Having received great service beforehand from the Japan Travel Centre, the trip went very smoothly, with all the pre-arranged bookings and transport being exactly as I'd hoped.
Whilst snow was late arriving in the Nagano area, there was still some good skiing and there was the advantage of there being few people on the slopes.
The people in Japan are extremely helpful - be it in the hotels, railway stations or simply in cafes and restaurants. They evidently want you to enjoy the experience of being in Japan.