It’s SNOWING 🌨️ 🌨️ 🌨️Summer 23 Newsletter
Konnichiwa Concierge Crew!
It’s not quite summer yet in Australia, which means it’s still autumn in Japan but that hasn’t stopped snow from falling!
Last week saw solid snowfalls in some of our favourite resorts:
Hakuba had 35cm over Sunday and Monday, which will be followed by another decent dump of about 20 cm this weekend.
Nozawa Onsen saw 18 cm and is forecast to receive 30 cm this weekend.
Appi Snow Resort saw 26 cm and is expecting a lovely 47 cm today and Saturday.
The snow machine up in Niseko fired up with a nice fall of 67 cm from the 11th- 15th of November and looks to continue this trend with a further 34 cm forecast for the next couple of days.
As they say in the classics, ‘it’s on like Donkey Kong’ and with that in mind, let us know if you’d like to subscribe to our regular snow reports in the lead-up to your Japan snow adventure. (Don’t worry, we hate spam too, so we’ll only send these updates weekly at most!)
The excellent news is that there is still some last-minute accommodation available, especially if you are flexible with your dates and even more if you are a bit adventurous. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to hear about these properties.
What’s been going on since the last newsletter?
We have been super busy the last couple of months, getting ready for the upcoming season.
A lot of preparation goes into planning the perfect snow trip for our clients and we have found a heap of new places we will be checking out when we head out on our preseason recce in early December.
Rhythm Sports Hire
We’re working with the awesome team at Rhythm Japan who offer hire gear in Hakuba, Furano and Niseko. Booking hire gear is all part of The Snow Concierge’s service but if you’re keen to book direct you can use this link and be eligible for a 10% discount on all gear hire.
We are super-stoked about this as we love Rhythm, their range and service are second to none – they are a great outfit, and we would happily recommend them to anyone.
Ship Skis
Speaking of equipment, we have been helping many of our clients ship their gear ahead to their hotel, so they don’t have to deal with the drama of getting it from their home to the ski fields (and back again). The service is proving to be hugely popular. If you are interested in hearing more, check out our website or contact us directly for more information.
Merchandise
We have also been busy working with suppliers, organising a couple of items of kit for our clients heading to the Japanese ski fields this season. We are very excited about these doodahs because we love them and find they are a great help on the mountain. We can’t say too much more because then it won’t be a surprise but if you’ve booked a holiday with The Snow Concierge then keep an eye out for them in your mailbox.
To-do list
Anyone who has been out shopping will be in no doubt that Christmas is just around the corner. The decorations are hung, Christmas carols are being piped through the stores and you can’t escape the rows of delicious Christmas treats to be had on or before Christmas day.
For most people, these prompts will start them thinking about planning for Christmas, at The Snow Concierge these cues are a reminder that it won’t be long before we are going to be back in the snow.
There is a lot happening before then, including Christmas and NYE. To avoid a last-minute rush to get yourself and your crew organised for your upcoming trip, here are a few thought starters:
Locate your passports – Your passports and associated visas should all be valid and current (we will have checked this with you before we booked anything) however, you may or may not know where they are. It’s a great idea to sight them well in advance of your trip and make sure they are where you think they are – just in case.
International Drivers Licence – Not everyone will be driving on their trip (and why would you with the amazing Japanese rail network!), but if you are planning on hiring a car (if you are we can help with that too) or buzzing around Tokyo in those crazy carts – then you will need one. This is an easy one to get done early.
Take care of Fido and Felix – make sure your pet gets a holiday too! if you haven’t already, book the pet(s) into their holiday suites at your pet boarding home of choice.
Book your hire car – if you need one, it is better to lock it in early as availability can become an issue in busy periods. Obviously, if we are doing this for you then it will have been taken care of by your friendly Snow Concierge.
Gear check – It may have been a while since you used your equipment and doing a quick audit is a great idea. You never know what condition things might be in and whether you need to replace anything. Do it nice and early and that way you will be able to get it on Santa’s list or maybe even pick it up in the Boxing Day sales. Or why not take advantage of the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sales like the free shipping offer that our mates at Rhythm Japan have this weekend. (Not sponsored, we just really like Rythm!)
Prep your gear and pack – Wax and scrape those skis and/or boards and do any waterproofing you might need. Break in those shiny new snowboard boots. Get all of this out of the way and then pack your gear so it’s done, and you can relax knowing that there is one less thing to do in that crazy period between work Christmas parties and boarding the plane.
Travel insurances – Yes, most credit cards offer travel insurance, but it is a good idea to double-check that you have appropriate cover for snow activities, especially if you are planning on doing anything outside of the bounds of the resorts. Depending on your medical history you may need to consult a doctor to get the cover you require and the closer you get to Chrissy, the harder that can be to organise.
Book any lessons or guides – Depending on when you are visiting, English-speaking lessons and guides may be hard to arrange if you leave it too late. Sooner is better when it comes to bookings. Obviously, we can take care of this for you if required.
So, there you have it - just a few things to think about getting squared away before the silly season descends on us in all its chaotic glory. Once you're sorted then you can relax, enjoy your break and look forward to hitting those slopes knowing all that’s left to do is pack your clothes and get to the airport in time.
No doubt you are starting to get a little bit excited about your trip – as are we! And in the meantime, if you’ve booked a trip with us then we will be in touch to finalise any details.
Wishing you peace, love and powder days. ❄️
Sayonara!
The Snow Concierge.
