The Waiting Game
The waiting game continues here in Niseko for the first big dump of snow for the season. This morning after some early rain in the village the clouds parted revealing a fresh layer of snow around the...
View ArticleMt. Annupuri Sunrise
Early mornings aren’t for everyone. Yesterday’s clear early morning skies seemed like a good time to check out Mt. Annupuri peak. Setting off from Hirafu village in the darkness definitely tests a...
View ArticleA cold snap and a snowy week ahead for Niseko
This morning we have みぞれ Mizore, half snow half rain in Hirafu village level but higher up….we have snow! Looks like this week we will receive some significant snowfall with Mountainwatch predicting...
View ArticleFirst Tracks in Niseko for the 2013-2014 Season
After the first snowfall came in Hirafu village on the 8th the next morning was amazing. No wind, no clouds and a beautiful layer of fresh snow coating everything. With a solid layer of 10-15cm at the...
View ArticleNiseko Snow Report, 11 November 2013
*8.5cm of fresh snow has fallen in the last 24hrs in Hirafu Village. At 7:00 today the temperature was -3°C. After taking the snowfall reading at 7:00 and clearing the station it started dumping and in...
View ArticleNiseko Snow Report, 12 November 2013
*33.5cm of fresh snow has fallen in the last 24hrs in Hirafu Village. At 7:00 today the temperature was -4°C. The cold snap continues with unseasonably cold temperatures and heavy snowfall. Recent...
View ArticleFree Legal and Tax Seminar for non-Japanese Residents and Visitors
Today at the Grand Hirafu Mountain Center there will be a free legal and taxation seminar held from 13:00 until 17:00. The seminar will be conducted in English and will be a great chance for English...
View ArticleJapan’s Big Ski Adventure
Last Friday the Wall Street Journal in the US ran a 2 page feature article about development in the Niseko region titled Japan’s Big Ski Adventure. The story featured 4 of my images including images...
View ArticleJust Add Snow
After the initial dump of snow earlier in the month Niseko has been in the grip of some pretty average weather. Warm temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds. Amongst the predominately foul weather...
View ArticleBaseball in Japan
It may seem strange to suggest to a tourist in Japan to watch what is quintessentially an American sport, but like many things that Japan has assimilated, due to cultural differences, there have been...
View ArticleHirafu-zaka Fly By
Wondering how progress on Hirafu-zaka is going…will we have a heated road and footpaths this season…will all of the powder lines be buried before winter? Time will tell but this is what it looked like...
View ArticleFirst Snowfall for the 2014-15 Season Hits Hokkaido
Today the first snowfall for the 2014-15 season hit Asahi-dake Hokkaido’s tallest mountain at 2,290.9 m. This is know as Hatsuyuki 初雪 in Japanese. The snowfall arrived 9 days earlier than average and 3...
View ArticleFirst Snowfall in Niseko for the 2014-15 Season
Overnight the temperature plunged throughout the Niseko region and this morning the first snowfall for the 2014-15 season can be seen on the top of Mt.Yotei!! 8 days earlier than last year’s Hatsuyuki....
View ArticleNiseko Arts and Craft Festival
Hotel Chalet Ivy presents its 2nd Niseko Craft Art Festival 2014: An Exhibition by Niseko Artisans, featuring the works of 14 Niseko artisans and 2 special guests from abroad. The exhibition opens 4...
View ArticleAnother dusting on Mt.Yotei
With the fist day of October we have been greeted this morning with another dusting on Mt.Yotei!! It may be snow…it may be frost but whatever it is it’s white and it’s coming this way. E X C I T I N G
View ArticleMt. Yotei Diamonds
Mt.Yotei put on an impressive show this morning. Yesterday a strong cold front moved through the region resulting in a fresh layer of snow almost to the tree line on Mt.Yotei. There is no snow...
View ArticleFirst Snowfall Hits Mt.Annupuri
Last night the temperature plunged to -5 and today the expected top temperature in Kutchan will be 8. With the dip in temperatures and rainfall yesterday hopes were high for some snow accumulation on...
View ArticleNiseko Snow Report, 4 November 2014
*5.5cm of fresh snow has fallen in the last 24hrs in Hirafu Village. At 6:30 today the temperature was 1°C. Wild conditions have been rocking the Niseko region for the last 24 hrs with no signs of...
View ArticleSL Densha Slomo
After getting our hands on a Go Pro 4 it has been a lot of fun testing out the new capabilities. The video below was shot this morning in front of Hirafu station in full HD at 1920 x 1080 at 120 frames...
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