Announcements

G’day to everyone from Andy, the HAJET Social Coordinator. With the first snow already falling in some parts of the island I’m proud to announce details for HAJET’s biggest event of the winter season; the HAJET Snow Tour. If you’ve got friends down south throughout Japan who you think might be interested (or who might have more interested JET friends) then please pass this information on and ask them to get in touch with me.

Date: Thursday 9th – Sunday 12th February, 2012
(Please note that nenkyuu for Thursday and Friday would be required.)

Cost: 30,000 yen (due by December 12th)
This price includes accommodation, three breakfasts, three dinners and return buses for Sapporo and to dinner in Kutchan.

Please note that a deposit of 10,000 yen is required to confirm your booking for the tour as soon as possible. This is both due by and refundable until November 30th, though places are likely to be filled by then. That is, a 10,000 yen deposit plus 20,000 yen on top of that for the full cost. The entire 30,000 yen can be paid up front as well.

Itinerary (accurate as of 17th October):
Thursday 9th
Arriving into New Chitose Airport on Thursday morning, HAJET members will take tour participants up to Sapporo for an afternoon of walking around the world famous Sapporo Yuki Matsuri. Ice sculptures and snow sculptures are standouts, with scheduled events throughout the day and a trip up the Tower also personally recommended. That night after a popular Hokkaido Jingisukan dinner a bus will take us to the Freedom Inn next to the famous powder snow slopes of Niseko.

Friday 10th/Saturday 11th
Participants are free to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, snowmobile or a whole range of outdoor activities around the mountain. (Note that equipment, lift tickets and bookings can and should be arranged beforehand if required. Contact me for details when expressing interest.) Or if you’d prefer a slower pace then a day trip into the
towns of Niseko, Kutchan or even Otaru (which will have its own Snow Lantern Festival on at the time) are options. Friday night will also see a buffet banquet offered up by the Freedom Inn’s new chef and the following night will be spent going into Kutchan for another group dinner.

Sunday 12th
Everyone wakes up and says goodbye to the Freedom Inn, taking the bus back to Sapporo. This is where the trip officially ends, but it doesn’t have to for everyone. For those with flights home on Sunday (late afternoon/evening recommended) trains run down to the airport roughly every 15 minutes from Sapporo station. For those who wish to, the Yuki Matsuri will be wrapping up that night in Sapporo so I would consider trying to take Monday off as well if you can, in order to relax and enjoy Sapporo that night.
*Please note that plans and accommodations on Sunday night are not prepared for you.

While there will be more information available in the weeks to come, I’d just like to say that spots will disappear very quickly so get in touch with me and make your deposits early to avoid being disappointed. (Several people throughout Honshu have already expressed interest.)

Our furikomi information is:
Bank name: ゆうちょ銀行
店名 (branch name): 九◯八 (キュウゼロハチ)
点番(branch number): 908
Account Name: AJET 会北海道支部
Acc #: 19010-2 16047911 (the second set of 8 numbers is the actual account)
口座番号: 1604791

Please send an email to me at the same time that you send funds stating your full name(s), date and amount transferred for what purpose (eg. Three people putting down 10,000 deposit each instead of me mistakenly thinking one person is paying 30,000 up front, etc.)

Several places on the tour will need to be filled by Hokkaido JETs who are able to help with showing the other participants around. Experience traveling/skiing/snowboarding around the Niseko area is preferable but not required.

All questions and inquiries can come to me at: social@HAJET.org

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Andy Suvoltos
HAJET Social Coordinator