Hi all,
Just after some info from previous Spring Snow Japan travelers. I was suprised to read Japan still has a snow season in April. With school holidays (SA) starting in 2 weeks, if I can find a good flight deal
1) Is it worth it? (Snow volume/ quality. I actually like Spring snow in Oz. It's slushy, but I prefer that over ice).
2) where should I focus my efforts (North?)
3). Any Ozbargain tips to travel within Japan / Acomodation/ Lift tickets/ Food/ Onsens etc?
Cheers
"Which part of Japan you are looking to go to?" - Open to advice here. Niseko seems the go to for tourists? Seems more options around here? or am I better off heading north (fly into Saporro vs Tokyo). I guess higher altitude is king this time of year.
Cheers for the train tip.
The best ski resorts are found in Hokkaido (apparently). I have been to Niseko, it is a popular spot for tourists (westerners mainly). The main accommodation area is the Grand Hirafu village, it has almost everything you will need.
Sapporo is a great place to do a ski/onsen trip. Noboribetsu is the onsen location in Sapporo. The hotels have those classic tatami mat rooms so you can have a traditional experience.
The whole Sapporo is connected by one train line in a circle. So after you land at the airport, it is very easy to travel to Sapporo CBD, stay 1 or 2 nights, then Otaru, Niseko, Noboribetsu, other towns, in one circle format, ending your trip again at Sapporo CBD or direct to airport.
Language is not much of an issue. I walk around with a Google Translator open in my phone and survived. The younger generation can understand some basic English.
Cheers, how does it rate in terms of cost vs Aussie snow fields? and are they (all the various mountains) around the same?
For example, for Oz I work on around $50 -$100 per person / per night accom. Liftpasses just over $100/ day. Food prices are around $30 per person per meal (so BYO).
In Oz I like Hotham for atmosphere, options, scenery. Runs are a bit short compared to NZ, but less leg burn I guess. So a Hotham'esque ski town in Japan (with a hot spring being a bonus) sounds pretty good.
I'm happy to bunk/ lodge it anywhere. But my partner is a private room as a minimum type gal. Not sure how the Japanese accom compares to Oz?
All the help is very much appreciated. I'll look up the train costs etc once I get my head around where I'm heading. That being said, my best trips have been educated/ yet make it up as we go trips/
For liftpasses Niseko is cheaper, 3700 yen for 1 day. If you buy multiple days it will be more value for money. Food $30 AUD equivalent per meal is more than sufficient. You can always eat cheap by getting lunch boxes from the convenience store at the village. Those are actually pretty darn good. Cost about 600-700 yen per box so it is still quite reasonable. Japan is the land of the convenience stores, you can literally get any day to day neccessity there including uh-hem…porn. For lunches mid ski session, you can stop by Aya Hotel to have ramen in the restaurant which is about 1200 Yen i think. If you want to indulge, restaurant dining (like traditional japanese Izakaya) is about $30 to $50 pax for dinner.
Accommodation is the only main variable option here. I stayed at M Hotel which is mid range, cost about $350 a night including breafast. A popular hotel is Aya Niseko which is located at the base of one of the lifts, I believe price is about $250 a night. There are also slightly cheaper options, you can go on Booking.com to check them all out. But in general, Japan accommodation, irregardless of price range should be nice and clean.
I believe there is one hotel that has an onsen at Niseko. Im not sure what is the name of the hotel but as you are taking the lifts up the mountain, you can see from a distance this particular hotel has steam coming out of the outdoor area.
@KaTst3R: There are a heap of onsens. One of the nicest is at the hilton ("niseko village") which has a great outdoor area and if there is a bit of thaw you may see foxes drinking from the pond attached at night.
Go for the snow and if it melts then just visit other places?
I landed in Japan last March with nothing booked and just kind of winged it for two weeks. I did one week on the snow and one week of other stuff.
Glad to hear its a place you can just wing it, but are you fluent with your Japanese?
Not at all. I didn't find there to be much of a language barrier though.
Which part of Japan you are looking to go to?
Niseko in Hokkaido is one popular ski option. It appears there is still snow in the area.
http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/livecamera/index.html
One general tip is that, I think it might not be worth buying the JR Pass unless you are intending to move between cities constantly. You can calculate train cost via Hyperdia app. Most likely you wont spend as much as a JR Pass.