The next morning we caught the bus from just outside HIroshima station (therefore also just outside the Sheraton) to Hiroshima airport. At this point I was slightly nervous due to my backpack being fairly close to the carry-on size limit, depending on which web site you look at. It turns out it was fine. Check-in was easy, there was absolutely no queue. In fact, the airport has few flights each day, and not man JAL flights at all. Our ticket was from a JAL Yokoso fare, which I think is no longer available as of the beginning of this month.
We decided to have a quick breakfast at the landside cafe, before heading through security to wait in the lounge. We got to the lounge to find it empty other than the lounge attendant and us. It was a pretty basic lounge, but did spare us from the constant announcements and jingles outside. As boarding time drew closer, we headed to the gate and waited. We were in the first group to board, and I was impressed that the scanner at the gate flashed my status (which was the reason we were in the first group to board) when I scanned my boarding pass.
The flight was non-eventful, though the plane did seem to take off like a rocket (it was a 737...not a 757). Our destination today was Tomamu, in Hokkaido, at the north of Japan. We arrived at New Chitose Airport, went to the baggage claim, and after years of travelling with Qantas, couldn't believe it when our 2 bags came out with 2 others, all of which had first class tags. So off we head to catch a couple of trains to Tomamu station.
The first train only takes us a short distance, to Minami-Chitose station, where we'll catch a Limited Express train. Japanese trains don't really have much space for luggage in the way European ones do, but it turns out our suitcases fit reasonably well on the overhead racks, as they did on the Shinkansen.
The Limited Express train wasn't the smoothest ride, but fortunately it did have a drink holder:
We were meeting some friends at the resort in Tomamu, Hoshino Resorts Tomamu - The Tower. Our friends had found an amazing deal for the stay, and it's what started us planning this trip in the first place. The deal was 4,500 Yen per person, per night, inclusive of Breakfast, Accommodation and Ski Lift passes. That's a bit over $50 per night. Oh and free Sake and Moscato each afternoon. It was reasonably quiet when we were there, in the first part of March.
The first night, we headed to the "Ice Village".
They had fireworks, I think it was twice a night.
An ice bar. We tried a gin, and it was fantastic.
We're not really skiers, but we did give it a go, and had a great time. I don't have many more photos from here though.
The resort itself was great. Our room had plenty of space, and while it was probably getting a little old, it was in a perfectly decent state. There's a more upmarket hotel just up the mountain, also run by Hoshino, called Risonare. I'm sure it's lovely, but there's no way it's as cheap. The resort is ski-in-ski-out, so super convenient. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, and the prices are perfectly reasonable. As I said in an earlier post, Japanese food never disappoints, and that was the case here too.