Asia’s First Private Ski Resort is Opening in Japan Next Winter A new chapter in global skiing is set to begin next winter in Japan with the launch of THE CLUB TOGARI, billed as Asia’s first private ski resort. Located at Togari Onsen Ski Resort near the popular ski hubs of Nozawa Onsen and Myoko, THE CLUB TOGARI represents something rarely seen in the ski industry: a members-only mountain experience centered […] Industry News Brent Glogau | May 27, 2026 0 Comments
United Airlines Adds Direct Flights to Japan’s Hottest Ski Destinations United Airlines, one of the busiest carriers in the United States, has recently added new nonstop flights to several of Japan’s major airports. The carrier announced on May 21 new nonstop daily flights from Chicago (ORD) to Tokyo Narita (NRT). Narita is the key gateway to Hakuba and the surrounding ski areas of Nagano Prefecture and provides easy access to […] Industry News Joseph Kaufmann | May 26, 2026 0 Comments
Niigata, Japan, Trip Report Pt. 2: Skiing During the Legendary Storm Cycle That Dropped 25 Feet of Snow in 12 Days Report from February 2025. Snow Country, also known as Yukiguni in Japanese, is not only a place of beauty and a region with a tremendous amount of snowfall, but it is also the title of a famous novel by Japanese Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata. History lesson aside, transitioning from the previous five days of insane powder skiing in the […] Conditions Report Daryn Edmunds | May 12, 2025 0 Comments
2026 is Your Last Chance to Ski or Snowboard in Japan Before Big Changes Come for Tourists For years, Japan has been a bucket-list destination for skiers and snowboarders around the world, offering legendary powder, stunning alpine vistas, and a unique blend of culture and hospitality. But if Japan’s slopes have been on your radar, 2026 may be your best chance to enjoy them under the current conditions. Starting in mid-2025, a series of sweeping tourism reforms […] Industry News Brent Glogau | April 14, 2025 0 Comments
Japan Braces for More Heavy Snow After Record-Breaking Storms Japan is preparing for another round of heavy snowfall following a two-week whiteout that has led to traffic disruptions, fatalities, and mounting concerns over avalanches and hazardous road conditions. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued warnings Monday, February 24, for multiple regions, urging residents to remain vigilant as severe winter weather persists. Related: Snow Cap Finally Appears on Iconic Mount […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | February 24, 2025 0 Comments
Heli is Offering a Deep Niseko, Japan, Privately Guided Ski Experience Japan is quickly becoming one of the most popular skiing destinations worldwide. Known for JAPOW, the incredibly light, dry powder snow that covers the mountain regions each year, it’s no wonder skiers and snowboarders flock there every year to check it off their bucket list. If you ever dreamed about skiing in Japan, you can start planning that trip now. […] Industry News Gregg Frantz | August 19, 2024 0 Comments
The 7 Largest Ski Resorts in Japan, Ranked by Terrain For many, a ski trip to explore the biggest ski resorts in Japan is a bucket list item due to the amazing powder conditions that can be prevalent throughout the region. There is no shortage of options when choosing a resort to visit, as Japan boasts some of the most ski resorts in any country. However, the size of the […] Brains Brent Glogau | February 5, 2024 0 Comments
Niseko, Japan Report: More Snow than Hakuba, Still a Few Lifts yet to Open Report from December 29, 2023 I flew from Tokyo to Sapporo last night. Tokyo is located on the main island of Honshu, while Sapporo is located on a smaller island in the north called Hokkaido. I rented a car at Sapporo and drove the roughly two hours from Chitose airport to Niseko. There was noticeably much more snow on Hokkaido […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | December 30, 2023 0 Comments
5 Reasons Why Japan Has Such Low Avalanche Danger ‘JAPOW’ – who has not heard of the famous Japanese powder? If you have been lucky enough to ski in Japan, you are probably smiling just thinking about it. And if you haven’t, you are probably hoping to one day go for some unparalleled powder turns. Niseko has an average snowfall of 590 in (15m) and Kiroro a staggering 826 in […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | December 16, 2023 0 Comments
Study Reveals the Best Weeks for Powder Skiing in Japan for the ’23/24 Season If you’re planning a ski trip to Japan this year to experience the famous powder snow known as “Japow,” the best weeks for snowfall have been revealed in a new analysis conducted by Snow Season Central. The study analyzed the daily recorded snowfall at five of Japan’s most popular resorts over the last 10 winter seasons (from 2012/13 to 2022/23) to […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 13, 2023 0 Comments
[FOR SALE] $18 Million Newly Built Luxury Boutique Hotel in Niseko, Japan A newly-built boutique hotel is on the market in Japan’s most popular ski resort Niseko. The luxury hotel features 14 luxury condominiums and is a beautifully designed sanctuary in the middle of Hirafu, the bustling ski village at the foot of Niseko’s ski area. Niseko used to be four separate ski areas united under the ‘Niseko United’ umbrella. The other […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 3, 2023 0 Comments
7 Bucket List Experiences Every North American Skier Should Check Off Many people have a bucket list; a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to encounter or accomplish during their lifetime. In addition to this, skiers often have their own skiing-specific bucket list. Everyone’s list will be different based on ability, desires, resources, and ambitions. However, if you need some help getting your list started, here are some […] Industry News Brent Glogau | January 17, 2023 12 Comments
Explore Japan’s Deepest Powder with this Custom Trip Offer from Indy Pass and Japan Ski Tours Have you ever dreamed of taking an epic powder ski trip to Japan? Most snow sports enthusiasts have, but maybe the logistics of traveling to a foreign country are too daunting. Now Indy Pass is partnering with Japan Ski Tours (JST) to offer an all-encompassing 8-day or 10-day trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. Indy Pass holders receive […] Industry News Brent Glogau | November 4, 2022 0 Comments
Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Announces Date For Return to Independent Travel Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced during his speech at the New York Stock Exchange (‘NYSE’) on Thursday, September 22, that the Japanese border restrictions will further ease. From October 11, Japan will revert to visa-free entry, remove all daily caps and, most importantly, permit independent travel for travelers from 68 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe, who […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | September 23, 2022 0 Comments
Japan Set To Fully Reopen Its Borders In October Great news for Japow lovers as local news channels in Japan are reporting that Japan will fully reopen its borders to international tourists from ‘blue list’ countries in October. Two years ago the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs created strict border restrictions for international travelers and as part of that created blue, yellow, and red lists to categorize countries by their […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | September 16, 2022 0 Comments
Skiers Nervous Japan Won’t Open Fully for Tourism This Winter Update August 31: The new policy with eased restrictions is coming into force from September 7. The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday, August 31, the start date for the new travel policy. The quick ratification gives hope that further easing of travel restrictions will come into force before Christmas. If you have booked your own trip to […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | August 24, 2022 1 Comment
Japanese Ski Area Closes Chairlift Because it Snowed Too Much Having to close down a chairlift because it snowed too much is a good problem to have. I wish we had that problem here in Utah right now. Related: Colorado Gets Hammered This Week—Several Ski Resorts Reporting 40+ Inches of New Snow in Last 72 Hours A photo posted to Facebook by Myoko Snowsports captures this ‘good problem,’ showing […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 24, 2022 2 Comments
VIDEO: Snowboarder Slides Tree Like Rail in Japan, Gets Massive Air Snowboarder Arthur Longo Slides Tree Like Rail Have you ever seen someone slide a tree like it’s a rail? Check out French snowboarder Arthur Longo, who is renowned for his effortless style, immense pop, and massive airtime on natural resort terrain. He first built a reputation as a competitive halfpipe prodigy, earning medals at the X Games and competing in […] Featured Video SnowBrains | September 28, 2020 0 Comments
A Quick Guide To The Top 5 Ski Resorts In Japan Brought to you by Hakuba Valley Japan boasts over 500 ski resorts and has some of the best powder in the world. It offers guests great backcountry skiing and snowboarding, amazing food, unique villages, and a good nightlife scene. Hakuba – Honshu Hakuba in the Nagano Prefecture is a valley with a large number of ski resorts that hosted the […] Industry News Caitlin Perry | January 6, 2020 0 Comments
A Quick Guide To Skiing and Snowboarding In Japan Brought to you by HAKUBAVALLEY Japan is affordable, an experience like no other and the cultural experiences to be had there are incredible. There are over a dozen peaks in Japan that top out at 10,000+ feet above sea level. Japan is otherwise known as ‘Japow’ thanks to the combination of high altitude and the Siberian conveyor belt of extremely cold dry wind which […] Industry News Caitlin Perry | December 18, 2019 0 Comments
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