Japan 2026

Sbooker said:
Stay away from the resorts that westerners go to. Simple. It’s cheaper too.
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I agree, but where do you ski?

The issue: many Japanese resorts lack vertical or scale. Hokkaido gets the most reliable snow and the best quality (cold), and there aren't many sizable ski resorts there.

Niseko might be crowded lift-wise at times, but it is so, so easy to lose everyone by going out through the gates (NE or SW areas), hiking to the summit, or skiing its backside. Its terrain is superior to anywhere else on Hokkaido. Yes, gapers in the lift lines, but solitude in the above-described areas, since it requires navigation skills. Also, Niseko's sidecountry/backcountry/off-piste is NOT snowboard friendly, so by definition, they will get quickly weeded out after a run.

The areas I would return to: Niseko, Rusutsu, and, to a lesser extent, Kiroro. And I would like to ski: Furano, Asahidake, Sapporo Teine, and maybe Tomamu.

Honshu: I would love to explore. Areas around Nagano: Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa Onsen or Myoko Kogen.


When I was touring Tokyo in Japan in January, I would see a third to half of the tourists on my Imperial Palace tour were skiers from the United States. They were all on Epic, going to Hakuba Valley Resorts, and some to Rusutsu. Others, like myself, are heading to Niseko via Mountain Collective or Ikon.

I assume you would categorize all of the above as Western patronized. However, they are among the best in Japan.
 
Ikon is really building out its Japanese ski partners. Lots of unfamiliar places for Westerners.

The issue: lift tickets in Japan (and Europe) are relatively affordable, so passes do not make sense unless you have a home USA mountain.

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The scariest day in Niseko is January 26th - Australia Independence Day!

I had no idea Australians like to escalate fights so easily, or engage in beer bottle smashing.

The Australians still outnumber the Americans there, and likely throughout Hokkaido.
 
I always wanted to someday ski Japan..This really puts the kibosh on it...
just pulled the trigger on flights first week of May...Gonna do some hiking and eating
 
My personal experience at Niseko in 2016 mirrors ChrisC’s. Powder competition out the gates was still far less than in North America. I do not know for a fact that it has degraded since then. And yes the ski fall lines are longer than at the other Hokkaido areas we skied. When was ChrisC there?

My response to Sbooker was based on what we saw elsewhere: almost zero powder competition but shorter runs relative to the traverses and runouts required to ski them.
 
jasoncapecod said:
I always wanted to someday ski Japan..This really puts the kibosh on it...
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I would not write off an entire country for skiing because one section of Niseko has gotten busier, and a few resorts are now on the Ikon/Epic passes. Seems like an overreaction.

I also think @Sbooker's statement about avoiding resorts where Westerners are present is overkill, too. He's going to the Nagano area, where the Olympics were held. By definition, it will have more international visitors, but I understand many, many villages and places in the region are very Japanese.

Only one base area in Niseko has been colonized by the Aussies, Chinese, and Americans: Grand Hirafu. Other base areas like Annupuri are very traditional. However, Niseko is a globally popular resort. However, if you have ever skied Mt. Bachelor, you would understand how easy it is to escape the crowds, and 360-degree skiing offers lots of untouched powder with little effort. It's a dormant volcano!

And Hokkaido: Furano is still very Japanese. My experience at Kiroro was too. Rusutsu is medium.

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Tony Crocker said:
My personal experience at Niseko in 2016 mirrors ChrisC’s. Powder competition out the gates was still far less than in North America. I do not know for a fact that it has degraded since then. And yes the ski fall lines are longer than at the other Hokkaido areas we skied. When was ChrisC there?
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I was there in early February 2020. Niseko, JP: Feb 4, 5 and 7th, 2020

Typically, we drove to the Hanazono base because there were no crowds, great parking, and it was near the best terrain.

Niseko liftlines were non-existent for the most part, except for a few core lifts in the Grand Hirafu sector. Even the single chairs were maybe just a couple of minutes maximum. Kiroro - zero. Rusutsu - only line returning from the back mountain to the frontside at the end of the day.

Powder competition. On the marked tree-lined runs, they would get skied out by noon. However, liftlines and marked glades between runs did not get skied out. Rusutsu - very easy to find powder in its nicely spaced trees all day. Low competition. Niseko - very easy to find powder for 2+ days through any of its gates.

Niseko: All the below orange/red highlighted areas (below) do not get skied out. (And one sector in the 3rd pic called North Face is true backcountry, and you will always get first tracks in 1-3 ft of snow - practically guaranteed).

NE face
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S/SW Face
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North Face
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The gates of Niseko

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ChrisC said:
The scariest day in Niseko is January 26th - Australia Independence Day!

I had no idea Australians like to escalate fights so easily, or engage in beer bottle smashing.

The Australians still outnumber the Americans there, and likely throughout Hokkaido.
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I have been to many Australia Day celebrations that have involved over indulging in alcohol but I’ve never seen a fight or beer bottles broken. You must have experienced the ‘Bali on snow’ Aussie bogan behaviour. I’m sorry about that. These people are the same group that are currently all anti immigration. They will be the descendants of immigrants who will be marching in anti immigration rallies on Australia Day this year. Make Australia Great Again!
 
ChrisC said:
I agree, but where do you ski?

The issue: many Japanese resorts lack vertical or scale. Hokkaido gets the most reliable snow and the best quality (cold), and there aren't many sizable ski resorts there.

Niseko might be crowded lift-wise at times, but it is so, so easy to lose everyone by going out through the gates (NE or SW areas), hiking to the summit, or skiing its backside. Its terrain is superior to anywhere else on Hokkaido. Yes, gapers in the lift lines, but solitude in the above-described areas, since it requires navigation skills. Also, Niseko's sidecountry/backcountry/off-piste is NOT snowboard friendly, so by definition, they will get quickly weeded out after a run.

The areas I would return to: Niseko, Rusutsu, and, to a lesser extent, Kiroro. And I would like to ski: Furano, Asahidake, Sapporo Teine, and maybe Tomamu.

Honshu: I would love to explore. Areas around Nagano: Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa Onsen or Myoko Kogen.


When I was touring Tokyo in Japan in January, I would see a third to half of the tourists on my Imperial Palace tour were skiers from the United States. They were all on Epic, going to Hakuba Valley Resorts, and some to Rusutsu. Others, like myself, are heading to Niseko via Mountain Collective or Ikon.

I assume you would categorize all of the above as Western patronized. However, they are among the best in Japan.
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Go to the ski areas where there are no Australian or American yobbos. This might mean there are no lively apres opportunities.

Shiga Kogen for example has a very limited bed base but it Japan’s largest and highest ski area. The accommodation is antiquated and quaint and run by Japanese families. There are a few bars and restaurants but it’s quiet. It does receive less snow than the resorts closer to the coast but there is a lot less competition for powder and the powder is generally better quality because of the elevation. It can’t be busy because there are not enough beds at the resort to make it busy and daily commuting it really difficult aside from the very small traditional town of Yudaka 10 miles down the valley.

Also look at Kugara and Naeba. Same elevation and lack of westerners positives. Same quiet and no apres negatives.
 
If I get desired conditions when I’m there in a few weeks I’ll go to a couple of small two or three lifts completely under the radar ski hills and post some pics and thoughts.
If I get a warm up or what would be rain at the low elevation resorts I’ll stick with Shiga.
I’m only skiing for 7 days as I’m going to Europe a month or so later.
 
Sbooker said:
Go to the ski areas where there are no Australian or American yobbos. This might mean there are no lively apres opportunities.
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There really isn't apres-ski in Japan at all. Zero. We tried to find a bar at Rusutsu after skiing, and that was a massive fail. The Japanese were like: "Get some soft-served ice cream like the rest of us!"

Niseko does have a scene in its Grand Hirafu area, and at some of its microbreweries. There is a very active Whisky scene in Japan, and, supposedly, the country exceeds Scotland in quality in some cases.

Not so much a negative, just different.

Sbooker said:
Shiga Kogen
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I never researched the Honshu ski resorts. There are so many, each with a slightly different focus/flavor.

Sbooker said:
If I get desired conditions when I’m there in a few weeks I’ll go to a couple of small two or three lifts completely under the radar ski hills and post some pics and thoughts.
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That will be interesting.

The Powerhounds site seemed to get its start by its Aussie authors visiting Japan. They have extensive information for lots of ski resorts, minor to major. Here is their overview for Honshu Island ski resorts LINK

Sbooker said:
I have been to many Australia Day celebrations that have involved over indulging in alcohol but I’ve never seen a fight or beer bottles broken. You must have experienced the ‘Bali on snow’ Aussie bogan behaviour.
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The guys just seemed young (barely 20) and drunk. The bar owners seemed to 'push'/encourage them to go outside when they were getting sloppy, belligerent or 'mock' fighting. It was more ridiculous than intimidating.
 
I dug up some "Single Chair / Pizza Box" photos from Niseko 2020. The lines weren't too bad, and there was plenty of easy-to-find powder just outside the gates. Hiking 10-15 minutes to the summit will always guarantee fresh snow.

And some are even from 10am-ish on a sunny powder day:

Stormy powder day with 8-12" new
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Just outside the gate - easy to find untouched snow.
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Different sunny powder day with another 6-10" of new. Not a bad line at 10:30 AM. Likely 10 minutes for a single chair.
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jasoncapecod said:
I always wanted to someday ski Japan..This really puts the kibosh on it...
Click to expand...
ChrisC said:
I would not write off an entire country for skiing because one section of Niseko has gotten busier, and a few resorts are now on the Ikon/Epic passes. Seems like an overreaction.
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You've scrolled past Jason's fondness for hot takes, especially weather-related. He lives for 'em!
 
Looks like @Sbooker has a promising trip ahead!

I am not sure who this guy is, but it's on the Internet and 2 friends liked the post --> so it must be True.

No, there is a chart by the Japan Meteorological Agency. And OpenSnow has a lot of snow forecasted for Honshu.

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ChrisC said:
Looks like @Sbooker has a promising trip ahead!

I am not sure who this guy is, but it's on the Internet and 2 friends liked the post --> so it must be True.

No, there is a chart by the Japan Meteorological Agency. And OpenSnow has a lot of snow forecasted for Honshu.

View attachment 48528

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I did see that. Let’s see it on the ground before we get too excited.
To be honest I don’t want snowmaggedon because I don’t ski powder that is more than thigh deep well.
 
Sbooker said:
To be honest....I don’t ski powder that is more than thigh deep well.
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I don't think anyone does - it's more like pointing the skis down the hill and hoping you move forward.

Sbooker said:
I don’t want snowmaggedon
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There are pics from last season of buried chairlifts, and too much snow at some resorts on Honshu.

I was lucky during my week, as it snowed 4-16 inches per night: one night only 4", most days 6-12", and the final day 16". A lot of snow accumulated, 2-3+ ft, on our cat day and heli day --> terrain was steep in those domains, similar to the steepest of Niseko.
 
Sbooker said:
We’ll stay in the valley somewhere around Nakano/Yudanaka. From there Nozawa Onsen, Madarao, Myoko are within striking distance. We’ll then stay on snow at Japan’s biggest and highest linked ski resort Shiga Kogen. It’s retro but devoid of crowds.
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Sbooker said:
I did see that. Let’s see it on the ground before we get too excited.
To be honest I don’t want snowmaggedon because I don’t ski powder that is more than thigh deep well.
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Looks like it's going to be a terrible trip! :eusa-dance: :):):cool:;);)

Time to learn thigh-deep powder skiing!


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To ski thigh-deep powder, use a narrow stance, keep your body centered and stable, and focus on a rhythmic "bounce" with your legs to steer, rather than your upper body, letting the skis float and arc through the fall line with longer turns, trusting your outside ski and maintaining speed. Avoid leaning back; instead, use a fluid motion of sinking and extending to initiate turns, allowing your skis to stay out from under you so they can bend and work.
www.skimag.com

7 Tips and Drills to Get Better in Deep Powder

Shredding waist-deep, blower powder is the most exalted experience in skiing, but for the uninitiated, it's not easy. We can help.
www.skimag.com www.skimag.com



 
ChrisC said:
Looks like it's going to be a terrible trip! :eusa-dance: :):):cool:;);)

Time to learn thigh-deep powder skiing!


View attachment 48738





To ski thigh-deep powder, use a narrow stance, keep your body centered and stable, and focus on a rhythmic "bounce" with your legs to steer, rather than your upper body, letting the skis float and arc through the fall line with longer turns, trusting your outside ski and maintaining speed. Avoid leaning back; instead, use a fluid motion of sinking and extending to initiate turns, allowing your skis to stay out from under you so they can bend and work.



www.skimag.com

7 Tips and Drills to Get Better in Deep Powder

Shredding waist-deep, blower powder is the most exalted experience in skiing, but for the uninitiated, it's not easy. We can help.
www.skimag.com www.skimag.com



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I’m not on snow until the 28th. Looks like there will be a base at least.
 
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