Where to go

[Gbart]

We are going to Japan for first time in Feb 2023. Have absolutely no idea where to go. Want nice accommodation and a village/resort with plenty of dining options. One of us skis one doesn’t, so needs to cater to both. Want about 7 nights skiing.
Thank you for any advice.

 

[Crispy013]

We are going to Japan for first time in Feb 2023. Have absolutely no idea where to go. Want nice accommodation and a village/resort with plenty of dining options. One of us skis one doesn’t, so needs to cater to both. Want about 7 nights skiing.
Thank you for any advice.

Niseko.

 

[Hyst]

What kind of skiing?

Nozawa?

12 Activities in Nozawa Onsen for people who do not ski

12 Activities in Nozawa Onsen for people who do not ski

www.nozawapeaks.com

ACTIVITIES | Travel Guide | Nozawa Onsen Guide | Nagano

www.nozawaonsenguide.com

The locals have some none ski aktivities.

 

[Lucky Pete]

Niseko if you want that upmarket western feel. Not sure what there is for non skiers in Nozawa that dont involve snow and that would keep a significant other happy for a week????

 

[Hyst]

Niseko if you want that upmarket western feel. Not sure what there is for non skiers in Nozawa that dont involve snow and that would keep a significant other happy for a week????

Onsen?

 

[Any]

I feel that Niseko doesn't have as much a variety of non-ski options as other locations on the mainland.
Rusutsu has even less. When I was there with broken ribs it felt like a prison.
In Feb Hokkaido is cold, windy, and snowy nearly 24/7. Nightmare conditions for someone who's been dragged into it and doesn't ski and doesn't really want to be there.

Having said that, my parents came to visit for 4 days a couple of years ago and had a good time snow shoeing and snowmobiling and walking around town and driving to a few locations. Not sure I could have found them stuff to do for 7 tho.
Eating and drinking shouldn't count as tourist attraction activities imo.

Hokkaido is a good place to learn to ski tho. When you fall, you leave a but shaped print in the ground, rather than the ground living a ground shaped print in you. Niseko is very beautiful if there's a break in the weather so long as you can catch a lift or two.
Maybe its a good time to start.

Alternative food for thought; I know and have met several couples that split up for parts of their holidays.

 

[skichanger]

It really depends on what you want. And when you don't know what the options are working that out is difficult.

Personally I would not recommend Niseko. It is much colder than places further south. Cold is not much fun for a non-skier.

Declaring my self interest, I would actually recommend Madarao. Whilst there are not as many restaurants as the bigger resorts there is quite a reasonable variety. There are not to many options in Madarao itself but there are enough things in the area to keep a non skier entertained if they are happy to catch the bus by themselves including

• Tangram where there is a pool, onsen, massage etc. You could meet them there for lunch.
• Snow monkeys. Bus down to Iiyama then buy a snow monkey trip from the tourist centre
• if you buy a JR East Nagano Niigata pass day trips to Tokyo are an option
• Day trip to Kanazawa
• Walk or bike around Iiyama and visit shrines, doll museum, cultural centre, supermarket, hardware shop etc
• meet for lunch at my place and spend time just looking out the window at the skiers/snowbarders across the valley and going up the chair and read a random book, do some puzzles etc.

 

[SnowCat9]

We are going to Japan for first time in Feb 2023. Have absolutely no idea where to go. Want nice accommodation and a village/resort with plenty of dining options. One of us skis one doesn’t, so needs to cater to both. Want about 7 nights skiing.
Thank you for any advice.

Lots of good advice for you so far.

Another option might be Furano. Yes, cold but the town setting might work for the non skier. Even better would be to start a long term project of conversion to skiing, as Furano has some good ski school options and good beginner terrain. (Put the effort in now and it will pay off in the future!)

Other sources of information that might help you narrow down your options are the SnowJapan and Powderhounds websites.

 

[Nozawaman]

There are pages and pages of trip reports on this site .
Maybe start with the search function on the top right hand corner ?

 

[CarveMan]

Partners being dragged to Hokkaido are a lucrative market for us, they buy the warmest stuff in the shop and the skiing partner will pay as they know it's a small price for their comfort.

 

[LMB]

My parents and PBs Mum enjoyed Niseko when they visited us, but it was March, and we did snowmobiling, and Dad LOVED just walking around the village and getting the blood pumping doing hills.

Also had a non skiing female friend come on a girls trip and she found plenty to amuse herself - this was early March.

It will depend on what your partner is expecting. Some are more than happy chilling out in an apartment with a view and reading a good book, or getting a massage, doing a Pilates class (great Physio led ones in Niseko) while waiting for the skiing partner to return.

 

[bluess57]

Skier goes skiing in Japan, non skier goes to Bali/Thailand m/Fiji...

 

[skichanger]

We had guests where they were on snow for a week doing his thing and then off snow for week doing her thing. Worked well. Both got the holiday they wanted.

 

[skichanger]

Ok @Gbart prompted by comments by others, I gave to ask. Is you non skier definitely a never going ro ski person or hust doesn’t because it us to hard when you already ski?

I am asking because we are working on a package for couples where one is a competent skier and the other is a beginner. Often the competent skier tries to teach their partner. Normally that ends badly and often in tears. We have even seen situations where people are asked to choose between their partner or the snow. This is usually in new relationships. So the goal of our package is to give the newbie a great time, improve their skiing to the point they are actually enjoying themselves, give the competent skier mornings out there pushing their boundaries and give the couple some shared fun time on the mountain.

Not trying to sign you up but looking for feedback about the attractiveness of a package like this for couples with very different levels of skiing competence. We are yet to launch this so just information gathering about the viability of this product.

 

[LMB]

Ok @Gbart prompted by comments by others, I gave to ask. Is you non skier definitely a never going ro ski person or hust doesn’t because it us to hard when you already ski?

I am asking because we are working on a package for couples where one is a competent skier and the other is a beginner. Often the competent skier tries to teach their partner. Normally that ends badly and often in tears. We have even seen situations where people are asked to choose between their partner or the snow. This is usually in new relationships. So the goal of our package is to give the newbie a great time, improve their skiing to the point they are actually enjoying themselves, give the competent skier mornings out there pushing their boundaries and give the couple some shared fun time on the mountain.

Not trying to sign you up but looking for feedback about the attractiveness of a package like this for couples with very different levels of skiing competence. We are yet to launch this so just information gathering about the viability of this product.

That sounds like an amazing product that will tick boxes for many people. And save a few relationships.

 

[Hyst]

@Gbart is not really reflection? Just wondering.

 

[skichanger]

That sounds like an amazing product that will tick boxes for many people. And save a few relationships.

We hope so. Originally we were talking about week long skier and snowboarder improvement packages. Leave Sydney after work on Friday, On snow on Saturday morning. Arrive back on Sunday (or Monday if you fly well overnight) morning and back at work on Monday. But when we thought about the biggest need and something not offered by anyone else we realised at least half our guests were couples that were not on the slopes together. And often one, usually the woman, was abandoned by their partner, or worse had their partner try to teach them. They would have a miserable time that often ended in tears.

We are still working out the details, but we are going to trial it this coming season for our guests only. We are in the fortunate situation of having an in house instructor who spent 8 years as a full time athlete and time since then as a coach, an instructor and training other instructors.

 

[Nozawaman]

Ok @Gbart prompted by comments by others, I gave to ask. Is you non skier definitely a never going ro ski person or hust doesn’t because it us to hard when you already ski?

I am asking because we are working on a package for couples where one is a competent skier and the other is a beginner. Often the competent skier tries to teach their partner. Normally that ends badly and often in tears. We have even seen situations where people are asked to choose between their partner or the snow. This is usually in new relationships. So the goal of our package is to give the newbie a great time, improve their skiing to the point they are actually enjoying themselves, give the competent skier mornings out there pushing their boundaries and give the couple some shared fun time on the mountain.

Not trying to sign you up but looking for feedback about the attractiveness of a package like this for couples with very different levels of skiing competence. We are yet to launch this so just information gathering about the viability of this product.

Maybe a tantric healing week could be another package option

 

[SnowCat9]

Ok @Gbart prompted by comments by others, I gave to ask. Is you non skier definitely a never going ro ski person or hust doesn’t because it us to hard when you already ski?

I am asking because we are working on a package for couples where one is a competent skier and the other is a beginner. Often the competent skier tries to teach their partner. Normally that ends badly and often in tears. We have even seen situations where people are asked to choose between their partner or the snow. This is usually in new relationships. So the goal of our package is to give the newbie a great time, improve their skiing to the point they are actually enjoying themselves, give the competent skier mornings out there pushing their boundaries and give the couple some shared fun time on the mountain.

Not trying to sign you up but looking for feedback about the attractiveness of a package like this for couples with very different levels of skiing competence. We are yet to launch this so just information gathering about the viability of this product.

Great idea and I would think there's a market for this. In my view the pitch to the skier is that an investment in private lessons for the beginner will pay off in the long term, and that the additional costs are small in comparison to everything else they've already paid to get on snow.

 

[skichanger]

Great idea and I would think there's a market for this. In my view the pitch to the skier is that an investment in private lessons for the beginner will pay off in the long term, and that the additional costs are small in comparison to everything else they've already paid to get on snow.

Nice. Thanks. We have been discussing how to pitch it to the skier but had not got any of our short versions as nicely expressed as that.

Not sure our initial concept of save your relationship and still get to ski is something you actually want in a marketing campaign. lol.