaurant on the slope. After lunch we decided we would give Skyline a go, considering our success the day before and the smaller crowds hopefully making it a bit more enjoyable. This would prove a mistake.

    After making the first turn I lost control on the icy, bumpy and narrow run and took a tumble. Going down I managed to twist my knee and felt considerable pain. Luckily enough some nice local skiers stopped by and called the Ski Patrol for us who came within 10 minutes.

    My first fears were that I had broken something, however it became clear there were no breaks. The Ski Patrol helped me on to the ski-doo. This would actually be the most frightening part of the whole ordeal as both Sally and I were casted up and down a steep slope to the top of the Nagasaka Gondala.

    From here we eventually made our way down the gondola. I somehow ended up in a wheelchair and given crutches also. Another Ski Patrol medic was waiting for new at the bottom of the gondola who then transported both Sally and I to the local clinic where I had x-rays, saw a doctor and found out I had injured my ACL. I am now in a knew brace for the next few weeks (so no more skiing).

    After getting back to the hotel, our hosts were absolutely amazing. Helping us change rooms to the ground floor, giving me crutches and a proper seat for the bath. Nothing seemed too much for them. They were so kind and we really appreciated their help.

    Feeling a bit sorry for myself I decided to spend the night in and Sally headed next door and got some take away burgers for dinner.

    A shame the skiing is now over for the trip. However will still try and make the most of the time we have over here.    Meer informatie

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  • Sam EvansJapan Ski Trip 2017Sam Evans

    Nozawa Onsen - Day 6

    28 februari 2017, Japan ⋅ 🌙 -2 °C

    A bit of a quiet one for me today. Spent the day in bed resting my knee and doing not too much.

    We did venture out for dinner tonight though to the awesome Okonomiyaki place we went to the other night. Can confirm it was just as good as last time.

    It was actually really nice to walk thorough the village and remember how great a place this actually is. We will definitely be back.

    Near to our hotel a local group were playing their instruments outside one of the cafes and had attracted a bit of a crowd who were dancing in the street. People seemed to enjoy the song 'would you like some Oyaki'. Oyaki is a Japanese style steamed bun which is sold next top where the band was playing.

    Tomorrow we are heading back to Tokyo for the last few days of our trip.    Meer informatie

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