G'day all,

Long time reader of this forum, 1st time poster!

I am just wanting to know everyones experience with carrying around a snowboard bag in Japan.

I am flying jetstar to Osaka 31/1/09, then Osaka to Sapporo the following morning on ANA, snowboarding for a week, staying at Kashi Lodge Hirafu, then flying Sapporo to Tokyo 8/2/09 on ANA, then bullet training it around the place (hiroshima/osaka) for the 2nd week.

I am not concerned with jetstar. Are the oversize baggage fee's expensive with ANA? They don't have any information on the website. Do they ever reject a bag because its too big? (my bag is 180cm) I have read about the courier system there, but it is not going to work in our case.

What about the bullet train? Do they have any restrictions there for bag sizes?

Any info appreciated!!

Cheers,
Dave

You don't need to take the bag with you on the flight. Japan has great courier services. When you land at Osaka, have a look out for the black cat sign, thats the couriers. Send your snowboard bag on as soon as you land and it should be in Hirafu for you the next day (altho make sure you check when it will be delivered just to make sure), they are really cheap as well.

Tubby is an takkyubin agent. He is a cat.

Yeah thanks Tubby,

I have just had a look at yamato transports website and they have a length limit of 160cm. My board is 168, bag is 180, so a little loose at the ends, how strict are they?? Looking at the website, looks like a good option to send the darned thing home to Aust once i have done with it in the first week!!

>Send your snowboard bag on as soon as you land and it should be in Hirafu for you the next day

next day? I dont think so, not with how busy they are at that time, and the distance it has to travel. Id give it 3 days because Kansai to Nagano is generally 2-3 days and Niseko is just a tad further.

It should get from osaka airport depot to Sapporo airport depot fairly quick, I would think? We have private transfers to the snow from the airport, so it wont need to be sent all the way to the accommodation. Does the freight go by air, or ground?

Have a look at the "kuro neko yamato" website. They have an English page and you can email them directly with questions if you can't find the answers.

Here it is

http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/english/index.html

( Hey, we're allowed to )

I'm reporting this post. There's a link in it.

Damn, I thought no-one was watching.

Lets talking baggage issues... (I am in the mood seeing as I have just decided to leave my board at home and hire for Jan08 in Switzerland )

My boys transfered Osaka - Sapporo on ANA with no problem with thier boards going. But they did not stay overnight in Osaka - they just had a little shopping trip in Osaka, caught the wrong train back and ended up doing a movie like dash for the gate hurdling seats and luggage to make it as the door was being closed.

Takkyubin service like has been said will not likely get your gear up to New Chitose in one day....we asked when we were there Jan 07 - "not possible - very sorry - much bowing". However I would highly recommend that you ditch the board after your time on snow - first available airport you should get that sucker sent to your departing airport with your departure date as the collection date. Then you will be bulk free until you check it in to your return home flight.

What do you do with the board in Osaka.
Well...you manage.
We got to our Tokyo hotel (4 kids, 2 adults, 3 suitcases and 3 snowboard bags - each containing 2 sets of gear) via limoscene bus - no problem. Transfer to Haneda a little more difficult. Had we asked for hotel suggestions earlier it was possible to organise a luggage taxi to deliver luggage to Haneda and we could get the train or regular taxi. We asked too close to time and ended up managing with 3 taxis to the airport. Papabear went in one taxi with the snowboard bags cleverly angled into the rear seats of the taxi, and some bags in the boot, teens went with majority of rest of luggage, and I went with the younger boys and smaller bags.
Where there is a will there is a way.

Is it usually 2 days from Tokyo to Hokkaido?

I am used to within the Tokyo region and the next day deal I didn't realise it took more for Hokkers, though totally understandable.

Awesome mamabear, thanks for you info! Very helpful!

I shall do what you suggest, and send the board to my departing airport when i am done with it. Makes sense!!


1 less thing to worry about now!

next thing to worry about - my right knee which dislocated last week.......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mamabear - what do you suggest ?

Yes big-will. Still top service though, sure you'll agree.

LOL!
I am no Dr, JetPilot!! (Are we a wakeboarder as well perchance with that name?)
A dislocation! Arrgghh!!! We were wakeboarding this afternoon and Papa and Bear Cub #3 took nasty spills - my heart was up in my throat with dread that they would end up missing ANOTHER northern hemisphere season because of injury. Papa was 4 months post ACL reconstruction last Janaury so he was a spectator in Niseko this last time - it was horrid. He was a Papa BEAR with a sore head!! (or knee) and was grumpy, grumpy grumpy!

Have you boarded with a knee brace. Not sure what the brand etc, but Papabear got a special brace sourced from an advert in a snowboarding mag and had snowboarded and wakeboarded with that on - it is like a Bionic Man knee -LOL- "we can rebuild him" - but it does the trick and stabilises that sidewise movement that you get in a disclocation. Maybe worth an investment?? If you are interested I can tap Papa and ask him what exactly it is and where he got it from.

Mamabear,

you are a source of all the info!!!!!! I can image his fustration! Like me sitting on my ass at home whilst my friends are out jumping their jetskis on the gold coast.

Yes please pass me on the information on his brace. If it is the brace i am thinking of, it is a hinged type setup preventing sideways movement, but able the bend the knee.

I have just come out of the physio and he has given me the ok to start bending it again (been in straight brace for 3 weeks now) damn it feels unco to walk. Have got a compression type bandage on it at the moment which helps, but would prefer something more stable/solid for boarding.

Yes am a wakeboarder also! And avid jet ski wave jumper. This injury has killed my summer! :(((((((

Thanks for the info.

Dave.

FYI also, it is my MCL which has torn as a result of the knee dislocation! I hope i dont need a rebuild just yet! (25!)

OK Jetpilot I will get all the info on the brace for you. Papa's just out washing the boat down ( got his self a precious new wakecraft boat and it gets WAY more attention than me!!) - once done I will pick his brains.

You should seriously consider using the brace fulltime until you do get a reconstruction and perhaps even afterwards. 25 or not a complete snap is a nasty nasty thing, and your MCL aint gonna repair itself. You have a weak spot, and you are going to have to be careful with it.

Papa snapped his ACL in a Rugby maul (is that the right spelling of that pile of sweaty male bodys out for blood?) - it snapped like a rope (all heard it) and it was seriously nasty. He was not quite 38 - that aint exactly 25, but it's not that old either.

Might be best to get it done sooner rather than later. Give you a better chance at recovery while still young. If I had to have that sort of thing done, it would just about stuff my skiing for ever (at 60, I don't heal as quickly as I'd hope) or at least for a couple of years.