It looks like you are using an ad blocker. That's okay. Who doesn't? But without advertising revenue, we can't keep making this site awesome. Click the link below for instructions on disabling adblock.
Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post.
Register to become a member today!
sexyjulianDumb question but how busy are Japanese ski hills? Do a lot of Japanese ski or is it mostly tourists?
That completely depends on the hill and how many tourists are here, but also Japan has so many ski options and local hills operated by the local communities that they simply don't need to have lines out the ass like in Colorado or Tahoe or whatever.
Im sure some that are closer to the Shinkansen lines on Honshu such as those in and around Nagano like Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, and Yuzawa get busy on weekends, but it's absolutely never going to be like it is in the USA as things are.
Most of the ski areas in Japan are small ski areas with a single or double chairlift or two, some basic amenities, and operated by the local community, or a local family.. They often cost under 30 or 40 bucks for a day pass, and its a wonder they make any money at all
Here in Hokkaido, there are maybe 10-12 or so ski areas that are really big enough in capacity to handle large crowds, and the rest are just tiny little local ski areas. Often they are community run in order to create jobs during the winter for the local farming and fishing communities while their farms are buried in meters upon meters of snow all winter, or the fish migrate to warmer waters I'm guessing?
Hokkaido is about the size of Ohio with the population of South Carolina and it has this many ski areas.
Additionally, the country is littered with abandoned ski areas too.. just around me there are 3 of them.
DingoSeanThat completely depends on the hill and how many tourists are here, but also Japan has so many ski options and local hills operated by the local communities that they simply don't need to have lines out the ass like in Colorado or Tahoe or whatever.
Im sure some that are closer to the Shinkansen lines on Honshu such as those in and around Nagano like Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, and Yuzawa get busy on weekends, but it's absolutely never going to be like it is in the USA as things are.
Most of the ski areas in Japan are small ski areas with a single or double chairlift or two, some basic amenities, and operated by the local community, or a local family.. They often cost under 30 or 40 bucks for a day pass, and its a wonder they make any money at all
Here in Hokkaido, there are maybe 10-12 or so ski areas that are really big enough in capacity to handle large crowds, and the rest are just tiny little local ski areas. Often they are community run in order to create jobs during the winter for the local farming and fishing communities while their farms are buried in meters upon meters of snow all winter, or the fish migrate to warmer waters I'm guessing?
Hokkaido is about the size of Ohio with the population of South Carolina and it has this many ski areas.
Additionally, the country is littered with abandoned ski areas too.. just around me there are 3 of them.
Very cool! I was thinking Japan would just have a couple larger resorts. I’ll have to take a trip there soon.
DingoSeanThat completely depends on the hill and how many tourists are here, but also Japan has so many ski options and local hills operated by the local communities that they simply don't need to have lines out the ass like in Colorado or Tahoe or whatever.
Im sure some that are closer to the Shinkansen lines on Honshu such as those in and around Nagano like Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, and Yuzawa get busy on weekends, but it's absolutely never going to be like it is in the USA as things are.
Most of the ski areas in Japan are small ski areas with a single or double chairlift or two, some basic amenities, and operated by the local community, or a local family.. They often cost under 30 or 40 bucks for a day pass, and its a wonder they make any money at all
Here in Hokkaido, there are maybe 10-12 or so ski areas that are really big enough in capacity to handle large crowds, and the rest are just tiny little local ski areas. Often they are community run in order to create jobs during the winter for the local farming and fishing communities while their farms are buried in meters upon meters of snow all winter, or the fish migrate to warmer waters I'm guessing?
Hokkaido is about the size of Ohio with the population of South Carolina and it has this many ski areas.
Additionally, the country is littered with abandoned ski areas too.. just around me there are 3 of them.
I did a presentation on the history of the ski industry in Japan and it’s fascinating. Here’s a little summary of what I learned:
Hundreds of resorts were built during Japan’s rapid economic growth and westernization after WWII. The government used infrastructure spending to boost the economy, and lots of that spending included ski resorts and improving access to places like Hokkaido. Skiing became hugely popular in Japan, and it gave rural mountain communities a reason to modernize. When the Japanese economy collapsed in the lost decade, so many resorts closed because that infrastructure had been artificially inflated.
But then, 9/11 happened and thousands of flights to the US got cancelled right before the winter season. European and Aussie tourists looked elsewhere for their ski vacations, and some of them ended up in Japan. The word got out that the snow was incredible, and the infrastructure was already in place from a few decades prior. Japan was ready to take advantage of the spike in ski tourism. Suddenly Japan becomes the global hotspot for powder.
TLDR - 9/11 is the reason for Japan pow segments in movies
sexyjulianVery cool! I was thinking Japan would just have a couple larger resorts. I’ll have to take a trip there soon.
Nah man, almost the whole home-islands part of the country gets snow, even Shikoku and Kyushu that are well south.. though they're more dependent on artificial snow similar to the ski areas near Los Angeles since they don't get the same massive snow events you'll find along the sea of Japan.
Profahoben_212Loved that venue....always always managed to get lost on her though
Honestly I noticed a lot of kids getting confused on landmarks. Other than that, this and bobcat looks super dank
This is some corny touristy shit but like the only time I got to see the grand teets was in the summer on a family roadtrip when I was 13 so being able to look at them covered in snow is so SICK. So pretty!
