Hello everyone.

It's getting winter-like cold once again up here in Shiga Kogen and, not for the first time this season, it has been snowing this morning!

Not too long now before the ski season gets underway here with the first lifts probably going to be moving later in the month. Kumanoyu are hoping to open on 18th or 19th November, all depending on the weather and snow conditions of course.

I wanted to bring you lots of official new this morning, but -- incredibly -- the official Shiga Kogen website is still in 2016-2017 mode and has not been updated for the 2017-2018 season. You'd think they would be itching to get the fresh information out to everyone come early autumn... but anyway, I hope to be able to bring you more official details next week.

In the meantime, it has been confirmed that the section of the Route 292 road that connects Shiga Kogen with Gunma Prefecture will be closed from 1:00pm on Wednesday 15th November for the winter season. That road is scheduled to re-open from 10:00am on 20th April 2018.

The road connecting Okushiga Kogen with Nozawa Onsen is already closed for the season.

I'll be back with you next week.