22/23 Japan scene?

[Mike Pow]

I appreciate everyone being positive. But I did not see new snow in 2020. It was horrible.


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Sucks

Where were you?

[singlecross]

Fingers crossed for you

Who are you going with?

No official list of Government approved tour operators yet

Be careful with the terms & conditions

My buddy put the trip together for us and booked with Black Diamond Tours. We’re a group of 5 who have all grown up skiing together so we’ve got a private tour with just us and 1 guide to help things go smoothly.

We were asked to provide our passport info to Black Diamond for them to fill out this ERFS form for us.



We will certainly be investing in comprehensive trip insurance (always a good idea in Covid/ post Covid world).

Still figuring out medical/ injury insurance for this trip in case of a mishap.

[boltonoutlaw]

Encouraging news recently about loosened border restrictions, and now this: Japanese yen slips to 24-year low against dollar

It's a good time to make deposits on your credit card, then use ATM's at konbinis, etc., on the ground

[54-46]

Feb, 2020. Low snow year. Still had fun and got a few freshies.


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[beer30]

More buzz about opening then I have heard in sometime. I’m actually optimistic

[sharcsplean]

opened today!

[NWFlow]

Where are you seeing that?

They opened on a weekend?

[CascadeCrudSkier]

Japan isn't open but did announce that they are considering opening, which is how this works. Unless there is a public backlash I would guess tourists will be allowed back in 4-6 weeks.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Co...urism-official

[Mike Pow]

We're still not there but there is light at the end of the tunnel

[Mike Pow]

Strong rumors / 'plans' from the Japanese Government that visa-free independent travel to be announced at the start of October.

Implementation that month or the start of November.

The visa process and getting EHRC has been a logistical nightmare. And expensive to boot.

It looks like it could be on.

[boltonoutlaw]

[jtran10]

Strong rumors / 'plans' from the Japanese Government that visa-free independent travel to be announced at the start of October.

Implementation that month or the start of November.

The visa process and getting EHRC has been a logistical nightmare. And expensive to boot.

It looks like it could be on.

That would be great. Our tour operator is giving until the end of October for a final decision. We don't have anything else booked as it sounded for a while like if we wanted to go they'd have to book flights and other hotel nights for us, but if all those restrictions are dropped in a few weeks/month we'll be heading out for sure. Fingers crossed!

[beer30]

Strong rumors / 'plans' from the Japanese Government that visa-free independent travel to be announced at the start of October.

Implementation that month or the start of November.

The visa process and getting EHRC has been a logistical nightmare. And expensive to boot.

It looks like it could be on.

I hope they do so sooner then later. The people responsible for me trip are contemplating canceling already… two years in a row shut out and if doesn’t happen soon then I don’t see them going ahead with it in the future either.

[byates1]

@ boltonoutlaw:

looks like you are there not as a tourist? working/living/vanning?

do tell?

i'd rather come for a season. not doing the ultra expensive vacation tourist thing. thx!

[CascadeCrudSkier]

There should be an announcement from the Prime Minister next week that will announce Japan is reopening to individual tourists with no restrictions beginning next month. Ski trips should be back this winter with no restrictions.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Co...tourist-travel

It'll be nice to see family and friends able to visit but it'll be hard not to miss the past 2 seasons of tourist free lift lines and skiing fresh tracks all day long. It's been rough for the tourism industry but it's been unreal for residents. I haven't made a hotel reservation further out than 24 hours the past 2 years because you haven't needed to bother.

Last winter was the best winter in decades, it started snowing in mid-December and didn't stop until the first week of March down in Honshu. No warm spells and meters of fresh snow. Hopefully this season brings more of the same.

[boltonoutlaw]

...but it'll be hard not to miss the past 2 seasons of tourist free lift lines and skiing fresh tracks all day long. It's been rough for the tourism industry but it's been unreal for residents. I haven't made a hotel reservation further out than 24 hours the past 2 years because you haven't needed to bother.

Last winter was the best winter in decades, it started snowing in mid-December and didn't stop until the first week of March down in Honshu...

I second all of the above. After the March snowfalls I went to Hokkaido where fresh dry snow continued into April. The gondolas at two ski zones were just becoming regularly accessible. First week of April with good pow on the runout:

[gaijin]

Yeah— last winter was brutal on Honshu. So much shoveling.

It was also the first winter that all three of my kids could take care of themselves. Which meant skiing sidestash pow turns with the kids. Best times of my life.


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[BCR]

Hope all this is true, would love to get back there. Practically video game powder tree skiing.

[boltonoutlaw]

@ boltonoutlaw:

looks like you are there not as a tourist? working/living/vanning?

do tell?

i'd rather come for a season. not doing the ultra expensive vacation tourist thing. thx!

Traded 90 days of time for 90 days of lodgings, meals, and a W20 pass. After that I was hired and that put me in for W21 & W22.

Mini TR from W20: Wake up check the conditions from room (view is telephoto lens from hotel). First, lap inbounds freshies and mini-golf the sidecountry with get-backs. Then venture above lift access to backcountry above or in the trees.

Final two photos courtesy of https://www.towpro-lifts.com/ last photo is local guide Kenji Nodaka.

[byates1]

Crushing it

[Mike Pow]

Traded 90 days of time for 90 days of lodgings, meals, and a W20 pass. After that I was hired and that put me in for W21 & W22.

Mini TR from W20: Wake up check the conditions from room (view is telephoto lens from hotel). First, lap inbounds freshies and mini-golf the sidecountry with get-backs. Then venture above lift access to backcountry above or in the trees.

Final two photos courtesy of https://www.towpro-lifts.com/ last photo is local guide Kenji Nodaka.

Noice

Where's that?

[subtle plague]

I second all of the above. After the March snowfalls I went to Hokkaido where fresh dry snow continued into April. The gondolas at two ski zones were just becoming regularly accessible. First week of April with good pow on the runout:

Does it really matter whether you ski 150m vertical and traverse out 20min in January or April?

[boltonoutlaw]

02 April 2022, Asahidake

[subtle plague]

02 April 2022, Asahidake

Beautiful 150m [emoji3]

[NWFlow]

Almost as steep as mammoth too.