The detailed information about the Outdoor meeting this year at Tateyama is now on line! Check it out and make your reservation today! This is a super fun event and great way to experience Tateyama one of Japan’s most amazing mountains. North Face web site is here
You can watch the documentary about the event in April
Today I went to meet Shinya at Raku-zen and talk about the party there in November. Check out the flyer below. I am going to be there with Uemura for our only Sapporo showing of UE_snowboarder, if you are in Sapporo please come and check it out! Please check out Keiphoto site for more info! Today Kei was there setting up all his photos in the bar! Good stuff, you can check out his photos in B.C.G. and mine in Raku-zen all month until the party on November 22nd.
So I am back in Sapporo, first thing I did was go to Hoheikyo Onsen for the great Indian Curry and bath!
Ahhhh life is good!
Then I found out that a Starbucks has opened in Fujino about 10 minutes from my house! Sapporo is growing up in my absence!
This is a pretty cool idea…. why can’t I think of stuff like this…..
Nice to be back home in Hokkaido! The weather was beautiful when I got off the ferry early this morning, a nice Autumn day! I think I just got to see the end of the Fall colors here in Sapporo, a lot of leaves are already on the ground…. It was 2 degrees at my house this morning.
Just got back from Tokyo. I met up with “Yatto” Volcom teammate and now new addition to the Arbor team in Japan. We met in Harajuku and visited the shop you see below. The are selling all the new Arbor boards both Snowboards and Skateboards. Arbor makes some really beautiful boards, bamboo and Hawaiian wood cores, full wood grain. Would be worth just putting one on your wall, if you have that kind of cash to spend. If you are looking for an Arbor board, stop by the shop right behind Omote Sando Hills. Brother Cross 03-5772-3916
Yesterday I went to shoot family photo’s with the Chihara Family! It was great to meet his wife and son! A very cool snowboarding family!!! Please check out the story in the special issue magazine Family Snowboarding from Trans-World magazine coming out soon! Here are some photo’s from the shoot! Special thanks to Aya-san for the photo’s and nice interview! Check out Aya Kubota’s blog!
Winter is right around the corner and I am heading back to Hokkaido from the main island this coming weekend! Decided to play my first round of golf of the season on Sunday! It has been a busy summer….. Anyway the weather was great in Karuizawa and I headed to the par three course. ¥2500 got me two balls and two clubs. The course par was 54, I have to tell you I played the best round of my life. I made it around 18 holes in 64 strokes no cheating, I guess I should play alone more often!
I keep checking The Kurodake web site for news on snowfall in Hokkaido. Every couple of days they put up a new picture, this latest one show the snow level right outside the top gondola station. It is comforting to know winter has already arrive in Northern Japan!
Wow just check Asahidake and found an even better shot on the web site there. Wish I was there right now!
Here is what they say in Japanese.
旭岳は早くも冬模様・・・旭岳・姿見周遊は一面雪景色、遊歩道にも若干の積雪があります。道外からのお客様には「まさか雪景色を見られるなんて・・・」とお喜びの声も頂いております。気温も低くなってきましたのでいらっしゃる際は防寒具のご用意をお忘れなく！！これからの旭岳温泉街付近の道路は朝晩凍結の心配があります。路面状況を確認し安全運転でお越しくださいませ。（情報更新 07/10/17） ・・・画像は最近の晴天時の様子です。
Also a good update on the situation in Furano on Snow Japan Furano Now page. If you like Furano check it out. The guy who does the updates for Furano really knows what is happening there.
Rain, rain, rain. It’s been a very wet weekend and the forecast shows more rain this week. Strong winds over the weekend have unsettled many trees and the streets are littered with autumn leaves. Temperatures do not look like getting to freezing…….
The North Face Outdoor meeting short documentary is now on line at youTUBE. Check it out. About ten minutes long, it features the TNF Japan snowboard team at Tateyama in April of 2007. All the interviews are in Japanese with no sub-titles. Sorry for the English speaking crowd, I guess will just have to enjoy the views. I will try to get the sub-titles done on future projects for the global audience……. All music by team rider Mitsugu Toyoda! Videographer Nishi Rui, Edit by Neil Hartmann, Produce by Oguchi Daisuke.
The Neil Hartmann Weblog 
