Off-piste skiing in Japan - powder, sushi and Onsen

Powder, good food, bathing in natural hot springs and ski adventures in the beautiful woods is what await us on Hokkaido in Japan. Hokkaido is the northern island of Japan, thanks to cold winds from Siberia and northern China, there are incredible amounts of snow every winter. Statistics show that it snows about 15 meters per season. As if that wasn't enough, the last 5 years it has snowed every day throughout the month of January. So pack the goggles and your fat skis and go with us on the powder-chills in Japan. 

A ski safari around Hokkaido 
Our goal of the trip is to visit several different ski resorts and pick the best parts at each place. The distances between many of the resorts are pretty short and by staying in three different places we have time to explore ski resorts in different areas.

Lift-accessed off-piste skiing combined with ski touring & backcountry adventures
This trip is built around the best of both worlds, lift-accessed off-piste skiing and ski touring using climbing skins to reach terrain beyond the ski resort boundaries.
On many days, you can enjoy untracked powder directly from the lifts if conditions and resort choice allow. But to truly unlock the best skiing, we also venture beyond the lifts — skinning to surrounding peaks, accessing hidden lines above the resorts, or touring out from classic descents that don’t end at a lift.
For this reason, all participants are expected to have skis with touring bindings and climbing skins. This setup gives us the flexibility to adapt each day to snow conditions, weather, and group dynamics, and allows us to explore genuine backcountry terrain far from the crowds. 

About Hokkaido 
Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost island and is reached easiest by 1.5 hour domestic flight from Tokyo, although there is a tunnel to the main island. Hokkaido is two times bigger than the size of Switzerland. Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, is perhaps best known for us skiers thanks to the Winter Olympics 1972. Hokkaido is Japan's main agricultural area. Most of the rice and fish are produced here, as well as the cultivating of vegetables. There are many pristine forests on Hokkaido and the island is the least populated part of Japan, although the number of inhabitants on the island are approximately 5.7 million. There are six national parks and twelve nature reserves and the island is a popular resort for the Japanese, especially in summer. 

There are a total of over 80 ski resorts on Hokkaido, many of these are small and have lifts that are of no or little interest, but there is still plenty of good skiing. 

Skills & Level
Off-piste skiing in Japan is largely about tree skiing — playful, flowing turns in deep powder through forests rather than steep, exposed alpine faces. To fully enjoy this style of skiing, you should be comfortable skiing off-piste and have prior experience skiing in trees.
While the terrain is generally considered easier than off-piste skiing in the Alps — thanks to the consistent powder snow and modern ski equipment — it still requires good control, confidence, and the ability to adapt your skiing to tight spaces and variable visibility.
You do not need prior ski touring experience. Any skills required for using climbing skins and short uphill sections will be taught on-site. What matters most is that you have solid off-piste skiing skills and enjoy skiing in powder and forested terrain.
The physical effort and the length of any touring ascents will always be adapted to the group’s ability, experience, and preferences. 

Snowboarders on our off-piste trips in Japan
Our off-piste trips to Japan are primarily designed for skiers. This is due to group dynamics, safety considerations, and how we move through the terrain – especially in tree skiing, traverses, and longer sections in deep snow.
However, this does not mean that snowboarders are excluded. Snowboarders are very welcome when booking as a private group, where the program can be fully adapted to snowboard riding. This allows us to choose terrain, pace, and daily routes that are best suited for snowboarding, resulting in both better riding and a safer overall experience for everyone.
In addition, we also offer selected dates where snowboarders are welcome in open groups. Please see the notes associated with the specific dates when booking. 

Program 
The following program describes the trip as a whole. The number of days can be adapted if you book as a whole group. Which resort we go to each day depends on where the snow is good. 

Day 1 
This day is the date given as date of departure when booking.

Day 2 
Arrival at Sapporo, from there we travel by car/minibus to Niseko. We met at 4 pm at Chitose.

Day 3 
First ski day and we get to know the powder skiing in Niseko/Hirafu. We explore all the beautiful woods skiing and bowls on all sides of the mountain. During the day, we also learn and practice how to use the avalanche equipment. After skiing, it is a given with a cold beer in the nearby Onsen. Few things can compete against lying in natural hot springs and watch the snow fall after a good day of skiing.  

Day 4 
Hopefully, the fatigue from the long flight is gone and we can step up the pace a bit. There are many nice resorts close to Niseko and it might be of value to visit one of these today. We continue to Kiroro and we will sleep in Otaru.  

Day 5 
Skiing in Kiroro - sleep in Otaru

Day 6
More skiing in Kiroro before heading to Furano

Day 7
First day in the area around Furano. The peaks and resorts here are higher and even if the vertical is the same as in Niseko the snow is often drier and the air is colder. Even here there are hot springs and delicious food. What surprised us most in Japan is not only the skiing, but also how wonderful the food is. 

Day 8 
The potential for off-piste skiing from the lift here is unbelievable. We take the days as they come and adapt to the preferences of the group and the weather.

Day 9
Our seventh and final ski day. After skiing, we will travel to Sapporo, where we have dinner and sleep the last night.

Day 10
Travel day return back home.

For those who want and have the time we recommended to stay a few days in Tokyo on the way home. 

Group size
5-6 persons 

Equipment 
The following personal equipment you need to have with you, this is not included in the price. 
• Ski equipment – skis with touring bindings 
• Climbing skins
• Ski backpack (about 30 liter)
• Headlamp 

Included in price 
• Professional guidance and instructions of the authorized mountain guide 
• Safety equipment for off-piste skiing (transceiver, shovel, probe) 
• Accommodation including breakfast, 8 nights 
• Accommodation in double rooms at hotel and a few nights in traditional Japanese guest houses
• All transportation during the week  

Not included 
• Lift ticket (costs about 20-40 Euro per day depending on location)
• Lunch and dinner 
• Flights to and from Sapporo 
• Insurance for off-piste skiing

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