Winner’s Announcement
Ms Hannah Boyd NSW
Ms Hannah Boyd NSW
Nagano City is a gateway to the amazing snow destinations of northern Nagano Prefecture, and featured as a stage for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Every year since, the city has kept the Olympic spirit burning with a spellbinding winter illumination at its Zenko-ji Temple in mid-February, the Nagano Tomyo Festival.
As the impressive centrepiece of a monastic community with some 1,300 years of history, Zenko-ji Temple still welcomes pilgrims among its many visitors today, and its main hall is recognised as a National Treasure of Japan. Once fiercely guarded and shrouded in mystery, the samurai residences, gardens and castle ruins of the Sanada clan in Matsushiro, and the ninja training centre of Togakushi also rank highly among the attractions of Nagano City.
Win this travel giveaway for two, and you and a guest could be on your way to experience Nagano City’s exciting fusion of nature, history and culture for yourselves. The prize includes return airfares from Sydney to Tokyo, a total of four nights’ accommodation at two great hotels and pocket Wi-Fi. To enter, just submit the short survey below by 30 November 2017!
ONE lucky winner will receive TWO return tickets to Japan from Sydney to Tokyo, valid for travel from 1 February to 30 November 2018. Flight bookings are subject to the following terms and conditions:
At Experience Japan, we are able to provide you with the firsthand knowledge of what to see and do. Let us share our passion for this great destination with you!
For more information: http://www.experiencejapan.com.au/
Pocket Wi-Fi devices courtesy of Japan Wireless will keep the prizewinner and their guest online right across Japan for up to two weeks! These handy devices provide unlimited data through a stable connection of up to 187 Mbps, and the Japan Wireless online ordering system has full English support.
Further information:
http://japan-wireless.com/
The guest experience at Hotel Kokusai 21 features fine Japanese, French, Chinese and Italian dining, and the relaxing Stone Spa Spasia and Esthetic Salon Le Petit Palais. Located within walking distance of Zenko-ji Temple, the hotel is a five-minute taxi ride north of JR Nagano Station, and prides itself on superb hospitality. With newly refurbished guest rooms throughout its main tower, Hotel Kokusai 21 makes a luxurious base from which to explore the temple and other attractions around Nagano City.
Reservations are available between 1 Feb and 30 Nov 2018 (excluding 28 Apr-5 May, 11-16 Aug and 23 Nov). Availability is subject to change due to capacity limits.
Further information:
http://kokusai21-restaurant.jp/
http://www.kokusai21.jp/
Hotel JAL City Nagano is located along the boulevard to Zenko-ji Temple, and enjoys sweeping views across the Zenko-ji Plain to the Northern Japanese Alps from its Sky Banquet Hakuba top-floor restaurant. Zenko-ji Temple is just a 15-minute stroll away, and with Nagano City’s major shopping and dining districts also close by, this hotel is one of the most convenient in the area. Breakfast at Sky Banquet Hakuba is a popular choice for delicious ‘Shinshu Katte-meshi’, rice bowl dishes featuring local vegetables and miso.
Reservations are available between 1 Feb and 30 Nov 2018 (excluding 28 Apr-5 May, 14 June, 4 and 10-14 Aug, 15-16 Sep and 23 Nov). Availability is subject to change due to capacity limits.
Further information:
https://www.okura-nikko.com/japan/nagano/hotel-jal-city-nagano/
For many travellers to Japan, Nagano means skiing, snowboarding and snow monkeys. Winter is one of the best times to experience ‘The Roof of Japan’, a heavy snowfall area which is home to 15 of the country’s 23 peaks exceeding 3,000 metres. Nagano City lies in northern Nagano on the Zenko-ji Plain, just 79 minutes from Tokyo aboard the bullet train. At the city’s Togakushi Ski Area, the cute ninja mascot character Togakkii welcomes riders of all levels to enjoy the fine, dry powder that blankets Nagano from December to April. With more than 20 courses for all riders, it is a popular destination with a family-friendly theme park atmosphere. Also nearby in the Northern Japanese Alps are the legendary deep powder resort areas of the Hakuba Valley, Nozawa Onsen and Shiga Kogen. With other major local attractions including Zenko-ji Temple, a National Treasure of Japan, Nagano City is an impressive and entertaining destination with an unforgettable fusion of nature, history and culture.
Held annually since the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, the Nagano Tomyo Festival showcases ‘lights of peace’ in the grounds of Zenko-ji Temple during mid-February. Peace was part of the theme of the Winter Olympics in Nagano, and centred around the five Olympic colours, the colour projections and lantern displays of this festival are held in honour of the Olympic spirit. Festival program highlights also include a torch relay from Nagano Station to Zenko-ji Temple, and the Nagano Food and Sake Tasting Event, featuring fine local food and drink.
Established as a pilgrimage site some 1,400 years ago, the Nagano City area is a profound place to experience a stay in a Buddhist temple. Known as ‘shukubo’, temple lodgings are dotted around the city’s Zenko-ji and Togakushi areas, and guests are invited to participate in activities such as Zazen meditation, sutra copying and morning prayer. Also featuring immaculate Zen gardens and amazing ‘shojin ryori’, a type of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, the shukubo of Zenko-ji and Togakushi are a living window into the temple town culture of Nagano City.
Set in the birthplace of the Togakure ninja school, Nagano City’s own Togakushi Ski Area adds a unique twist to the amazing powder and terrain that makes northern Nagano a renowned winter sports destination. The ‘Ninjya Slope’ is a must-ride here, with a slalom section, waves, corners and a tunnel, as well as a secret forest with igloos. Meanwhile, at Park 9, ninjas of all skill levels hone their technique on a variety of terrain features, and the Champion Course offers the thrill of steep inclines over 30 degrees. There are more than 20 courses for all levels at Togakushi Ski Area, and lessons are available for developing ninjas. Togakkii, its playful ninja mascot, invites youngsters to enjoy the kids snow park and Togakkii kids course, while for baby ninjas, there is a kids play room inside Guest House Iwato.
With the 11 resorts of the Hakuba Valley also 70 minutes away, and Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort 75 minutes away from Nagano Station by bus, Nagano city is ideally situated for exploring the best of northern Nagano in winter. Averaging well in excess of ten metres of fine, dry powder snow every season, these resorts featured in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and have the perfect balance of a lively international atmosphere, traditional culture and stunning terrain. Don’t leave without seeing the snow monkeys of Jigokudani Monkey Park, an easy day trip away from Nagano City, which deserve a place on every visitor’s bucket list!
Around 30 minutes from Nagano Station by bus, the Matsushiro Castle area is a monument to Nagano City’s samurai heritage. Try Japanese archery and swordplay here at the Bunbu Literary and Military School, and don’t miss the Matsushiro Castle Ruins, the Sanada Residence or the Sanada Treasures Museum. Meanwhile, in the cedar forest of the Togakushi area some 70 minutes by bus from Nagano Station, the Togakure Ninpo Museum, Togakushi Folk Museum and Ninja Trick House reveal the arts of the Togakure ninja clan. Climb up to Togakushi Shrine, and enjoy the breathtaking view across Kagami-ike pond (‘Mirror Pond’).
Nagano City has a dry central highland climate, with a high seasonal variation in temperature.
Jan: -3.8 – 4.9 / Apr: 6.8 – 19.7 / Jul: 21.1 – 30.3 / Oct: 10.3 – 20.4
* Figures are monthly averages for 2016, as released by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
1. Entry to the “NAGANO CITY JAPAN TRAVEL GIVEAWAY: DEEP POWDER, HISTORY AND CULTURE” prize draw (the “Promotion”) is limited to residents of Australia aged 18 years or over, and anyone professionally connected with it is excluded from entering.
2. The Promotion is run by JAMS.TV PTY LTD, Suite 3704, Level 37, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney NSW 2000, phone (02) 9252 6307 (the “Promoter”). All enquiries regarding the Promotion should be emailed to info@gdayjapan.com.au.
3. The Promotion begins at 12:00 (AEST) on September 1, 2017, and ends at 12:00 (AEST) noon on November 30, 2017, and entrants must complete and submit the survey form available on the G’Day Japan website at https://www.gdayjapan.com.au/ by then to be eligible for the prize draw.
4. Submission of an entry constitutes an acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
5. Only one entry per person is permitted.
6. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost, or misdirected entries. All entries become the property of the Promoter.
7. Incomplete, indecipherable or illegible entry forms will be deemed invalid.
8. The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and entrants and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
9. The winners will be drawn at random by the close of business on December 7, 2017 at Suite 3704, Level 37, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney NSW 2000.
10. Total value of the prize pool is $4,400.00, and details of each prize are published on the G’Day Japan website.
11. Winners may claim their prizes through the following methods: i) Requesting delivery by mail to a preferred postal address in Australia, or ii) Claiming in person from Suite 3704, Level 37, Gateway, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney NSW 2000.
12. Entrants are eligible to win a maximum of one prize from the total prize pool.
13. Prize winners do not have to be present at the time or place of the prize draw.
14. The Promoter will take reasonable endeavours to announce winners by publishing their names and state on the G’Day Japan website within 3 months of them being drawn. The Promoter does not accept responsibility for the inability to make contact with a prize winner within a reasonable time after the end of the Promotion, in which case another winner will be selected and notified as set forth in these Terms and Conditions.
15. The Promoter’s decision as to the winners of the prizes will be final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to the conduct of the Promotion or otherwise.
16. The Prizes are not transferable, refundable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash.
17. If a prize is unavailable, the Promoter, in its absolute discretion, reserves the right to substitute the prize with a prize to the equal value and/or specification.
18. The Promoter will not be held responsible for the loss, theft or damage to any prize after it has been awarded.
19. The Promoter reserves the right at any time to verify the eligibility and identity of any participant and to disqualify any participant who does not comply strictly with these Terms and Conditions.
20. Except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, the Promoter (including its officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence), for any personal injury; or any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity); whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising in any way out of the Promotion, including but not limited to, where arising out of the following:
(a) any technical difficulties or equipment malfunction (whether or not under the Promoter’s control);
(b) any theft, unauthorised access or third party interference;
(c) any entry or prize claim that is late, lost, altered, damaged or misdirected (whether or not after their receipt by the Promoter) due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter;
(d) any variation in prize value to that stated in these Terms and Conditions;
(e) any tax liability incurred by a winner or entrant; or
(f) use of the prize.
21. Each participant indemnifies and keeps indemnified the Promoter against all claims, losses, damages and expenses suffered by the Promoter or any third parties arising out of the breach of these Terms and Conditions by the participant, the conduct of the participant in the Promotion or the use of a prize.
22. If this Promotion is interfered with in any way or is not capable of being conducted as reasonably anticipated due to any reason beyond reasonable control of the Promoter, the Promoter reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to the fullest extent permitted by the law to
(a) disqualify any entrant; or
(b) subject to any written directions from a regulatory authority, to modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the Promotion, as appropriate.
23. Under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), the Promoter must tell participants when it collects personal information about them and how it plans to use it. If a participant chooses to enter or take part in the Promotion, the participant will be required to provide the Promoter with personal information including but not limited to the participant’s name, phone number and email. The Promoter collects participants’ personal information in order to conduct the Promotion.
24. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter through info@gdayjapan.com.au. If the participant would prefer that the Promoter does not use the participant’s details in the way outlined in these Terms and Conditions the participant should contact the Promoter.
25. Entrants may receive email communication to the email address used to register from the Promoter. This may include promotional emails from the Promoter and any other communication will only come from the Promoter.
NSW Permit Number LTPS/17/16817
