Any NSers in Japan this week?

i wish

I think I've this guy make references to living in Japan before in GT, he username is Kickerboy or something. Also maybe check the Aus/NZ regionals as I think some of those guys head over to Japan for the northern hemisphere winter.

Wont be over there for another month or so but some good places to go (gates) if you're over in Annupuri try G1, G8 and G7. And if it's open G2. Can't really lose your way through those gates. They all funnel into the bowl (G7 into its own) and back to the lifts. Some people heading out through G2 will traverse right across the bowl into the backbowl. Only really worth it if Annupuri bowl is tracked out. G5 in Hanazono will lead you into a gully that funnels out to a lift. Just be careful near the bottom of the gully, make sure you cut across to skiers right or you'll have a bit of time walking out. Difficult if it's deep. G4 accesses Fujiwara no Sawa bowl which in my opinion accumulates the deepest snow on the mountain. It's a big area and fresh tracks can almost always be found even when most other areas are getting skied out. If you stay skiers right of the main ridge on the left (and the big cornice a bit further down) you'll funnel down into a number of gullies that all hit a cat track where you can walk back up to the ski area in about 10-15mins. Well worth the effort. If the peak does open (and they will open it even on cloudy days) you can access all the bowls quite easily and areas that are hard to reach from any other gates but you can also head off down slopes where you'd get pretty lost if you don't know the area. Work on meeting some people who know the mountain!
Make sure you get over to Hanazono and do Strawberry Fields (G9) as well. Hanazono is my favourite side of the mountain. If you start the day there (as I used to) then you can generally get a couple of runs in both Blueberry's and Strawberry's before hardly anyone else gets over there. After a big fall it's amazing.
Of course the gates are only part of it. There's so much off-piste available without having to actually go through any gates as you've been experiencing already. G7 and G9 are off-piste areas still within the resort boundary. All other gates though leave the resort and get into what would be described as sidecountry.

+++k my man (and to JVD), much appreciated.

Il be there in a few days from the 27th to the 12th. I love it there. All the gates described above are prime! My faves are in Annipuri (G7,8, 1, 2), I love to go over there when it dumps but conditions are a bit windy that the upper chairs arent open, you then have to get a bus over there. It seems like people hate doing that as the whole area becomes empty and you got it all to play with. Never managed to get to strawberry fields on a big pow day yet though so im hoping for one this time round, its got awesome terrain.

I live in Hirafu, but I'm getting pretty killed at work right now, not much free skiing going on. Might night ski after christmas, hit me up if you'll still be around.

off topic but does the terrain off the trail get skied like it does in the us? or do the locals stay on the trails?

Locals always stay on trail, except a minority.
You are often likely to see loacals sessioning the moguls course or park on a pow day

Hmm, lots of locals do stay on trail, but still lots off trail as well, especially on the weekends. The off piste does get tracked out here, but not as fast as most places in the States that I skied. There are tonnes of foreigners here just for the powder now.

There are lots of places in Japan where you're not allowed to ski in the trees, so no-one does, this isn't the case in Niseko.