LAND OF THE RISING POW
Make this the year you finally bite the bullet and book that once-in-a-lifetime dream Japow trip. Bottomless powder, cold sake, hot spring spas and cheeky powder monkeys… you won’t regret it. Follow our Dummies' Guide to Skiing Japan and get planning
WORDS AND PHOTOS RYAN CRISP
There are two essential ingredients for a successful powder pilgrimage to Japan: time and cold sake!
Time is your friend. The more you have of it, the better (much like sake!). I’d argue you need a fortnight, but preferably three weeks. And sure, I’m a greedy skier, but those extra days will lead to a richer and more authentic experience.
Having been fortunate to spend an alarming amount of time exploring this snowy nation, here’s my advice on how to craft a perfect cocktail of bottomless pow and a mesmerising cultural odyssey. A guide for ‘dummies’, a Japow checklist… call it what you will, but you can’t go wrong when following these Crisp Tips.
HOKKAIDO
The first major decision you have is whether to stick to the main island, Honshu, or continue further afield. My advice, particularly for newbies, is travel that extra leg; take an additional one-hour flight from Tokyo to New Chitose (Sapporo) and head for the frozen jewel in the Sea of Japan: Hokkaido, home to the mighty Mount Yōtei.
Here are your resort options:
Niseko
Like gingerly dipping your toes into the steaming onsen of Japanese culture, Niseko is the perfect introduction to Japan. The waters are warm and intoxicating, but not quite the scalding sensory overload you’ll find elsewhere. In the shadow of the impressive Fuji doppelgänger, Mount Yōtei, ‘Niseko United’ is the collective name for a series of interconnected areas.
The heart is Grand Hirafu and the sprawling village at its foot, where you’ll find your fill of delicious cuisine, quirky après, hotels and apartments, but you’re never far from Western influence. Like many global powerhouse resorts, Niseko is benefactor and victim of its own success, drawing legions of Westerners – the town reshaping to demand. Heck, tipping is even a thing in Niseko, an alien concept that would usually be genuine insult throughout the country.
Personally, I tend to stay a little out of town. Public transport is exceptional in Japan. Even when snows are Old Testament heavy, those buses and trains turn up to the second. Within a reasonable distance, don’t rule out staying on the fringes of the main bubble.
The skiing, on the other hand, is not at all what most Westerners are accustomed to. An honest-to-goodness ski utopia, and undoubtedly a quintessential Japow experience. What you’ve drooled over in pro videos – it’s all here. The resorts curve around this great hill, with Moiwa and Hanazono sandwiching Annupuri, Niseko Village and Grand Hirafu.
Annupuri – the Land of Free Refills – is my personal favourite under the Niseko United umbrella. Compact, but deceptively mega. The highest point of Annupuri offers hike terrain to steeper alpine lines, but it’s the many slack-country gates on a storm day that add the pizzazz to this wintry paradise.
A magical land of hip-deep pow: let the pilgrimage begin
I recall skiing through one of these gates with a pal to discover truly bottomless pow, sheltered from a storm by idyllic silver birches. Upon arriving at the lift, all snow beards and cackling like hyenas, our grins said it all: be rude not to hit that again. So we added fresh lines next to our tracks, already filling in… Just as sweet. When we returned for our third helping, our first tracks were gone. Actually gone. Reset.
We didn’t travel far on this ‘day of free refills’, but Holy Ullr was it special. Never leave good snow in search of good snow. So, on a storm day when the upper alpine closes, turn that frown upside down and make for Annupuri like Chemmy out of a starting gate…
Niseko Village is a small area great for beginners. Hanazono feels remote, but is a must, if only for the incredible glades of Strawberry and Blueberry Fields. But in between, Grand Hirafu looms large. The Godzilla of this region, GH roars loudest and screams variety. Textbook trees (make for Swinging Monkey chair), long cruisers, bumps, stellar views… but the pièce de résistance is the night skiing.
Japow-wow! Shredding knee-deep powder in the trees, in the dark, all silhouettes and snow-spray, is a surreal and unique thrill. The amount of terrain they illuminate is staggering.
Top Crisp Tip: If you miss a morning, head hazy from sake, fear not, simply make up lost turns well into the evening. Also, note that lift tickets come in various offerings. You can buy cheaper four-hour passes, for example.
Eight days in the Niseko area is a solid number. Enough for the main hills, but also scope for day trips. Do not leave this valley though without a day at…
Moiwa
I was once chatting with a rusty old snowboarder who bragged about staying at a hostel at the foot of Moiwa and riding that hill every day. “What’s not to love? Slay pow all day, why would I venture further afield and pay more?” Moiwa is a sleepy micro-resort, connected to Niseko United in all but business and lift-system, but there is only one true lift (technically three, two of which cater for beginners). So one lift keeps this dude happy for a season? Impressive.
One lift gives you access to amazing trees and side-country gates aplenty. And to say this place gets deeeeep is a gargantuan understatement. Eerily quiet, you can ride this chair all day and never ski the same line nor see a track.
Ride, pow, repeat, until you’re pooped and gagging for beer and fiery ramen. And you’re in luck, the ramen at the base restaurant is some of the best in Hokkaido.
Moiwa is firmly a case of quality over quantity – great things really do come in small packages. A good shout for a first day or busy weekend. Arigato gozaimasu, Moiwa!
Rusutsu’s ski-in, ski-out theme park is a winner with us
Rusutsu
The most bonkers resort in Japan? The World? Well, let’s just say if Niseko was dipping those toes into the bubbling onsen, then Rusutsu grabs you by the curlies and yanks you into the steaming waters. I mean, it’s not often you get to stand atop a powder field with a theme park waiting for you at the bottom, right?
Untouched and ungroomed, I slide into an immediate face shot, light blower powder, vision instantly impaired: The White Room. A pristine silence replaced by high-pitched Mario whoops as I bounce down bottomless giddy turns, eventually flattening out, my Japow cloud dissipating. I slide to a stop next to a giant ferris wheel, twisting rollercoaster and other glistening mechanical giants.
Sadly, the theme park is closed for winter, but making tracks through this deserted funfare is attraction enough, although some candy floss would have been swell.
There’s way more to Rusutsu. Arcades, singing trees, dancing bears… oh, and more tree skiing than you can shake a pole at.
Top Crisp Tip: Bargain day trips run from Upper Hirafu Village which include travel and lift pass. Do not miss!
Furano
Truthfully, in my humble opinion, you haven’t really experienced Japan until you venture out of the Westernised safety net that is Niseko, fabulous as it is. Organise a transfer to Furano, 200km north, and aim for four ski days. Spend two at the area’s resort itself and plan day trips to Tomamu and Asahidake (see my ‘Top 5’ piece in the last issue).
WhiteRoom Guides are a great way to explore further afield – ask them about skiing the abandoned resort next to Tomamu if you want some backcountry adventure. Trust me…
Furano is a real Japanese town. Skiing feels like something it has, rather than something it is. More famous for fields of lavender, the welcome you receive from locals is equally vibrant. In fact, I recall once being introduced to the true wonders of chilled sake by a bar owner. After navigating the faux pas of ordering hot sake, he soon had me pickled in the premium, speaking Japanese, and the more we shared his cold tipple, the more we understood one another – sake, the true leveller of language barrier. He doused me with sake, stuffed me with food, refused my money, and then took me ‘out out’ to his favourite bar, strangely enough, an American-style joint, The Bridge.
Now despite what I say about the authentic experience and friendly locals, you can’t go to Furano and not pay your toll at The Bridge.
The comfiest bar in all of Japan (I should know, I’ve slept on it… twice!), The Bridge feels like the town’s hub, where West kicks back with East, where contrasting cultures embrace over pool, darts, great beer and lofty tales of epic days.
The owner, Bill, also teaches English in town, so finds himself translator and orchestrator of sumptuous banquets. Tell him Ryan sent ’ya!
Off-piste skiing in Furano is a teensy-tiny bit forbidden. Let’s say taboo.
This is actually a common theme in Japan, one of the genuine reasons being a respect of Kodama tree spirits. But in these times of girthy skis and insatiable powder lust, the vibe is be respectful and you’re mostly fine. Personally, I’m more than okay with this. I’ve seen my fair share of Hooray Henries hooning around without hope or clue, only wishing tree demons would whisk them away.
HONSHU
Leaving Hokkaido is a great opportunity to spend a couple of days in Tokyo. Everything you’ve heard and seen is true. The city is a dizzying neon metropolis of colossal proportions. However, if you can squeeze out a fraction more time, why not consider jumping on a bullet train and zooming cross country to the Japanese Alps. You can even use a company called Yamato to forward your luggage from Hokkaido. Most hotels will arrange this for you.
By the time you’ve sampled some city, your skis will be waiting in your next destination. You’ll be shocked at how cheap and efficient this fabulous service is.
Japanese Alps
There are more ski hills in Japan than anywhere else in the world and many of them can be discovered in the Japanese Alps, but the biggest yank for your Yen is found in the sprawling Hakuba Valley. A jolt of infrastructure from the ʼ98 Nagano Olympics, this well-developed area also draws its fair share of Westerners, and similar to Niseko, an area pass bags you a plethora of resorts. Expect much of the same: lashings of super-light pow, reliable top-ups, insanely good gladed riding, but spread across a more jagged mountain range. My favourite is the surprisingly steep resort of Cortina.
Staying in or around the Nagano Prefecture, you’re only a short train or bus ride away from the Jigokudani Monkey Park. Honestly, for me, no trip is complete without visiting these mad Japanese macaque – aka snow monkeys – enjoying their ‘natural habitat’ of… hot baths. I can easily lose hours watching these crazy critters play and soak the cold away.
Be sure to keep your belongings close, as they’re a cheeky bunch and they’ll not think twice of relieving you of that fancy new smart phone.
Top Crisp Tip: Stop at the small town of Obuse on your way back from the monkeys. Sake sampling at the Masuichi Ichimura Brewery is the kind of tasty treat you deserve. By now you’ve almost skied your legs off, so go on, indulge, you’ve earned it.
IN SUMMARY
Japan ought to be on any winter lover’s bucket list. It’s a unique experience that you simply don’t find elsewhere. Go in January or February for the pow machine in full force. But remember, this is way more than a ski trip. I could have written several articles on my adventures in the Land of the Rising Pow, but instead I’ll simply hope I have whet some appetites, and reassure you that it’s easier than you think to cobble together your own dream trip. Follow this blueprint and you’ll have a blast. That’s not a tip, that’s a Crisp promise! Kanpai!
TOP CRISP TIP
Be sure to visit an onsen or two during your visit. These natural hot spring baths are deeply rooted in Japanese culture and are a must for anyone traveling to Japan. You'll find numerous in all ski areas. The experience can be wonderfully therapeutic and great after a hard day skiing pow.
USEFUL LINKS
Niseko United // Annupuri // Moiwa // Rusutsu // Furano // Hakuba Valley // Yamato luggage transfers // WhiteRoom Guides
Factfile
Ryan Crisp is a photographer, qualified ski instructor, and self-proclaimed ski bum. Away from the hills, Ryan is an aspiring screenwriter, currently with two horror features to his name (one of which, of course, is a bloody ski horror!). He can be found repping in Whistler this March. You can find Ryan through his website (rdcrisp.com) or on the SCGB Whistler Facebook page. If you’d rather someone organised a Japan dream trip for you, keep an eye on the SCGB’s Freshtracks page for upcoming Japan trips.