no one has replied to your thread, jared - so i'll just update what you said. the winter here in japan has just finished now, so we have to wait another six months before it starts again (it didn't feel like 6 months of skiing...). The powder rocked but the spring skiing (and hence tables etc) didn't last long though. I definately recommend coming to japan for some great skiing - very different from back home in NZ
I wish I could ski ALL the time in winter - instead of just most of the time...