Christmas in Japan

Hello
Am travelling to Japan over christmas so my wife and i can have a white christmas as opposed to the normal very hot Australian one. Does anyone have any suggestions of a good place for us to shack up for christmas eve. Would like somewhere very scenic and with lots of snow

Are you interested in skiing, or just want a place that has snow?

Also, be sure to book early because Christmas Eve is a "date-holiday" in Japan so reservations might be hard to get at popular hotels and ryokan.

Not overly concerned with skiing. Just looking for something picturesque

The most scenic place I have ever seen in the snow has been Shirakawa-go. I was there at the end of December. I don't know how reliable the snowfall is that time of year, though, so perhaps another forum reader could advise.
Do you want to be truly away from it all? Must the place be close to Tokyo? Any other constraint?

We are in Japan from the 18th dec til the 4th of Jan with absolutely no constraints on where we need to be. And yes i think somewhere away from the main hustle and bustle would be preferable for us on Christmas eve :D

Shirakawago would definitely be a unique and picturesque place for Christmas, albeit a bit rustic. Here's a page on Gassho house overnights in Shirakawago:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5952.html

And a travel guide for Shirakawago:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5950.html

I thought of a couple other places I liked.
www.japaneseguesthouses.com has a nice website with a variety of ryokans...many places & different prices. They might give you some ideas.
I have stayed a night in Kawaguchiko, at the Konansou Ryokan. We had a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji from our room and the hotel was very nice. Not much to look at from outside, I thought, but lovely inside (once you get past the over-bright lobby). The private baths (rental charge) and public baths have beautiful views of Fuji as well. I was there at the end of January and there was no snow in the immediate area, though.
Jigokudani - there is a ryokan there called the Korakukan whose hot spring is used by the local monkeys. There is a monkey park just up the path where they also bathe in a monkeys-only bath. You have to hike in a bit to the ryokan and it is a bit shabby but you would be waking up Christmas morning to...monkeys. Right outside your window.
Nozawa Onsen is a ski resort village but before it was a ski resort, it was an onsen town (still is). It is a fairly small place, with a dozen or so public baths scattered around the town. You can watch the residents cook eggs and vegetables in the town's hot springs. We stayed at the Sumiyoshi-ya, and loved it.

You can go to Nikko

There should be snow up near the top, beautiful lakes, waterfalls....