blu said:
We are skiing in japan (Niseko & Hakuba) with visits to Tokyo & Kyoto also.
You'll love the skiing - some of the best in the world. If you have the time,
I'd recommend daytrips to Kamakura (was there yesterday) or Hakone (from Tokyo) and Nara (from Kyoto). Also Osaka at night is great fun!
blu said:
Will need to use JAL airpasses for domestic flights (however the baggage weight limit will cause us problems)
You have a choice of JAL airpasses or ANA/ star alliance airpasses. You can upgrade to J-class on JAL for only 1,000yen each way, which represents tremendous value.
As ANA is a star alliance carrier, their domestic airpasses allow you to accrue elite mileage towards a *Alliance program. If you ugrade on ANA to a superseat, then you will accrue 1st class COS bonuses, and also have a larger baggage limit. You can do this at the airport for 5,000yen one-way, space permitting. Enjoy your trip!