More coming

December didn't roar in with deep powder...it kind of sneaked in with powder here followed by sun there. January looks better and this week will have some dusting to keep things fresh. I want to point out to my friends who predicted a dismal year here....you were wrong. Trust in Bubba, the happy gaijin - we will ride powder this year! I know it will be a good year because my knee's already aching.

Hakkoda Japan snowboarding video

Found this on YouTube this morning. Very nice footage of Hakkoda. Check it out at the 2:45 mark. Japan's powder can be much deeper and sometimes the terrain has very little pitch. This is the result.

Kagura today

Serious powder. That's the good news. If you're in the Tokyo area, you need to go there Sunday or better Monday. It's well worth it. Visibility was very limited. It was so bad at the top that people were falling because they couldn't see...including the writer.  Sometimes, the vis was so poor, that up and down became difficult to determine. Nonetheless, powder...deep powder...always worth a trip.

Time to go snowboarding - last call for riders ;-)

It's about 0230...as in the time lots of folks come home. I'm walking the dog, drinking coffee and getting ready to go snowboarding. All reports indicate freaky good conditions for this time of year. Cameras ready and serious rock riding board ready, it's nearly time. Ullr, be kind. More in 12 hours or so...

Snow is coming to Japan...really

These clouds mean snow. Look at the first shot this morning and then this one. Am I excited?

Snowboarding in Japan's Hokkaido powder

When you're waiting for the snow and it doesn't ever seem to be coming, you search around the web and look for film others have shot of...say...Hokkaido powder. Snowboarding in Japan's backcountry...it won't be long now...I still believe. Shown in this video are what I would describe as an average day. If you stay a week in Hokkaido in the prime time (January through March), you will usually get a couple of days this good...and maybe much better. Look for yourself!

Just need more Japan powder in Niseko?

Still no chance of me getting in the mountains this weekend. So, a few old photos from Transworld will start my hallucinations...

It's not snowboarding in Japan but it is snowboarding

Getting slightly off topic isn't anything new or unusual for me. I'm not even sure you call this snowboarding but it's pretty interesting. The dog is the better rider.

http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2009/12/10/epic-snow-surfing-in-utah/

Still too soon for snowboarding in Japan

Don't wax the board yet - with every positive powder prayer, rain seems to follow. Only Hokkaido seems immune or less affected by Ullr's rage (global warming). Next week will tell - Nagano and Niigata have a shot at snow but they also have a shot at rain. Cover your bets - Colorado has powder.

Snowboarding in Japan by the sea?

Okay...that's not really the ocean. But it sure looks like it. Shiga Kogen is always pretty but sometimes it is simply stunning. This was one of those days.

It's snowing in Japan in some places with snow coming for more

With many predicting a less-than-stellar year, it's good to hear that Hokkaido is getting snow and snow is predicted for Shiga Kogen and Kagura. Yesterday's Ullr Revival is beginning to pay off. Burn an old snowboard while drinking a PBR - can't hurt ;-)

Hakkoda Japan snowboarding - shelter from the storm

Just an old picture. You ride an old lift up. Then you get off and hike 2 hours. Then, you chill in a cabin that blocks the wind and is warmed by other bodies and an infrequent heater. The author on the left - a one-time riding buddy on the right.

What's my line? Marunuma (Japan) powder a few years ago

A few years ago, we caught Marunuma during the week. Fresh powder, small resort, and no one there all day. These are the moments we pray to Ullr to experience. This is the essence of the snowboarding (or skiing) Japan experience.

Raining in Hokkaido?

Rain is predicted for the weekend in Hokkaido. It won't take much to wash away the light snow. Hopefully the slow start isn't a forecast for another poor winter.

Hakkoda April 2007

The author surfing his way through a sweet drop.

Are you ready for the snow in Japan?

Sorry, but it's really not here yet. I've heard Hokkaido is rideable but not worth it at this point.

Shiga Kogen, a great place to ride in a good year, is still without any significant snow. Check out the webcam at http://www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/webcam/07canon.html.

Nozawa Onsen Feb 2006

This is an economy car. Start digging! All the snow in Japan isn't in Hokkaido!

Welcome

This is something I've threatened to do for a long time. I've been in Japan for 7 years and snowboarded for 5 of those 7 years. All in all, it's been a tremendous experience. However, when I see the movies and read the expectations of folks, I think I can shed a bit of light on the subject. So, I will be posting photos and observations over the next few months. Hopefully, some of them will be new. For the last 2 seasons (07-08 and 08-09), we've had some disappointing conditions. That doesn't mean there hasn't been powder but it's been far more scarce than it once was.