I felt privileged to be actively contributing to the Japan Avalanche Network end of season annual meeting.  The aim of the meeting is information sharing between ski patrols, resort management, ski guides, ski professionals, scientists and the odd one out, myself.  There was 30 people attending the two day meeting at a country club style of conference facility.  Two guides (and fellow splitboarders) had recently returned from Canada (one guiding and one on exchange with the CAA), again demonstrating the unique link to between JAN and the CAA and the open-minded international experience of Japan's future avalanche and snow professionals.  Further, a local Hakuba patrol employee at the meeting is once again heading to Mount Hut in NZ at the end of the month to work on their patrol team min our off-season.  Dave from Evergreen in Hakuba was there. Besides him, I was the only foreigner as there aren't too many of us who are all that active. 

There were 15 presentations, including mine.   Most presentations were designed to share info about avalanche incidents over the season.  My presentation was translated by Nori-san as I spoke.  He is one of Japan's few CAA Level 2 qualified technician's.  Some presentations focused on research, including a proposed mathematical avalanche forecast model (it was extremely technical and a lot of work had gone into it).  Most major avalanche incidents were addressed, usually by someone involved first hand or from someone who investigated the incident.  Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort was represented by senior management.  The double fatality on 2008-03-08 at Gentaga Take was discussed by one gentleman who recovered both bodies.  Unfortunately I missed his presentation.

For JAN to gather a group of people such as these (besides myself) in one place is testament t to their legitimacy and importance in Japan's avalanche and snow professionals community.

Official figures given for the 07/08 season in Japan listed 16 reported avalanche incident involving people, including the one I was in.  Those 16 incident resulted in 37 people being caught in a slide, of which 9 sustained injury and 15 died.  I am sure that there are many more unreported incidents.

The Japan Avalanche Network and the service they provide today, plus the foundation they are building for the future, is very important. I cant commend it strongly enough.