I earlier posted that I was planning to go snowboarding for Winter 2008 in Hakuba, Japan.  Well, it's all booked!

My current work contract finishes on Friday 25th January.  So, on the Friday night I plan to go out on the piss with friends.  To fly to Japan takes 12 hours and you arrive the next day due to the time difference.  So, rather than flying on a Saturday and arriving on a Sunday, or traveling to London on a Sunday I thought that I would leave departing the UK until the Monday 28th.  I fly out with Virgin Atlantic on the Monday 28th to Tokyo-Narita airport and arrive the next day.

I've always, since I was a kid wanted to visit Tokyo.  This is the perfect opportunity to do so.  So, I've planned for a couple nights stay in Tokyo at a hotel near Shimbashi station.  I plan to do some of the usual touristy things, and more specifically since I am a geek who likes to drink I'll be going to Shinjuku for the gadgets and Roppongi for the nightlife.

Then on Friday 1st February I'll be heading to Hakuba where I'll be staying with Mitch who runs a backpacker hotel called www.snowbedstravel.com for 28 days.  Man are they cheap, and they come extremely highly recommended from "Rodo" a friend of mine.

You should check out the snow reports for the resort.  Oh my dizzy aunt, there is so much snow.  In the last 3 days there has been some 300cm of snow!

Then when the sad day comes on Thursday 28th February, I'll start heading back to old blighty.  It would be too much trouble getting from Hakuba easily and making the flight, so I decided to stay in a hotel near Narita airport for the night then fly the next day, the Friday 29th February.

Again, because of the time zone difference I'll arrive back in the UK, still mid-day on the Friday 29th February, just in time to go out on the piss with friends again

Let me know where you are going for this winter, or if you are heading over to Japan around the same time, let me know as I'm always willing to meet up.