A new Setting Journals Feature - "A Day in The Life - 3PM-6PM", has been put online.

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/setting-journals-23.html

"Apres Ski creates a buzz that although hard to describe, leaves a lasting impression on all those involved to the point that they usually come back for more. In my late teens, it meant pulling some beer from a knapsack along with friends and chilling them in the snow at the end of the day just above Whistler village. Once of a legal age, the same friends and I thoroughly enjoyed legitimate (for the most part anyways) Apres Ski within the village. In Japan for my first time out the experience involved tasty pickles, tea and a hot spring at Nozawa Onsen. Presently it is a privilege to watch all types of Apres Ski played out daily at the resort I work at in the Myoko region of Niigata Prefecture...."

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/setting-journals-23.html

Please note that the views expressed in any Features on SnowJapan are not necessarily those of SnowJapan.

Discuss it here...

Good new map.

I'm interested in hearing more (next time?) about apres ski, because when we went to Arai one weekday night a few weeks ago it struck us as being very (almost eerily) quiet....

Thanks for the read, I think Arai is more for families etc than for the nighclubbing crowd. I know when I've been it's been a hard day on the slopes followed up with a good meal and a soak in the baths which was fun. But it could do with more nighttime options. Perhaps this will be covered in the next one.

Blair, a bit off topic buy is that brewery at your place still open? I heard it had closed. A rowdy beergarden would have been a good idea.

Hello

Apres Ski is always a tough one in my mind at a seasonal village like Arai.

Given that there are only 250 guest rooms at the resort, night services to date have been difficult to provide.

With tough drinking and driving laws also now in place in Japan, liability concerns also come into the picture.

The Micro Brewery at the resort has not closed, but is presently not actively brewing. While there is a chance that brewing will resume for the summer, this has yet to be confirmed.

So what can people actually do at night (after dinner) in the resort then? Or I suppose that might be covered in the next one..? There must surely be something.

frannyo

There are a couple of small lounges where guests can enjoy an intimate drink. If dinner is early, then it is also possible to go on a snowmobile night tour.

The indoor/all season Pool and Japanese baths are also open.

On the weekends, one can also visit the Spa for a massage...

Spending time within a guest room is also attractive to some following a day out on the slopes and the like...

Yes, I do hope to cover this more in the next volume of the setting journals.

Check out the right hand detailed map. It is a classic.

Lookout!
DANGER!
Be careful!
Narrow!
Crashs often happen.
No entry!

Etcetera.

I concede that it is a safety map and seems very intent in getting it’s job done.

Just having a bit of fun.

Jesus christ, I was just leaning back on my chair. I gotta be more careful. Dangerous!

(Those chairs can be very dangerous)

Did you not see the disclaimer on the front - "Read this map at your own peril"?