Snow monsters, sashimi and thigh-deep powder: reasons to ski Shiga Kogen

The view from the top of Mt Yokoteyama is spectacular. At 2307m, this is the highest peak here at Shiga Kogen, Japan’s largest mountain resort.

As it’s taken me roughly an hour to get here via various chairlifts from my hotel, I’m inclined to take a break before I spend half the morning skiing down it. It’s actually quite dizzying looking down the path of the chairlift we’ve just ridden up here on.

I take the obligatory selfie by the sign that says 2307m before heading into the warm and cozy “Highest Starbucks in Asia” for a coffee that tastes…

Snow monkeys and steaming hot baths.

It’s a bit surreal watching a troop of snow monkeys squabble over best position in their steaming hot bath, surrounded by snow-covered slopes. Like watching kids in a crowded swimming pool.

It’s not quite the David Attenborough moment I was expecting, but according to No. 1 son, it’s “so cool.” Praise indeed.

In search of all things cool in Tokyo.

It’s 6pm in Shinjuku, Tokyo. As my 16-year old son disappears out of the hotel lobby with his mate Ricki I ask; “where are you going?”

“It doesn’t really matter. Pretty much everything in Tokyo is cool.” So they disappear into the relatively safe night to wander the streets of Shinjuku.