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Eric- Furano report
During my six-month stay in Japan on a working holiday, I had some time off over the Christmas/New Year period. Having heard of the good snow in Japan , I decided to spend some of this time snowboarding. By speaking to the local Japanese and reading tourist information, the general consensus was that Hokkaido , the northernmost island of Japan , was the best area for snow activities. There are many ski resorts in Hokkaido , with Niseko being the biggest and the most popular. However, I decided not to go to Niseko as, from what I had heard, it felt a bit like an overcrowded tourist trap. So I decided to go to Furano, another of the island's more famous ski resorts, which was less crowded due to its relatively distant location.
Furano was fantastic. First off the snow quality is great, with the opportunity to hit fresh powder arising often. The weather in Furano is quite chilly, so you will have to bring your thermal gear. There were many snow falls when I was there; I think it snowed quite heavily on most of the days I spent in Furano. Hence, the snowboarding/skiing is great, enhanced by the fact that there are not that many people on the slopes in Furano. So not only do you have great snow, but also plenty of room to shred the slopes. The absence of overcrowded runs and lift queues really makes Furano a great snowboarding/skiing experience.
But enough about the snow. Something unique about Furano is that has a town next to the ski fields. So instead of having a tiny ski village like many resorts, Furano has a considerable local town filled with restaurants, bars, karaoke bars, pachinko parlours and even hostess bars, enabling visitors to experience Japanese culture after they are done on the slopes. This availability to try local, genuine Japanese food, drinks and entertainment whilst at the snow really makes Furano a great ski destination. I personally recommend nabe (Japanese hot pot) and shochu (Japanese wine made from potato – Japan 's gift to mankind).
One of my favourite memories whilst in Furano was the time I snowboarded at night (Furano has night skiing). The view of the nearby town spread out before me, lights twinkling, as I went down my final run was a beautiful sight.
Overall, I would recommend Furano as a skiing destination in Japan as it not only offers great snow quality and uncrowded runs, but also the opportunity to experience Japanese culture. Eric Leong, 7/2/06
Arguably minus 24 degrees celcius on New Years Eve and a night of festivities. This included a visit to the Furano Shrine for 'Hatumode'. Mark and Damon were good enough to join us for 2 weeks over New Years eve, two guys who spend some time each summer in either North America or Japan snowboarding. They thoroughly enjoyed their time in Furano and here are some photos to prove it!
Mark and Damon keeping warm with Baileys by the fires at the Shrine. Eric looks on...(where's the flame guys?)
Looks packed! Well this is at 1am in the morning on NYE. It was the place to be!
Later on it was BAR WANDA that rocked all night and Damon tried over and over to get his point of view across. Mark is still thinking about his fresh powder lines earlier in the day...
Just after the New Year break we had 2 Kiwis, Andy and Rowan, stay for 3 weeks. They were a bunch of fun and really indulged in the social and traditional opportunities Furano has to offer. Oh yeah, and they also walked carrying their snowboard gear to the slopes each day (they claimed it was their 15 minute warm up). Here is what they had to say about their tip.
Andy and Rowan - Furano report
"We stayed at North Country for two weeks in mid-January 06. Great rooms with the option of western beds or futons.? The bus service to the gondola station was really convenient, and walking doesn't take long at all if you want to ride during one of the few times that a bus isn't running. The awesome buffet breakfast had everything you needed for a solid start to a day's snowboarding. The other thing I have to mention is how excellent the staff were, everyone went out of their way to help us with any requests that we had. Hope to see you next year guys!"
Yes Andy and Rowan - we have working instructions in English now for the in room heaters. (Poor guys absolutely cooked in their room because they struggled when using the heaters).
But does it really matter that much when you can have epic blue bird days like this!
Thanks for a great time Andy and Rowan and see you back here next year!
Deep Powder Tours
Once the Kiwis left, we had Deep Powder Tour arrive in Furano. They brought two separate tour groups on a ‘discovery' tour of inland Hokkaido . It was a perfect opportunity for regular Niseko guests to experience the Japan outside Niseko and after a few initial hiccups I can proudly say both tour groups of around 15 each time thoroughly enjoyed their travels. The shuttle services that North Country provide allowed clients to ski at Kamui Ski Links, Tomamu Alpha Resort, Asahidake and Hakuginsou Hot Springs. We can't control the weather and unfortunately it didn't snow for the first few days of trip 1, and there were a few frustrated skiers, but it snowed constantly from around january 25 th for 4 weeks, so February guests were treated to incredible snow. The trip to the Onsen ( hot springs ) was truly fantastic and everyone enjoyed it. To take off from Furano, spend an hour on the bus and then 2 hours soaking in natural hot springs surrounded by snow is an experience you can only have in Japan , and something that North Country hope to provide to every client who stays with us.
Here are a few pics from the Deep Powder Tours groups. North Country organised dinners for the group in town at our favourite restaurants, as well as a Cheese Fondue and Wine Dinner at our Winery, and a Mongolian BBQ in our external BBQ Tent. Both nights were long and loud with everyone stoked on the food quality and effort that staff showed in ensuring they had a great time. These services are not only limited to large groups. We can recommend a number of delicious restaurants and can take bookings for Fondue nights and Mongolian BBQ feasts.
A regular night of wine and cheese for Deep Powder Tours in the North Country Lobby
GROUP DINNER NORD
Ski.com.au Visit
Yes we had a visit from a bunch of guys who met online at the Moosh Forum. Was great to see them all meet at Furano and enjoy the snow
There is no doubt their time in Furano was a blast. I hope to see you again next year guys.
To check out some pics of their Furano travels visit their website. http://www.kerky.com/gallery/Japow%21%21%21
Melbourne University Snowboard Team
We also hosted a Melbourne University Snowboard Team Tour to Japan. This was a 10 day tour, 8 days snowboarding at Furano, 1 day at Tomamu Alpha Resort and a day at Hakuginsou Onsen (Hot Springs).
To read their tour report please follow this link to the MUST review. To find out information on other Melbourne MUST events and trips please see their club page.
Melbourne Uni rockin Bar Bocco; Furano Feb 2006.
We offer a Genghis Kahn 'Mongolian BBQ' held in an outside maquee; the Melb Uni guys loved it!
Night Skiing is also available every night. Snow falls all day long so it's not unrealistic to have freshies at 8pm at night! Welcome to some of the joys of Furano.
Tomamu Video
A day at Tomamu for the Melbourne Uni Guests turned into a special powder day. See the video here. p2150833.mov
