I did hakuba this year.
stayed at these lodges, tho i never boarded at happo...
Big bear Chalets - Morino Lodge | Accommodation In Hakuba Japan | Lodges & Chalets | Skiing & Snowboarding
got the first bus to cortina each morning, as we were told happo has a heap of moguls (plus we were only there 3 days)
it’s a bit out the way, but the owners take you to the shops should you need anything, and its about a 15min walk to the bus in the morning (town shuttle doesn’t start that early)
if you want village, town life... then don’t go to happo... nothing about after dark.
If you ski however, its ment to be really good...
Don’t hit backcounty unless you know what you’re doing. A few guys died last year there and the day before I arrived they just found 3 guys that had been out there for 2 nights because avalanche went off above them and they couldn’t get back up.. something like this anyways... but yeh, pretty sketchy from what the locals were saying.