I've been to Nozawa Onsen before. Looking for somewhere different. My criteria are different to most snowjapanforum natives.
- advanced to expert in the group
- biggish ski hill
- village infrastructure
- place to stay for a month without constant travelling around
- kids, so want to be able to walk/ski to lifts/slopes
- liberal ropes policy
There are plenty of interesting looking hills around, but Japan has the 80s legacy thing with zero atmosphere or zero town. So that automatically rules out otherwise potentially interesting places like Kagura, Naeba, Yuzawa, Joetsu Kokusai.
Akakan/Akakura Onsen looks OKish, but is it enough to stay interesting.
Europe ticks all the boxes except snow and lack of onsens but that's where we've been last few trips. Really, it's perfect except for the snow. Interesting mountains, great lift infrastructure, 100s of small villages with atmosphere and supermarkets, easy to get to, dirt cheap to live if you look around.
America's OK but the most interesting places are hard to get to and we'd blow a few days getting there. Plus, TSA won't like my ABS gear.
But we'd like to do Japan again. Nozawa was great, but I think another month there would be pushing it. There are only so many times you can do the same lines.
Zao looks OK, but a bit small and no hidden options. But the town has what it needs.
Hakuba valley has options, but it's so spread out.
What we usually do is find a hidden gem and buy a season pass and stay there. Easy done in some places but I can't find any in Japan. Does such a place exist?
Not interested in Niseko.
Mt Granview?
- advanced to expert in the group
- biggish ski hill
- village infrastructure
- place to stay for a month without constant travelling around
- kids, so want to be able to walk/ski to lifts/slopes
- liberal ropes policy
There are plenty of interesting looking hills around, but Japan has the 80s legacy thing with zero atmosphere or zero town. So that automatically rules out otherwise potentially interesting places like Kagura, Naeba, Yuzawa, Joetsu Kokusai.
Akakan/Akakura Onsen looks OKish, but is it enough to stay interesting.
Europe ticks all the boxes except snow and lack of onsens but that's where we've been last few trips. Really, it's perfect except for the snow. Interesting mountains, great lift infrastructure, 100s of small villages with atmosphere and supermarkets, easy to get to, dirt cheap to live if you look around.
America's OK but the most interesting places are hard to get to and we'd blow a few days getting there. Plus, TSA won't like my ABS gear.
But we'd like to do Japan again. Nozawa was great, but I think another month there would be pushing it. There are only so many times you can do the same lines.
Zao looks OK, but a bit small and no hidden options. But the town has what it needs.
Hakuba valley has options, but it's so spread out.
What we usually do is find a hidden gem and buy a season pass and stay there. Easy done in some places but I can't find any in Japan. Does such a place exist?
Not interested in Niseko.
Mt Granview?