AUS NZ Snowboarding Magazine 2008 #3 - Nozawa, Shiga, Minakami

Trip Date: 15 Jan 2008 - 28 Jan 2008
Destination: Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, Tenjin Daira
Crew:
▪ Will Jackways (NZL) - Snowboarder
▪ Nick Brown(NZL) - Snowboarder
▪ Mikey Williams (AUS) - Snowboarder
▪ Kieran McLaughlin (AUS) - Snowboarder
▪ Johnny McCormack (NZL) - Photographer/Editor
▪ Shinji Hirose (JPN) - Coordinator
Media: Australian New Zealand Snowboarding Magazine
Trip Organiser: IXSM TRAVEL

Easy-
Peazy
Japan
ese-e

Away from the westernised ski-towns of the North we eased into
real-Japan for two weeks of snowboarding and authentic travel.

Photography and Text by Johnny McCormack

The punters were waiting at Tokyo’s Narita airport for connecting flights North to Hokkaido. They would be joining 50,000 of their best mates in Niseko, while we were jumping on a train and heading straight out West to the mountains of the Nagano Prefecture, a perfect place to start our Japanese adventure.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) whisked us to our destination in under two hours where we entered picturesque traditional villages that still have their historical, old-world Japanese charm, steaming volcanic hot springs channeled into the famous Onsen baths and majestic snow-laden peaks stretching in either direction as far as the eye can see. Japanese delicacies, served in an endless array of mini dishes, monkeys running in the snow, long steep runs of deep powder and empty lift lines. This is authentic Japan, easy to find ? accompanied by a local.

Rewind the clock a few weeks before the trip and it didn’t look like any of the invited riders could make our trip. Will Jackaways was ‘umming’ and ‘erring’, Kieran couldn’t sort out a board, due to our late invite and the Aussie Christmas buzz. Tom Pelley had to spend time with his girl (something about a birthday surprise?) Mikey Williams was down but was arriving a day late!
  It was starting to look as if the wheels could fall off the wagon. I was in China of all places and having trouble keeping in touch. Nick Brown (Browner) was thrown an invite at the last minute and he left behind a snowy Utah, jumping on a plane and arriving a day early. Now at least I had someone to hang with in Tokyo before we met our local tour organiser and translator, Shinji Hirose from IXSM travel.
  Browner and I were staying in a traditional little Ryokan in Nippori, Tokyo. It was to be our first taste of typical Japanese close living quarters and we bunked down on traditional Japanese Tatami mats. The Japanese have a very structured culture and like everything to be done their own way. The little ‘mama-san’ who ran the Ryokan soon developed a habit of telling me off. The first time I should have known better, I stood on the Tatami mat in my slippers. When Browner arrived he let a gust of wind slam his door and was told to keep it down. I hadn’t quite clued onto the key system, I was supposed to leave the room key in the locker where my shoes were so once again mama-san caught me out. Then she realised I’d bent the laminate key ring and she wasn’t too happy about that either, once again my bad! Despite all this I’m convinced she loved having us young Kiwi boys crashing in her little Ryokan. We said our good-byes and headed for Tokyo’s main train station to meet Shinji and Will.
  Apparently Will had been deciding whether or not to come on the trip right up to the last minute and arrived at the airport as the boarding call was being announced; poor Shinji had pre-purchased Will’s ticket and was getting a little stressed by this time. Lucky they made it and before we knew it, we were together on the train as it kicked into gear and accelerated away at a smooth steady rate, reaching speeds of over 220km, powering us out to Nagano, where we had a rental van waiting, courtesy of the local tourism board. From there it was a short drive to our first resort? Nozawa Onsen

"The doctor rolled in, told
Mikey he was a pussy,
grabbed his arm and
snapped it back into place"

NOZAWA ONSEN

Nozawa Onsen is a true gem. The village is nestled on a steep hillside at the base of the mountain, it’s a traditional village that has had little changes over the years. The cobblestone streets wind their way around the hillside and you won’t find a western-style chain store anywhere in the village. The area is rich in geo-thermal activity and there are numerous free Onsen baths in the village while most accommodations have their own private ones. We stayed at the Nozawa Onsen Hotel, which had it’s own outdoor rock garden Onsen, great for relaxing at any time of the day or night. But kicking back and putting the feet up wasn’t on our agenda; we had the annual fire festival to check out, apparently shit was gunna-get-hectic.
  The fire festival has a long history with the village and has something to do with the young guys earning their passage to manhood by protecting a specially erected bamboo shrine while the older men in the village attack it with flaming torches. If that didn’t sound like enough carnage on its own, get everyone blind drunk and throw in some Kamikaze-like behaviour and see what comes out the other side. Strolling through the village, free sake was being slung in every direction, some crew had drunk to the point where their legs had given way and the frozen ground had become a comfortable option for the night. We heard a few familiar accents and talk of how good the snow had been that day, so we left them to it and headed back to the motel.
  The following day it looked as though some weather could be coming in, but it was still clear enough to have a shred around and explore the hill. Nozawa Resort is a single peak, with over 1000 meters of vertical to ride from top to bottom. From the top chair it’s easy to navigate your way around the mountain and access a lot of terrain. On our first run we dropped in over the backside and enjoyed dry blower snow as we punched out our first few turns; from there it funnelled down into a tight valley, with steeps on either side. It was a long wide run down the valley floor back to the base area.
  Before long the mobiles were starting to vibrate and we were getting calls from Kieran and Mikey who were both on their way out to the resort. So we ended the day a little early and met up with the rest of the crew, with only Tom yet to arrive now ? probably delivering that ‘special surprise’ to his girl, as we headed to eat.

  A delicious banquet size feast was served in a multitude of mini dishes. There were all sorts of treats from small whole fish to different coloured pickles and meats. Tofu and vegetables were cooked at the table over a small flame, the list went on and this style of cuisine much to our delight, became the norm for the trip.
That evening a storm rolled in and we awoke the following day to a snow covered resort. Our first runs were spent ploughing our way through bottomless powder, struggling to keep the nose up out of the snow and pointing downhill as we negotiated some tight runs through the trees. We rounded out the day by building a jump next to the toilet at the base of one of the lifts and jibbing the roof, whilst the ski patrol didn’t seem too fazed. While we were there we bumped into a couple of middle-aged Aussies, one of them turned out to be a radiologist who offered his services should we need it - a bit weird we thought.
  That night another amazing dinner was served to us and we backed it up with another onsen and a deep sleep. Once again we awoke to more fresh snow on the hill and we shredded around the mountain picking a few things off. All was going well until Mikey boosted off the cat track and landed awkwardly. Much to everyone’s surprise, except for Mikey due to the pain, he’d dislocated his arm. It took a while for ski patrol to find us and get Mikey down to the medical centre, only to find out the one doctor on duty was out enjoying the powder himself and wasn’t contactable.
  It was three hours since the stack and still no painkillers for Mikey - the agony was starting to show. Finally the doctor rolled in, told Mikey he was a pussy, grabbed his arm, snapped it back into place and said, “you can go skiing tomorrow.” Mikey wasn’t so convinced and started considering heading home early. As the evening came around we decided to hit another nearby resort for some more night riding. The last day at Nozawa was rounded off with more fresh powder and a few drinks in the village at one of only two bars we could find. A round of cards went down and a bit of socialising with some local ladies, who seemed impressed with our broken Japanese and attempts to communicate with them. The next morning before we hit the road, we checked out the nearby onsen area and watched as the locals cooked their food in the steaming hot springs, much the same as they’ve done for the past few centuries

SIGA KOGEN

On the way to Shiga Kogen we stopped in at the ‘Monkey Park’, it’s a must see if you’re in the area. The park consists off natural onsens that have been channelled into rock pools for the snow monkeys to hang out in. The monkeys’ natural habitat is in the surrounding area and they use the onsens to keep warm during the winter season. They’re oblivious to all the people snapping photos and getting right up in their grill, they just kick back and soak up the heat. The elder ones hardly moved an inch the whole time we were there, meanwhile the young ones groomed them with almost obsessive attention to detail. We didn’t really want to touch them and screw with their peaceful days, but on the walk back to the car a couple of monkey’s were playing in the snow when Browner went to grab one while it wasn’t looking ? it went ballistic, grabbing it’s mates and throwing them at us, arking up, making loud noises, running and jumping around and just losing it’s mind. A clear reminder they are still very much wild creatures.
We arrived at Shiga a little too late to shred the hill in the daylight, but we managed to get a few runs in under the lights, and finally Tom had made his way out to the resort that day. Shiga’s lift system is spread out and it helps to have a vehicle or get to know the bus system to really explore all the little nooks and crannies. There are numerous peaks and different zones worth checking out. After our night shred we rolled back to the Hotel, which was a bit of an archaic beast, but it had a certain unique charm to it. Inspired by Austrian Tyrolean architecture, the resort gives a vibe

of being slightly lost somewhere in a glory of yesteryear.
After our long day the call was made to hit the Onsen but getting there was an adventure in itself. It was set deep in the basement and we had to wind our way down a long corridor that veered off in all directions before leading us to a misty green onsen, rich in sulphur. So rich you couldn’t see your legs once they were submerged. Whatever was in the water, it proved to be a relaxing Zen-like experience and made the walk well worthwhile.
While at Shiga we were barred from going up some of the lifts, as areas on the mountain are still reserved for skiing only, making it a little confusing as to where you can and can’t go. In its defence we did manage to find some of the best terrain of the trip, within easy hiking distance from the road. Whether or not we were allowed to ride it is another story. On our last night at Shiga, Shinji arranged for us to stay at the lodge situated at the summit of the resort. While a few of the crew were a little disgruntled to have to pack their bags once again just for the night, the moans were soon replaced with ohh’s and ahh’s as during sunset we were escorted to the top of the mountain in our own private cat. The lodge at the top sits at approximately 2,150 meters and is one of the highest lift accessible peaks in Japan - certainly the highest accommodation in the nation. At the top a husky and friendly staff member greeted us, ushering us to our first hearty steak of the trip.

MINAKAMI

Minakami is a bit of an underground spot outside of Japan, it’s situated in the Gunma prefecture which is between Nagano and Tokyo. It’s a little closer to the big smoke and an easy destination to get to via rail from the city. We stayed at Canyons Lodge, which is a short drive from the town area and multiple ski resorts. A vehicle is a must here, as the buses are a little infrequent. The lodge came equipped with a fleet of vans so we were lucky enough to be chauffeured around. The lodge is run by a Kiwi ex-pat, who spoke excellent Japanese, making translation a breeze, which proved interesting as our guide/translator (Shinji) had bailed on us. Apparently because of his absence, his office was now in ruins.
The lodge is renowned for it’s parties and has a bar and nightclub with banging sound system to match and a pool table perfect for killing the boredom on shitty weather days. The resort of Minakami is a just wee fella. A tram from the car park takes you up to the top bowl where the lifts then branch out. The resort is only four lifts deep, but when conditions allow you can score long powder runs from the top of the chair all the way back down to the car park. Unfortunately for us we were there during what seemed like a 50-year storm. So we spent much of our time either waiting and hoping the weather would clear and resting from our already long and tiring trip - next to the heater, playing pool and going for little missions picking off jibs in the nearby village.
While the weather was predominately grey and the visibility was low during our stay, we had night

riding on offer, at the nearby resort of Okutone. After we’d been riding relatively token night runs earlier on the trip we were stoked to find virtually an entire resort lit by lights and mad powder to boot. While the scene at Minakami had been akin to riding a club field in New Zealand, pretty laid back with most of the crew backcountry enthusiasts, the scene at Okutone was far more upbeat. The resort was full of Japanese kids sporting the latest gear and it was apparent to see why they were all here, the night riding was all time. With several chairs running and big wide open powder fields to boost down and a mini park to shred, we got down to business. Kiwi Nick Hyne joined us for our last few days at Minakami - he’s spent a bit of time in the area and knew of a few jibs in the town of Gunma, just a short train ride away and the bigger town in the area.
Although we’d been getting plenty of snow up at Minakami, when we came out of the valley heading for Gunma, it was like another world ? a dry one void of snow. We searched all day looking for rails with enough snow in the vicinity to get a good set up going, but to no avail. We ended up going back to the first little kink we found, right by the train station, but by the time we managed to get the drop-in and run-in sorted the light was all but gone. No matter, Browner was adamant would get something done and wasn’t going to let this little kink get the better of him, so he hit it in the dark, except for a slight glow off a cell phone light courtesy of a bemused Tom Pelley.

AUTHENTIC-JAPAN TRAVEL FACTS

How to get there: Fly to Narita Airport in Tokyo. Catch a train to Tokyo or Ueno main station. From there catch a Shinkansen to Nagano (3 hours). Or you can catch a bus directly from Narita to Nagano (5 hours).
Where to ride: Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen and Minakami resorts. There are a bunch of smaller resorts that surround these areas.
Riding terrain description: Everything except super steep terrain and cliffs. Including deep, deep powder, tree riding, small parks, big bowls and some backcountry.
Snow quality: At the top of all the resorts it is ‘dry as a bone’ and good as anywhere in the world. Blower dude!
Best time of year: Mid January to the end of February to guarantee good pow.
Visas/travel requirements: No visa required for tourists from Australia or New Zelaland. Automatic three-month tourist visa is provided upon entry to Japan.

Accommodation recommendations: We use and highly recommend IXSM Travel for all your travel requirements in Japan. IXSM offer flexible custom-built packages for both the individual and groups. IXSM can help you with as little or as much as you need while chasing the snow in Japan, from a local cell phone to all your food, accommodation, lift passes and transfers. They have no affiliations with any particular resort so you can choose from an array of top destinations both on the mainland Honshu (where we went) or in Hokkaido. Special thanks to Shinji Hirose at IXSM for an unforgettable trip.
www.ixsm.com
www.ixsmtravel.com

"The moans were soon replaced with ohh’s and ahh’s as we were escorted during sunset to the top of the mountain in our own private cat."

After 14 days of non-stop shredding and travelling to new and exciting spots our chips were finally cashed and we were beat. Riding was the last thing on our mind, we were on the train to Tokyo for one last night together before we all departed in different directions. A whole lot of Japanese cuisine was heartily consumed that night and washed down with as many cocktails as we could get the rattled bar staff to sling at us. We were at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink bar, costing a mere 3000yen ($30AUD) limited to two hours and the crew were hell-bent on getting their money’s worth. Following that, the night started to twist and turn as more booze was consumed and ear piercing karaoke went down. Our epic adventure on Honshu’s mountains had come to an end. We’d scored epic amounts of powder, ridden over a half a dozen different resorts, eaten like kings and spent plenty of timing soaking in tranquil onsens.

Australian Snowboarder Magazine 2008 - Issue #3 (P90-98)