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Ski Japan at the Green Plaza Joetsu

Where: Shiozawa , Niigata, Japan

Heard that a big ski tournament is currently taking place in Japan? Well, now you have, and all the fans are apparently hanging out at the Hotel Green Plaza Joetsu at the Joetsu Kokusai mountain resort in Niigata prefecture, northern Japan. With a ski station "zero minutes" away, you can get swooshing fast, plus enjoy Japanese meals on your return. Previous guests describe the hotel in various ways, from "a massive mock tudor mansion" to:

a breathtaking German or Swiss style structure that seems to go on forever. It has about a million rooms all with good heaters and private baths.

While Japanese ski resorts are apparently becoming increasingly packed with Aussies and Kiwis who don't want to head all the way to Europe or North America for their off-season ski holidays, we still reckon it makes a nice alternative to skiing near home, and you can combine a bit of cultural travel with a few days on the slopes.

[Photo: patchmonkey]

Related Stories:
· Joetsu Kokusai reviews [Snow in Japan]
· Live From the Nippon Open [Freeskier Mag]

Tags: Hotels in Japan / Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

A Morgue Bed for $35 at the Capsule Inn

In continuing our Japan obsession as of late, there's more to the city than love hotels. We're also fond of capsule hotels and once again we rely on the kindness of stranger reviews to whisk us away to these faraway contraptions.

The Capsule Inn of Osaka, a hotel not trying to hide anything by its name is so mysterious that not even a TripAdvisor review exists for it. Is it that no one comes out alive? Yet thanks to Cynical C Blog takes us up close and personal to the "morgue" of hotel rooms:

A typical Capsule Hotel is composed of two major sections; a public lounge space including bathing, and the other is a private space where the sleeping rooms (capsules) are arranged. The actual sleeping room is a capsule unit made of reinforced plastic and designed in the image of a jet airplane's cockpit. In the capsule unit, all the required amenities are provided; TV, radio, alarm clock, adjustable lighting... almost everything is provided! Every device is within your reach and you can control everything in a sleeping position.

Voila! Everything you need. Except they didn't mention an air supply, did they?

Related Stories:
· Stay in a Morgue [Cynical-CBlog]
· What It's Really Like Inside Those Japanese Love Hotels [HotelChatter]
· Capsule Hotels coverage [HotelChatter]