A cheap and easy way to get straight out to Hakuba in the evenings.
Where are all the men.
Hakuba manpower. Girls - take your pick.
Where are all the men? In a ski town of course. If you are a single female living in Japan or overseas then Hakuba is the perfect place to come and meet guys from all over the globe and all walks of life. Sadly for the guys the numbers are against you so that means you have to put in a lot more effort to win a heart. That’s a definite win win for the girls. It’s a sad fact that Snowsports are male dominated but I think once the girls give it a go they can get hooked onto it also. It’s great fun and a very social sport/ pastime.
The best restaurant in Hakuba
Good friends, awesome food and cold beer. Hie in Echoland should be on top of your restaurant list.
There are so many restaurants to choose from in Hakuba. One of my favorite choices for an all round experience is Hie in Echoland. It is an izakaya which basically means a place to come and drink sake however they serve up a great menu of small dishes which you order and share around the table. The idea is to order some drinks when you sit down and then when they arrive to the table you start ordering some food and just keep ordering until you are full. I can recommend the PadiPadi Fried Potato, Tori kawa, Yuke, Baked Avacado, Basashi, Karage and the Baked Yam with Cheese. It’s a case of order a bit of everything and if you like it you can order another plate of it. When you want to order from the private rooms there is a buzzer on the wall to alert the waiters. The atmosphere is very Japanese, the beer is cold and the food is outstanding. I rate this restaurant highly. Remember shoes off when you go into the tatami (cane flooring) areas.
It should be reminded that it is an izakaya and you are expected to have a few drinks. Hie is not recommended for kids. (Unless the parents drink and eat a lot:)
For a pre dinner drink or if you are waiting for a table then drop into the White Horse Bar just 100 meters away. If the restaurant is full Hie can call the White Horse when a table is available.
Posted in Food, Hakuba
Tagged Basashi, best restaurant in hakuba, Hie, izakaya in hakuba, what to eat in hakuba
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Kids in Hakuba
Hot Chocolates and good play rooms along with lots of snow play makes for a great day for the little ones.
What to do with kids in Hakuba. Ski holidays are great family adventures that create fond lifelong memories. There are lots of fun things to do in the snow on and off the resort and the kids here have an absolute ball. Depending on the age of the children ski lessons are the obvious first choice which allows the parents to get their dose of snow time while the young ones are learning the fine art of snow plough. For the even younger ones the parents will often swap so it’s important that the base areas of the resorts have good facilites to keep the kids occupied and mum or dad comfy. Most areas have inside play rooms and outdoor areas for snow activities. There are creche options along with babysitting services so both mum and dad can get out there and enjoy going back in time to their pre-parenthood days of sking blissfully down the mountain together without another care. Hakuba is a great holiday destination and a fantastic cultural experience for all of the family.
Posted in Hakuba
Tagged babysitting, creche, kids activities in Hakuba, kids club Hakuba, what to do with kids in Hakuba
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Noodles
Cheap eats in Japan
One of my favourite pastimes in Japan is to check out the vending machines that are scattered absolutely everywhere around the country. There are so many drink ones standing in the most unusual places. If you are feeling a bit peckish while travelling around then this one could be the perfect one for you. Piping Hot Noodles for 200 yen is a very cheap way to fill the hole.
Kaori’s back at Double Black
It's smiles all round at the news that Kaori's coming back
Anybody who stayed or visited the bar and restaurant at Double Black will remember the happy face of Kaori. Originally from Tokyo and an obsessive traveller she decided that she would like to do a season in Hakuba last year. The good news is that she is coming back because she enjoyed the last one so much. She’s a great girl and happy for a chat and always a laugh. Welcome back to the team Kaori. You can contact the White Horse group for more information about Double Black Hotel here
Radiation in Hakuba ? No, never has been.
We have special protective head gear available if you are worried about radiation
I am still seeing lots of people searching for “is there radiation in Hakuba” or “radiation levels in Japan”. I posted this LINK from the JNTO earlier in the year which outlines the facts quite well. When flying into Toyko or Osaka and making your way to Hakuba you will be nowhere near the Fukushima power plant and you will have zero exposure to radiation from there. Please be rest assured that you and your family can enjoy the magnificent Japanese Alps without the thought that there may be an issue. Things are still quite serious within the area of Fukushima and I don’t want to down play the fact that many people have been adversely affected by the tragic events of March 11th. The IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency which is an independent body has released a number of reports throughout the ordeal which are available to read on their website. An interesting fact that I found was “as of 31 October more than 230,000 people have been screened for contamination – not a single case of adverse health effects has been found in the population”. Even with all of this information available the fact of the matter is tourism is down right across all of Japan. If you are considering coming then it is a great opportunity to take advantage of all the special deals and to see the sights without the crowds. This includes the ski resorts of Nagano. One of the main attractions about Hakuba is the ability to get fresh tracks and it’s going to be even easier this year.
Click on the chart to enlarge
Here is a good chart that puts it into layman’s terms. The author is not an expert, and that anyone potentially affected by Fukushima should always defer to the directives of regional health authorities. A link to the source
Winner winner chicken dinner.
Lovin being back on the white stuff.
Congratulations to Jenn G for taking home the winnings for this years “first lifts opening” competition. Both Goryu and Hakuba47 opened up their lifts today and what a spectacular blue bird day to get things started. There was a line of very enthusiastic crew to jump on the gondie this morning and claim first day rights, me included. Happy grins on everyone’s face’s as they know that this is just the beginning of another long and powder filled season. The snow was dry and squeeky as the temperatures stayed well under zero. Everybody was up there – skiers, boarders hard booters, snow bladers, telemarkers, racers, kids, sitski’s, babys watching from the stands, snowbikes and BC crew hiking up the back – all of them wanting a piece of the action.
Hakuba Blog wishes a safe and enjoyable season for everyone and may all your dream lines be claimed.
And the proof of the lifts running is me sitting on one claiming "first day" rights
Opening day tomorrow – from the Hakuba 47 website
When will the first lifts open in Hakuba. This is a (very) rough translation of the exciting news on the Hakuba 47 Website that the lifts will be opening tomorrow. You can check out the original here
It's here
Everyone, we have kept you waiting.
Hakuba47 LINE-1 lift and E at Hakuba Alps Goryu
Tomorrow (Saturday 26) is open.
A prayer to thank the snow gods for what we are about to receive. Amen
This morning a ceremony was held for the staff to pray for the safety of customers and employees for the season.
Thanking you for your important work again, we pray for a safe season as received from the priest Oharai
CHAAARGE
After the ceremony in a race to the summit.
The base has not yet accumulated snow. R 1 is a run in the middle and 2 of the groomers will aim to compact the snow there
60-70 cms. Thats a great start. A good base to work with
When you reach the summit it is a different world. 60-70 cms of compacted snow
“I was surprised by the amount of snow. I didn’t expect to see so much. No problem at all to open the lifts”. Line E (one of the lifts) has full cover in the area.
Lifts open 8:30am until 4PM
Lift pass is 2800 yen for Adults and 1250 yen for kids
Both Goryu and 47 will open but there will be no access between them at the top.
You can find more information at there website. http://www.hakuba47.co.jp/winter/en/
The Fall Line avalanche education night.
Every year a new group of young workers come to do a season in Hakuba and every year I worry about one of them not going home alive. The side country, slack country and back country are amazing here and something to be enjoyed. The problem is that there are dangers lurking everyday in the form of avalanches. I always give our staff a stern warning at their induction but this year we have decided to take it a bit further and run an Avi Awareness Night at the White Horse. We will have the Fall Line avalanche education video along with some crew here to talk about the Hakuba mountains and what to expect with the snow pack and conditions. Please come and join us. Everyone is welcome.
When – 16th December
Where – White Horse Hotel in Echoland
Time – 5 pm
Cost – 500 yen includes a free drink
Posted in Backcountry, Hakuba, snow, Video
Tagged Avalanche awareness, avis in Japan, Hakuba, News, snow Japan, The Fall Line DVD
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