Why I live in Japan
 

For days like this!

Fine and clear days like today are rare up here in winter! So of course too advantage of the good weather for a backcountry ski.

Just up from the lift at Chisenupuri looking back to Annupuri and Yotei in the background



It's rarely as clear as this here in winter!



Nearing the top with the view towards the south and the plains around Rankoshi town



Looking back towards Annupuri. A bit wind blown on top. In summer you acutally walk under the branches of trees near the peak but they're completely covered now.



Practically untouched slope in the middle ground that comes down to a frozen lake (didn't have time to ski it today). Iwanai and the Sea of Japan in the background.



View beyond the Iwanai plains towards Shakotan peninsula.

A group getting ready to head down with Mekunnai dake in the background



Looking north to a nice ridge coming off the backside of Niseko Weiss



Nice view whilst having lunch



A fun run down in up to shin deep very light powder



Hot Spring on the way back

I'm always fascinated by your landscapes. So beautiful places. I really envy you... :)
Did you take the pictures?

damn, those are great shots!!

the kind of place I love to see in pictures but I certainly do love being able to feel my toes ><

Yeah I took them. I was up there by myself (although it being a long weekend here I certainly wasn't alone!). Hard to take a bad pic on a day like today, it was stunning up there.

I dunno if it is. But I think they're beautiful.
And I'd certainly risk freezing my toes if this was all the prize I had to pay. I mean who cares,(?) that Hot Spring... it almost brakes my hart, I can't go there. :)
Besides, I don't think you're freezing when you were up there...

I love being able to get to the top and look right down to the sea. There's no getting below the snowline up this way!

It was about -10 degrees celcius up top with moderate wind. My fingers got a little cold if I took my cloves off but that's pretty mild up there at this time of year. Quite pleasant actually!

fantastic pictures;)

nice work GoNative you made my wallpapers

Eh? It's beautiful but hardly unique to Japan.

Stunning pics!

Sugoi pictures.

Yeah,they might have it in other countries but you're not in other countries are you?! Any snow to me is amazing because a] you don't get any down here and b] I get plenty of time off because no-one knows how to get rid of it! There's plenty in Wales. I bet they know what to do.

Japan is great. And I hope that it would be well. I would like to travel towards japan anyone in my life.

During this tsunami,I've kept thinking "Should I just go to South Korea instead?" then I've thought "Nah!" I'll do the rest of Asia and of course Oceania when I live in Japan!

What I love about Japan is they really know how to make things epic,even if I don't know what the correct term for something is. The best thing I saw in Japan was we were walking along,and there just happened to be some kind of dance/martial arts festival on in the middle of Ikebukuro. And it was totally free. I don't know what it's called. There were like teams from all over Japan and each one did a kind of dance but with music and a voiceover. It was on on Sunday as well. They just never seem to stop. They must be powered by rocket fuel or something. They might just want our money but at least the entertainment is free.

The weird thing is I never saw any other non-Japanese people in Ikebukuro but I look at the photos after[and I've seen these photos loads of times] and I just realised the other day there was a Black Indian woman there too! I don't know how I missed that. This was also the time some bald old guy turned round and stared at me. He was obviously annoyed that a foreigner dared to step out of his little box! I just kept smiling.

Wonderful pics. I also may have to change my wallpaper...

Today was a beautiful day for another trip up into the mountains. Went up Iwao-nupuri (1154m). I drove up to Goshiki-onsen which is just below the peak at an altitude of around 750m.

On the way up


And up. Mt Annupuri (1308m) in the background.


Getting close to the top


At the top. You can see Kutchan, the town where I live, on the plain to the left of the rocks.


Mt Yotei (1898m) in the background


View to the west along the range. The Sea of Japan top right.


Taking in the view


Skied back down to Goshiki and had an onsen. Really nice way to spend a few hours.

Skied? That looks like a snowboard on your back in the photo. Or is that a friend?

Awesome terrrain available there!

best,

................john

I actually went up by myself but met up with those guys on the way up (they are actually friends as well). They all boarded but I am a skier.