Trip Report
“Hey Brent, guess what?”
“What?”
“It’s still snowing…”
This was the oft-repeated banter we exchanged over a 10-day period in early February 2025 in the lesser-known zones of Central Honshu, Japan, during the mother of all storm cycles that dropped up to 25 feet of snow in 12 days. Even after 9 previous trips to this magical land of powder and 23 seasons skiing in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood Canyon, this deep snow lover has never seen anything like what was going on in Japan this season. Consistent dumps of 2 to 3 feet of snow every 24 hours were a gift from the gods that will be hard to describe properly in words, but the following is my humble attempt.
After spending a few days in an old favorite zone that will remain nameless for now, our crew descended on a collection of previously untapped resorts and side country playgrounds in the Gunma and Niigata Prefectures of Japan. Unknown to us, as well as to even the most seasoned powder seekers and Japow enthusiasts, the ski resorts near Minakami and Yuzawa are a treasure trove of unique lines, less crowded slopes, and an absolute boatload of powder. We were fortunate enough to catch in it one of the largest snow cycles in the last 10+ years, and we did our best to make every run count. On top of this bonanza of snow, we were lucky enough to be guided around this fantastic bag of novel terrain by the one and only Mike Harris of Canyons. Canyons is a full service adventure business focusing on rafting, canyoneering, and skiing. Mike, the founder and leader of the crew, has 20+ years of skiing in Japan under his dreds. He knows the lines like the back of his hand and smashes pow like a fella 20 years younger than his driver’s license would say he is.
First up on our plan of attack with Mike was the recently renamed “Mt T.” Located on the flanks of Tanigawadake and formerly known as Tenjin, Mt. T has a reputation for crazy side country and intense snowfalls. The snow was so deep the 2 days we rode there that the upper faces and wild South facing lines were too unstable to sample. Lucky for us, Canyons has a relationship with the mountain that allows for 30-40 minutes of First Tracks pre-public skiing. We took full advantage of this by smashing 8 quick laps in waist-deep blower powder before the masses, about 75 other riders, made it up the hill. The lower north-facing side country was good to go on stability and lower angle enough to make it a green light for us. Canyons lead guide Mark was checking the snowpack and got us out onto some killer lower mountain tree runs that had us screaming in disbelief at the absolutely bonkers bottomless snow. I may have said “Bonkers” more during this trip than the total number of times that I had uttered the word before in my life. The snow would erupt overhead every single turn on the 1,000-vertical-foot ridge lines and bowls. Using a buff was required to avoid choking on the pow shots to the face that were hitting every few seconds.
The ropeway at Mt. T gets you most of the way to the goods, then you take 1 of 2 short chairs higher up, and then you hike or traverse to the goods. The avalanche danger in a lot of the upper zones is high, so getting a guide, having a local friend, or really knowing your stuff is extremely important. I would suggest doing #1 and #3 above. Don’t take Mt. T lightly, as there are many folks that do and do not come home from there each season.
Before discussing the next resorts we checked out I want to circle back to something mentioned above. The 2 amazing days we had at Mt. T were shared with no more than 100 other riders. This is in stark contrast to what you may have heard about or experienced firsthand in other areas of Japan. The reason this writer titled this trip report Japan 3.0 is that Japan 1.0 and Japan 2.0 are already very well known and have suffered the negative things that come with being well known.
If you have been paying attention at all in the last 10-15 years you know that Niseko in Hokkaido gets a ton of snow and a ton of press. I will refer to that area as Japan 1.0. It has a longer history of visiting skiers from North America, Australia, and Europe. Consequently, the development there has been very Westernized and the slopes and lift lines have gotten to be clogged up with droves of skiers and riders. I like to say, “If you love Starbucks, McDonalds, fancy hotels, and big lift lines, you will love Niseko.” I am sure these things appeal to many skies out there. However, I am not one of them, so I pass.
As for Japan 2.0, this would include the fantastic resorts in the Hakuba area West of Nagano. The string of resorts in the Hakuba area has fantastic terrain and great snow as well. They certainly still carry a heavy local influence and you will feel like you are in Japan, which is nice on a ski trip to Japan. However, these areas have also been widely promoted and discovered by hard-charging skiers from all over the world. The results again are longer than you would like to see lift lines, and rapidly destroyed powder. I like Hakuba a lot, but the powder panic there often reminds me of the vibe at home that I am trying to avoid whilst in the Land of the Rising Sun. Hence the trip this year to check out new flavors in lesser traveled Prefectures.
Lesser traveled may be a bit of a misclaim on my part. These areas have some skiers and riders that have all the passion of those in the above-mentioned areas. However, they are mostly visited by local Japanese skiers and Tokyo-based ex-pats, and the overall volume of powder competitors is much lower. If traveling to Japan to have a culturally unique experience, and to shred untouched pow day after day with little to no competition is in your travel dreams wheelhouse, then continue reading and start making your plans for next season.
Back to the action! Day 3 did not bring any respite to the onslaught of mega flakes piling up outside, and our team decided to push up the snowy road to Hodaigi ski area. It is hard to recount exactly how much snow fell each night, but it would be safe to say there were 20″+ of new snow overnight on top of the 3-5 feet the preceding 2 days. It was enough to keep the upper mountain closed due to wind and lifts being buried that day. No worries, though: we absolutely smashed out the lower lifts and found loads of fun jumps to sample while lapping with about 20-40 locals on a huge open face. Unofficially, Mike may have gone to high school with someone on ski patrol who may have unofficially given us a lift to the top of the mountain on a snow machine from a hidden location behind the trees. It might have been the coolest sled ride ever for the guy, you know, if it really happened. Blasting up 30-35º steepness groomers with 3 feet of fresh on them and zero tracks, ski or otherwise, is something I will always remember, you know…if it really happened. The snow on the upper section was a little more wind-pressed, but it still made for a hell of a run. Thanks to the unknown folks who may or may not have helped make all this happen.
Aside from this adventure, the riding on the lower mountain was killer and punctuated with dipping into short tree runs rife with pillow drops, untrodden creek bed lines, and of course, ribs-deep snow. The snow never stopped, and after about 2/3rds of a ski day, we were all properly thrashed. Going bell to bell when there are 4-10 second waits at the lift is a lot harder than I remember from my more youthful days. It was a huge day with few if any other Westerner sightings. I must admit that this adds a star or two for me in the adventure category. Grabbing a few beers after riding in a cafeteria with no English on the menu makes you feel like an explorer in a whole new world and I dig it. Maybe you will too when you get up there to check it all out! Try the ramen on the way down the hill at the roadside ramen shop and take a dip at Takaragawa Onsen—one of Japan’s largest outdoor hot springs.
The snow continued to pound down on our glamping tents are Canyons Base HQ that night and many ski areas declined to open the following day. Digging out the lifts after another 20-30″ overnight was just too big of a bear for some of them to take down. Luckily Mike and Adam, another fantastic Kiwi turned local at Canyons, had a backup plan and we bushwacked through the snow-choked roads in their sick 4WD van up to Okutone ski resort. Just a few short kilometers up the hill from the Base, Okutone is epic and shows love for the locals by being open from 6 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 6 am to 12 am on weekends. That is bonkers! Also, I love it!
We were slackers and got there closer to 8:30 am, so many of the obvious lines under the chairs and out in the open were skied fairly hard already. Big ups to the locals that get out and ride hard under the lights at 6:00 am, as this fella was still sleeping in a nice chilly tent at the time. Again fortune smiled on our little posse and Mike timed the opening of the upper chair like the boss that he is. We caught about 4th chair to the upper zone and got rewarded with stomach-deep snow at about 10:30 am. Sometimes the late bird gets the worm, and I for one am down to be that late bird anytime! After 4-5 laps of crushing the low-hanging fruit on the upper mountain, we dropped into the side country and scored 3-4 banger pow runs with deep face shots and easy returns to the lifts
I would say that Okutone is a little resort that punches way above its weight on fun terrain and easy-accessed side country. It is one of the places I am most excited to return to in the near future. Again, I think it is best to go with a guide here to stay out of avalanche traps and other troubles. Also, bring your avy gear and know your stuff before deciding to head over and try any of the terrain outside the main resorts. We heard a lot of stories about folks getting in over their heads and having to pay for expensive rescues. We would not want a loyal Snowbrains reader like yourself to get a bill for a whole lot of yen.
Day four in the Minakami area at Okutone was our last day riding in Gunma and we packed our smelly gear into the van and made the move to Niigata for the next chunk of our trip. The area known as Yukiguni or “Snow Country” was coming up, and we had already been shacked with so much snow. Big snow totals continued to dominate the forecast for the next few days, so psych was high. More about the next round of the adventures in Niigata’s Yukiguni will be coming out next week in Japan 3.1.
Quick hit tips:
- You can take a bullet train from Tokyo to Minakami or Yuzawa in less than 75 minutes.
- Accommodations are plentiful and range in price and style. Choose ryokans for the local experience.
- Eat a lot of good food at local restaurants (More on this below).
- Eat at combini’s – Family Mart, Lawson, and 7-11 are my favs. Egg salad sando and onagri for the win.
- Try the local sake (More on this below).
- You will likely want a car for access in Minakami. Make sure to get 4WD and snow tires.
- Have a backup plan in case it snows too much and your first-pick resort is closed for the day.
- Bring a snorkel and a sense of adventure. This is not Summit County (Utah or Colorado).
- Go to Okutone Brewery and try everything! This is a killer craft brewery in Minakami.
- Upscale your stay if you have the funds ay Senjuan. Top level Ryokan experience with private balcony onsens!
Insane Eats in Minakami:
- Freshly hunted game at Tantokuwassi. You won’t find food like this anywhere else!
- World Class Soba at Kadoya. This place is 250 years old and going strong!
- More world-class quality meats at the Techno Butcher’s lair Ikufuudo.
Stuffed Mushroom and Pate at TantoKuwssai. | Photo: SnowBrains
