17 June 08 : Welcome to Aaron As a new member of the Welovesnow team and a new resident of Yuzawa, I have to say I’m pretty excited to be here. Of course arriving in “Snow Country” in the middle of June means that there’s no snow! However, it is nice to see people strolling around the town in their yukata enjoying the summer and a few baby swallows have taken up residence in a nest above the bottle bar. Also, the arrival of warmer weather means that the rice paddies are in full production.

29 May 08 : A look down the valley The skiing is over for another year but there is still the odd patch of white on the highest peaks. Green is by far the most dominant colour at the moment and the weather, alternating between glorious sunshine and the odd drop of rain is perfect for all the plant to thrive. Beautiful as it is, I'm already looking forward to the autumn colours which signal that winter is fast approaching. Impatient, I know.

20 May 08 : Silver lining Torrential rains greeted us this morning. The mountain tops were invisible under blankets of mist. They have since reappeared looking greener than ever but there are some ominously dark clouds still lingering. With June just around the corner this could signal the start of the usual heavy rains. At least it is good for the rice, and everybody knows great rice means great sake. Maybe a trip round the corner to the Shirataki Sake Brewery is in order to drown our sorrows.

16 May 08 : Scorcher It's going to be a hot weekend up here in the hills so the coolest place to be (in every sense of the word) is at the top of Kagura. It could well be the last weekend of skiing until next winter (unless you are heading down to the southern hemisphere) so get your kicks in now or you'll have to wait until November. Don't forget the sunscreen.

13 May 08 : Still snow In spite of the clear blue skies there is still snow around and Kagura is still skiing. The last patches of snow that I can see at the top of the mountain are fast disappearing but there are still people out on the slopes enjoying the great weather. It is slightly incongruous to see fully clad and googled boarders strolling around while everyone else is delving into their summer wardrobes. Kagura is still hanging in there though and still worth a visit.

9 May 08 : Weekend weather A mixed bag of weather recently. Some scorching days over Golden Week with some overcast, cooler days recently. The rice field are being flooded in preparation for the planting (meaning the frogs are in their element once again and noisily clammering how happy they are each evening.) The forecast is hinting at rain for the weekend so we will have to wait and see. The intrepid are still scavenging the slopes for freshly sprouted mountain vegetable but the rain might put a stop to that. Still, we can't can't complain - so far spring has been fantastic. Everywhere is a vibrant green and without the humidity of summer the temperatures have been ideal. Long may the rains hold off.

2 May 08 : New Site has Launched ! Japan Worldwide increases in size! The final touches are being added to the Japan Easy web site which is set to be launched today. Japan Easy will be focusing on having a broader range of accomodation in different areas including Hakone, Mt Fuji, Karuizawa, Nikko and Kyoto. There will also be a focus on green season activites. We hope you can check out the site and get back to us to see what you think.

1 May 08 : Swallows Nest As we are now well into spring here in Yuzawa the trees are begining to get there leaves back and there has been a rise in animal activity with even a nest being built by a swallow halfway down the stairs at the bottle bar. The tempreture has steamed up with the tempretures hitting at least 20c for most of the days. Gala is set to shut after the end of golden week and Kagura will go on to the end of May, which will mark the official end of season.

24 April 08 : End of April It has started this morning rather cloudy but is set to be a rainy day for the rest of the day. In the Yuzawa area the only resorts now left open are Kagura/Naeba but just around the corner, Okutadami is still running which is reporting 235cm of snow. It has warmed up here in the last few days with yesterday the tempreture in town hit the mid-twenties the outlook for weather is not so good with relativley warm to hot tempretures and some rain today and tomorrow and on Sunday but there will be enough so at Gala to get to golden week.

22 April 08 : Spring in Yuzawa The Cherry Blosoms are out in Yuzawa town and its really starting to steam up with the tempretures aproaching the 20c mark. Up in the mountains it is a bit cooler but rather warm, gloves need to be taken on off on the lift ride up and anyone still riding in a jacket is crazy. I was at Gala Yesterday and although there is still alot of snow, dirt patches are gettng bigger and bigger everyday though still on the side of the piste. The upcoming forcast is for sun tomorrow followed by a few days of cloud/rain. Golden Week is just around the corner!

16 April 08 : Cloudy Start It has started this morning rather cloudy but is set to be a fine day for the rest of the day. In the Yuzawa area the only resorts now left open are Kagura/Naeba and Gala with both reporting more than 2m of snow. It has however warmed up here with today the tempreture in town set to hit the high-teens the outlook for weather is not so good with relativley warm tempretures and some rain is also showing up but for today anyway, good spring conditions out there.

14 April 08 : Cloudy day in Yuzawa Today was an overcast day with a little rain falling at town level but kagura seemed to have a little snow at the top. I was there for a morning session and after not being up there for a while you could see that the heavy snowfall we had in feb is starting to make the Backcountry conditions quite dangerous with a few slides around the place and deep cracks opening up. Today was also the final day for the heli-ski and although I didn`t see the helicopter the landing pad was painted in the snow in the area next to the gondola. Conditions are nice and slushy but still plenty of snow around.

11 April 08 : Cool and Cloudy Today has been a cool and cloudy day here in Yuzawa, there has been the ocassional spell of rain, after this weekend the remaining resorts left open will be Kagura/Naeba and Gala Yuzawa. Because it is nearing the end of the season lift prices have come down by about 1000JPY and Spring Season passes can also be bought for a bargin price. The Bottle Bar is still open and will be until the end of Golden Week but will have Sunday`s and Mondays`s off. Hope to see you down there.

9 April 08 : A Sweet Spring Day Spring has no doubt come to Yuzawa and with the tempertures hovering around the low to mid teens in town you can now just get away with a T-shirt, today I have done just that. The remaining resorts which are still open in the Yuzawa and Minamiunoma area are Pine Ridge Resorts Kandatsu, Kagura, Naeba, Gala, Iwappara and Maiko of these Maiko and Kandatsu are closing this weekend but Kagura, Naeba and Gala will still be open till into May. Its defientley worth a trip up for some nice spring snow.

7 April 08 : Fine weather all through the weekend This weekend has seen fine weather throughout the whole weekend and although the weather has been unseasonably warm the heavy rain seems to be holding out rather well. This weekend saw the tempretures in the mid-teens and I spent the weekend in a t-shirt, perfect weather for the advanced cup at Gala which saw many good riders from Japan and overseas compete. Spring has defientley set in now but there is still plenty of snow around with Kagura still reporting 310cm.

2 April 08 : Spring Snow The last few days we have had snow in the village and alot more up on the mountains with kagura reporting 40cm of fresh snow yesterday although the snow was rather wet in the village anything over around 600m would have been quite good. Gala this morning was perfect, perfect piste conditions and bright sunshine although it was starting to spring snow by the afternoon. The weather for the coming week is some more sun and maybe some sleet or snow depending on altitude.

28 Mar 08 : Weekend weather Friday has come around again with a mixed bag of weather preceding it throughout the week. With bright sunshine, clouds, rain and snow, we've had just about everything. The weekend is looking good though, with promises of low temperatures and maybe even a light dusting again on the higher peaks. The early bird is likely to get the best of the snow though the soft, sugary stuff at the end of the day can feel similar to some watersports, so can be just a fun. The colder weather means the onsen will once again be our favourite place off finish the day.

26 Mar 08 : A light dusting The fine weather seems to have deserted us today with a little rain in the village further eroding the piles of snow from snow clearing earlier in the month. This is by no means a bad sign because the temperature has dropped as well. What started as rain at the top of GALA today also benefited from the colder temperatures and it turned to snow for some of the morning. The forecast sees the freezing level dropping and with some more showers on the way this should mean a light dusting for the higher resorts - a fine way to finish the month.

21 Mar 08 : Warm Day in Yuzawa Another warm one for Yuzawa today with yesterday seeing some snow higher up from the main area in Kagura. The sun is out once again and is set to be quite warm - maybe around 10C. There is still plenty of snow around however but spring conditions, most town resorts are shutting after the first week in april and will still have snow on the pistes until then. But Gala and Kagura will be open well into May and Kandatsu will be open till mid April. Still another good 6-9 weeks left in the season!

19 Mar 08 : Kandatsu and Snow Roots Yesterday with the day off I took a trip up to Pine Ridge Resorts Kandatsu. The weather was spot on and the snow was your usual Spring Snow. The Terrain park was nice and clean and with the ammonium sulfate applied on the approaches speed was not an issue, and at some points was more than enough with a few people taking some small stumbles.

This weekend sees the Yuzawa Snow Roots festival here for its 2nd time. It is going to be hosted in the Yuzawa Kogen building from 18:30 to 0:00 entrance is 2000JPY and includes 1 drink, after 0:00 the party moves to the town at a few of the local bars. This should be another festival not to be missed and members of the WLS are sure to be attending.

18 Mar 08 : A BBQ with a view Priorities change depending on the weather. Earlier in the season a seat in the warm restaurant to rest our weary limbs after charging all morning through the powder was one of life's little luxuries. Now spring has arrived the sundeck is the only place to be but with everyone having the same idea you sometimes have to be a little more inventive. At the very top of Kagura this weekend we hiked past a couple who definitely had the right idea. You don't expect to get to the top of a peak to be greeted by the smell of roasting meat but they'd brought the works, including a little portable BBQ. The seed has been planted for our end of season extravaganza. As this won't be until the end of May we have plenty of time to plan our slopeside banquet. Watch this space.

17 Mar 08 : Good day to be out With rain in town and snow fall in all the higher resorts from around 800m and up, so that would include Gala as well as Kandatsu and of course Kagura tomorrow will be quite a nice day with sunshine throughout the whole day, your best bet is to avoid southern facing slopes and becareful when coming out of the shade on to a southern slope - you might fly off your skis! Another perfect spring day here.

14 Mar 08 : Event packed weekends ahead March is definitley in contention for our favourite month. Not only is the weather improving on a daily basis but as it is no longer peak ski period, there are a whole host of extra events organised for the month. Jump contests, slopestyle events, music festivals and crazy sledge competitions all coming up in the next few weeks. Kandatsu plays host to several of these next weekend but the one we are really looking forward to is the SnowRoots Festival in Yuzawa town itself on the night of 22nd March. For anyone who attended the event last year you will know what a great night it is with DJs, bands, dancers and plenty more all packed under one roof. The bars and clubs in town also run special nights to ensure that the whole town is buzzing. Days on the slopes and nights of partying - the ideal weekend. Not to be missed.

13 Mar 08 : The long thaw has begun Spring has crept up on us again and fully announced its arrival this week with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. The piles of snow around the town are diminishing each day and the giant snowman built for the Yuzawa Snow Festival, though hanging on bravely, is not so much giant now, just very large.

On the upside though, conditions in the resorts are still great. Cold overnight temperatures ensure that pristine slopes are available each morning and as the temperature picks up throughout the day a few hardier skiers and boarders are shedding their jackets and getting around in just sweatshirts. For the fair weather skiers and boarders this is the best time of year.

12 Mar 08 : Spring Skiing at its best Unchanged The weather was completely unchanged from yesterday although there was a slight dusting on the slopes of Kagura maybe only about 1 or 2cm from last night. Which made it ideal conditions for early morning skiing with the sun shining but skiing on snow instead of slush. The outlook for the week is still unchanged with either sunshine or a little bit of cloud. Its very pleasent walking around town at the moment and for the first time in a while shoes instead of gumboots are being warm.

11 Mar 08 : Spring Skiing at its best Today was nice a warm 5C at the top of Kagura and was perfect spring skiing conditions, it was slightly slushy by lunch time but only around 1cm on the top and with the real snow just beneath it, but with nicely waxed skiing the conditions where good. It has turned cloudy and we are expecting some sleet in town for a while tonight but back to sunny days tomorrow. Lots of resorts now offer spring lift tickets which are bargins usually only going for not more than 15,000JPY they are a bargin and you can get an easy 2 months in.

10 Mar 08 : A weekend in Nozawa This Saturday saw a few of the guys go down to the small village of Nozawa Onsen which is located in Nagano and is about a 1 hour drive from Yuzawa, it was a nice and early wake up and we arrived in Nozawa just before 9, Nozawa Onsen hosted the Cross Country Skiing during the Nagano Olympics but it is far from flat. There is plenty of powder spots to be had but not only this the piste conditions where spot on and travelling in the old style `bubble` gondolas was fantastic, this is one resort everyone has to check out and after you`re done skiing you can soak it up in the local onsens.

7 Mar 08 : Kagura and some snow Kagura yesterday was fantastic, about 40cm of fresh snow up the top and with the very top lift open a very good was had. It has snowed the night before but the day was mostly fine and sunny, although there was a little wind in the morning that died down aroud lunch time. There is still alot of snow around town even though we have technically entered spring, it still feels very much like winter. There is still an easy 1.5m - 2m laying around town and many resorts are reporting 320cm+. Enjoy your weekend!

5 Mar 08 : Bad forecast - thank you! We usually keep a close eye on the weather forecast to see how much snow we can expect in the next few day. Today's forecast has been promising a very light dusting of snow. We awoke to bright blue skies and what looked to be a perfect spring day. At 9am the clouds came in and it has been snowing non-stop every since. Our light dusting is looking much more substantial already. Definitely a mistake in our favour.

Spring is on the way and with it, lots of upcoming activities. Hot on the heels of Monday's "Naked Man Festival" (ask no questions) is the Nakasato Snow Carnival on 8th & 9th March. Attractions include fireworks, plenty of games for the whole family and other snow related delights. Nakasato is a great resort and with the Hotel Angel Grandia right on the slopes, this could be the excuse you've been looking for to get up into the mountains this weekend. Hopefully see you there.

1 Mar 08 : Big Weekend in Yuzawa The snow festival went off without a hitch on Saturday and although it was snowing there where many people walking around town. The Giant snowman in the open lot next to the bottle bar also made an appearance after giving last year a miss snow is forecast for tonight and starting again in the late afternoon but probably only a few cm and Spring is starting show its face with a nice blue sky warm day on the slopes on Sunday hopefully with many more of those to come.

29 Feb 08 : Blue Skies and Bright Sunshine This season hasn't seen many of those with all the snow days so it was good to get out and have half a day lesson in the sunshine in just a jumper, the piste conditions could be described as perfect esically during the morning, it was great to have a sneak peak of what spring may have in store for us. But for the resort of the week accoriding to the JMA is snow until next week Friday starting tonight/early tomorrow morning.

27 Feb 08 : Another good 20cm Over the 8 or so hours I was asleep last night about 20cm landed on the cars outside but maybe another 5-10cm since early this morning has fallen around yuzawa town and every resort is reporting over 250cm+ even some of the small town resorts even Captain Kayama is reporting 260cm, it has defientley been a good season so far and there is another 2 and a bit months to go before Kagura closes its door for the season. Next weekend sees the snow festival in Yuzawa which will be a site to see and there will be a heap of snow around for it, will be a good one don't miss out.

26 Feb 08 : How much more snow in March? How much more snow in March? February is almost over and it has been one to remember with masses of snow falling on an almost daily basis. It seems to have either been throwing down or bright, blue sky days - the ideal extremes. March promises to keep the snow coming and with the peak month of February out of the way you can expect to have the slopes to yourself. With an average of 170cm falling in March in the last 3 seasons there is still loads of great snow to look forward to yet. Before we look too far ahead though, we have the Yuzawa Snow Festival to look forward to on Saturday and the Urasa "Naked Man" Festival on Monday - might give that latter one a miss though.

21 Feb 08 : Snow and Cloud Last night saw another batch of snow come in - about 20cm in town and up in Kagura about 30cm but the rest of the day was cloudy with the the sun occasionally poking through the clouds for a brief hello. Conditions in the morning in Kandatsu today where slow but by late afternoon it became fast on the piste. I explored a bit of the Kandatsu area and there are some really good powder pockets now, due to the small trees and shrubs covered by all the snow, it is defintley worth a look. Hope everyone is geared up for the weekend, should be a good one.

20 Feb 08 : Another Bright and Sunny one Todays weather didn't differ that much from yesterday it was bright and sunny for throughout the day but we are now expecting some snow within the next few hours. It was very warm throughout the day although may people where still in ski jackets I opted for 2 T-shirts and a jumper it was chilly a few times on the lift but very very comfortable. The view from the top lift today was magnificent and snow all around as far as the eye could see. Kandatsu is on the agenda tomorrow but I think it will be a chilly one with a bit of snow throwen in.

19 Feb 08 : Bright and Sunny Today was a bright and sunny day at Kandatsu where we`re teaching the British School in Beijing, on-piste conditions where fantastic and even some powder pockets left from the weekend looked quite good until the sun hit them but through the trees should still be fantastic. Every time I go to Kandatsu I like it even more, it has a fantastic terrain park and one of the steepest runs in the area it is definitley one of my top 3 favourite resorts in the region this year, but with almost every resort in Yuzawa having more than 3m of snow its very hard to choose!

15 Feb 08 : The Snow Continues to fall Snow fall has continued throughout the night and almost 1m of snow has accumalated in town on top of what was already there so in some places there are 2m of snow. Just out of town to Kagura the road has snowalls which are about 2.5m high and with a lot of street signs covered up, the snow is set to continue throughtout the weekend and even in till next week, hopefully this won't be the last "big" snowfall for the season.

12 Feb 08 : Another great weekend at Kagura We keep having a joke amongst the kagura crew that every weekend "it just keeps getting better" No difference this weekend with a morning of fresh powder and an afternoon spent trying to make some videos of fun in the deep stuff. There is a really good atmosphere building in kagura with a lot of new like minded people becoming friends after tearing up the tracks in the same back country. The new rule for this year is anybody looking for some off piste action either meet in the car park at 8am or kagura gondola cafe at 12pm. Check out the you tube link for our first attempt at video hopefully we get better.

6 Feb 08 : Another Day at Kandatsu Today was another day at Pine Ridge Kandatsu located just outside of the Echigo Yuzawa town centre. It was a bright and Sunny day almost throughout the whole day - the snow that was expected to fall, didn't. However this was only the 2nd or 3rd fine day we`ve had since the new year everyone looked to be have a great time and it was quite a busy day for a wednesday, tomorrow I will be at Kandatsu again and then Friday at Gala and hopefully getting up to either Kagura or Hakkaisan on the weekend (depending on weather)