International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Japan 2020 - First off...all of the questions

[Lauren]

It's still early, but I'm starting to think about it...I'm planning a trip to Japan for next winter. It'll be me, my husband, and a couple of friends. The group will probably be between 5-10 people, based on those that have expressed interest at this point. We're planning on approximately 2 weeks in Japan.

I've booked trips to Europe, South America, and all over the US...I'm not going to lie, booking a trip to Japan is a bit intimidating. So I'm reaching out for advice to anyone that's done it before.

Here's what I know:
- I believe we want to go to the North Island for the best chances for the best snow.
- We will fly to Tokyo and then a flight to Sapporo.
- We want to experience some local culture along with the epic skiing
- We don't need a ton of nightlife/shopping/etc....skiing will be the major objective of the trip; but good food is always a plus.
- We are a group of mostly advanced skiers/snowboarders that enjoy ungroomed, off-piste style terrain.
- We're not opposed to hiking for turns (but long multiple day tours need not apply)

With what seems like a million resorts in Japan, I have no idea where to start...
- Should I book through a travel group? If so, any recommendations?
- If booking on your own, were there any major language barriers? Any other roadblocks to be aware of?
- Should we plan on staying in one location and shuttling each day to ski? Or book a few days in one place, a few in the next...so on?
- What places have you been? Would you go back? What was your favorite parts of the trip?
- How about off-piste? Guide recommendations?

I'm sure more questions will arise...but hoping to get the conversation started and learn a bit about booking a trip to Japan.

 

[Analisa]

I think your latter questions really depend on what experience you're looking for. Some places cater to English speaking guests better than others. Powder Hounds has a pretty solid list to help narrow down a place, and Evo's resort list/descriptions are pretty robust too. My friend Jake and his brother also run a travel group called SnowLocals that has some good resources around where resorts are and how to get around. If you're looking for a travel group, they'd be a great resource. They grew up in Telluride & Jake did the freeride competition circuit for a few years, and have traveled enough to be able to set you up with the right spot in Japan based on the places you've loved in the states. Likewise, they started working in the Japanese ski industry since the tsunami in 2011, doing promotional videos to help bring more westerners & their money into a hurting economy, and they've been out there for most of the winter ever since. It's a small operation, but at leas you know that all of the recommendations come from people who ski, ski quite well, and have been to the resorts and are making their recommendations based on their personal experiences.

 

[Tricia]

@SBrown & @Big Salad went with @Mattadvproject last year. Big Salad went back with him this year.
@Jim McDonald @Rainbow Jenny and a few others should also be a huge resource.
I bet there are some incredible resources here.

 

[Eleeski]

Japan is a first world country. Not scary. The people are very friendly and helpful. We had no issues with reservations, prices, schedules or any of the logistics. We did lots of planning on the internet that all worked out. I do travel a fair amount but I am not a comfortable traveler. Travel in Japan did not make me nervous.

We went to Niseko. Flew into Sapporo and rented a car. Our phone GPS worked well. Driving on the wrong side of the road takes a while to get used to but we survived the transition and got good utility from the car. You need a good driving record and an international driver's license (AAA did mine locally in a half hour). The cost was similar to public transportation but way more flexible.

Rusutsu was our first stop and our best day. We stayed slopeside - expensive but worth it as we got lots of the untracked. Rusutsu was the steepest and deepest of our trip with a big mountain with lots of options.

Niseko Hirafu was the tourist epicenter. Lots of English spoken and lots of restauraunts and hotels. Conventional ski resort experience. Lots of people.

We stayed in a condo, Snow Dog. Possibly a walk to the slopes but we drove. Closest to Niseko Village. Next time we might stay right at Niseko Village but it's pretty expensive. Niseko Village was our favorite as it had steep and deep snow but we were a bit late for the best untracked. Would have enjoyed first tracks there.

We had Ikon passes for Niseko United but actually looked for non pass resorts hoping for less crowding. Niseko Moiwa got a great powder day with small crowds for a reasonable walk up rate (all three of us skied for less than one walk up at Squaw). Don't be a slave to your free days.

We also skied Kokusai, a locals resort and loved it. A Sunday so a bit busy but we still found plenty of afternoon powder.

One gripe was the lack of steeps. My son who has been skiing at Nagano (Nozawa Onsen) says it's steeper there and he had been getting more powder there. There's more to Japow than just Niseko. Another trip!

We skied inbounds only. There's plenty inbounds to keep a visitor happy. But so many ride the lifts to access the backcountry. Actually on our Niseko Moiwa day, the backcountry near the resort was more skied out than the resort!

Japan has the best snow in the world. The cold Siberian winds blow across the sea of Japan to make lake effect snow for Japan. We had powder 4 out of 6 days and two of those days were epic. They were complaining about a low snow year??!

Reading @Mattadvproject trip reports made me want to try a guided tour. But our amateur trip plan was great fun.

Enjoy your trip!

Eric

 

[Lauren]

@Analisa - Thanks for the links! I'll check them all out and looks like your friend might be a great resource if I go down that path.

@Eleeski - Thanks for the insight on your trip! Exactly some of the information I'm looking for.

Japan is a first world country. Not scary. The people are very friendly and helpful. We had no issues with reservations, prices, schedules or any of the logistics. We did lots of planning on the internet that all worked out. I do travel a fair amount but I am not a comfortable traveler. Travel in Japan did not make me nervous.

It's definitely not the people, nor the culture that is intimidating, it's mostly the abundance of information and places to go and see. There is so much out there! Tack on a completely different language, and a bit more intimidation sets in. Glad to hear it wasn't an issue for you and any of the logistics of the trip.

Rusutsu was our first stop and our best day. We stayed slopeside - expensive but worth it as we got lots of the untracked. Rusutsu was the steepest and deepest of our trip with a big mountain with lots of options.

Really happy to hear this was one of your favorites you went to. It's been on the short list (which isn't exactly short).

One gripe was the lack of steeps. My son who has been skiing at Nagano (Nozawa Onsen) says it's steeper there and he had been getting more powder there. There's more to Japow than just Niseko. Another trip!

I might have to revisit the possibility of Honshu as well...open my search back up to both islands.

 

[Rainbow Jenny]

@Eleeski shared many great pearls of wisdom above, couldn't agree more with "don't be a slave to your free days." Planning may initially feel intimidating, I can totally relate. The possibilities are endless, all depends on what you want to do.

This has been an unusual winter around Hokkaido with snowfall around 1/2-1/3 of normal. I don't know what to make of it except to treat it as a totally aberrant year. My favorite ski area is Rusutsu without a doubt, several lifts are wind-protected and don't shut down as often as Niseko. Furano is great fun too. Niseko is just too crowded for my taste, but I really enjoy the low-key Niseko Moiwa (don't confuse it with Mt Moiwa in Sapporo and it's not part of Niseko United.). Sapporo Teine has some steeps, Tenguyama is another charming little ski area.

If you want to link together a ski safari, I have a unique cultural experience for lodging/homestay 15 minutes away from Rusutsu. It's not for everyone, but it's such an intimate experience and a special place where I've spent some 35+ nights there. They had impeccable superhost status on airbnb, but unfortunately, it won't be listed again until later this summer. I'll share it as soon as it's listed or I can PM you their direct contact.

If the planning process turns out to be too time-consuming or something you don't enjoy, Mattadvproject has a fabulous itinerary if you are able to join his group. I wish I can recommend a guiding service run by Japanese because I really believe in supporting local economy, but unfortunately I just haven't personally come across one whom I converse with proficiently. The next best thing, check out Silas Brown, a fine British ex-pat who spends at least 9-10 months a year based in Sapporo, and see what he has to offer. He started his small business over 20 years ago, really knows Hokkaido well, and is totally vested in the local community. He can certainly tailor a trip according to your budget and lodging preferences.

https://skilasjapan.com/silky-powder-adventure-tour/

 

[Lauren]

@Eleeski shared many great pearls of wisdom above, couldn't agree more with "don't be a slave to your free days." Planning may initially feel intimidating, I can totally relate. The possibilities are endless, all depends on what you want to do.

This was one of the reasons I started planning this early, to decide on if we wanted to get an IKON or EPIC pass to use on the trip. But the more I look at it, I don't think it's going to make much sense for our situation to buy either of those passes...so kind of a blessing in disguise since we won't be tied into using any specific passes.

This has been an unusual winter around Hokkaido with snowfall around 1/2-1/3 of normal. I don't know what to make of it except to treat it as a totally aberrant year. My favorite ski area is Rusutsu without a doubt, several lifts are wind-protected and don't shut down as often Niseko. Furano is great fun too. Niseko is just too crowded for my taste, but I really enjoy the low-key Niseko Moiwa (don't confuse it with Mt Moiwa in Sapporo and it's not part of Niseko United.). Sapporo Teine has some steeps, Tenguyama is another charming little ski area.

This is awesome information, Furano and Rusutsu were two locations that really caught my eye. I really want a bit more local, low key, and less crowded as far as resorts go. I'd rather ride a slow lift if it means no crowds. Definitely looking for a cultural experience as well as a ski experience. I'll take a look at Sapporo Teine and Tenguyama as well!

If you want to link together a ski safari, I have a unique cultural experience for lodging/homestay 15 minutes away from Rusutsu. It's not for everyone, but it's such an intimate experience and a special place where I've spent some 35+ nights. Unfortunately, it won't be listed on airbnb until later this summer.

I absolutely love this idea. But I'm not sure about our group size yet...and how many people they'd be able to accommodate. If you have a link to additional information, and can either post it or send me a message, it'd be greatly appreciated!

The next best thing, you can check out Silas Brown, a low-key British ex-pat who spends at least 9-10 months a year based in Sapporo, and see what he has to offer.

I'll check out his website. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Mattadvproject]

Our 2020 Hokkaido program info is ready to go if you want it Lauren. We do a 12 day trip exploring all the fun spots in the Otaru and Furano zones. It would be a great trip for you if you wanted to take the hassle out of organizing a first-time trip to Japan. It will be our 5th season of operation out there. It's early bird season for our pricing at the moment..... send me a PM if you want the info. Cheers!

- Matt

 

[Vinnie]

If you are interested in low key check out the Myoko region on Honshu. I highly recommend checking out PowderRecon tours. See http://powder-recon.com.au. I spent the first week in February with them doing the Myoko Kogen Powder tour. Being my first time to Japan it really helped to have PowderRecon to organize my ski week. It was a variable snow week but we were able to make the most of it due to PowderRecon’s guides knowledge of the Myoko region. We mostly were skiing not very steep inbound trees. They have a small lodge in Myoko Kogen that is really nice. The village life is centered on a single main street with some ski shops, restaurants, bars and markets. Check out the PowderRecon website for more info. Just reread info on the site and it reflects my experience. I think that Myoko is becoming more popular with Australians but its still a very low key place and there were little or no lift lines. Also while most Japanese skiers seem to prefer the groomed runs, more and more Japanese snowboarders are venturing off-piste and into the trees. Just an observation as there were plenty of good lines still to be had I would be happy to answer any questions you have about Myoko and PowderRecon.

 

[sbooker]

Everything you need to know is on this Aussie site. There is oodles in info.
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/

 

[Lauren]

Everything you need to know is on this Aussie site. There is oodles in info.
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/

I’ve been browsing this site over the past couple days. So. Much. Information!

 

[Lauren]

After a ton of research we've decided on renting a car and stringing together our own Hokkaido Ski Safari.
So we have a rough itinerary down...

Planning on 1/25/20 thru 2/8/2020
Staying in Furano - 4 ski days - Resorts may or may not include Furano, Tomamu, Asahidake, Kamui, Possible tour/guided day
Staying in Niseko - 2 ski days
Shimamaki Cat Skiing - 2 ski days
Rusutsu - 2 ski days
Otaru - 2 ski days - Resorts may or may not include Kiroro, Sapporo Teine, Tenguyama, Sapporo Kokusai, check out the Snow Festival (1/2 day)

Anyone that's been to Japan before...Anything on my list you think I should ditch? Am I missing any "must-do" mountains? Any opinions of the Furano or Otaru resorts I've listed, which is your favorite, which could we skip? Any other helpful hints...

If you want to link together a ski safari, I have a unique cultural experience for lodging/homestay 15 minutes away from Rusutsu. It's not for everyone, but it's such an intimate experience and a special place where I've spent some 35+ nights there. They had impeccable superhost status on airbnb, but unfortunately, it won't be listed again until later this summer. I'll share it as soon as it's listed or I can PM you their direct contact.

Any chance you have more information on this location? We've narrowed down our group of people, and have a better idea of an itinerary at this point. This sounds right up our alley, and I'm definitely interesting in hearing more about it.