“To learn the true meaning of skiing or snowboarding is to be able to live in the NOW. That feeling when your mind and ego are at peace while riding down that pristine slope, and you are totally in the present moment can have life changing repercussions for all aspects of your life. True realisation of ongoing enlightenment happens in the NOW and this is the hope we have for all our guests when they leave us at Japan Powder Culture Tours.” Jase (Owner)

The story so far...

Rather than just pump you up with all the marketing jargon, and tell you how great we are, so that we have a higher percentage chance of extracting your hard earned yen for one of our tours - instead let us just tell you what we have experienced in the Japanese ski scene over the last ten plus years, and what we are doing now to help you have a true authentic ski and snowboard experience this season.

the past

To claim one’s tour product is right for every person is not really a true reflection of the ski market in Japan.  We are not going to put down or bag the more westernised resorts such as Niseko, Furano, Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen and Myoko, as without them few people around the world would have knowledge of the pristine snow and amazing cultural experiences that Japan offers.  Many of us started our ski time in one of these resorts and we still have fantastic memories of our times there. 

Sure there is a very heavy western influence at these resorts and you might not get the same authentic experience at these resorts as you might have in years past, but you can still have a good time, and these resorts still provide a very good service for a mainstream proportion of the ski market who like things to be set up in the same way it is at most western resorts around the globe.  In one of Don Henley songs he says “They call it paradise, I don’t know why.  Call something paradise and you can kiss it goodbye”.  As with everything in the ski industry similar to tourist hot spots around the world, destinations may not always be the same when you visit them a second time, as once the secret is out growth and change will occur.

the future

OK -  let’s move onto what we have done to try and retain our part of the Japanese ski industry paradise now and into the future.  There are over 500 ski resorts around Japan (over 1000 in the peak of the 80’s) so the capacity for growth in the ski market is huge.  Saying that, by just setting up camp at one area that does not have a large western influence will not guarantee that this will be the case in future years. 

So to combat this we have select the ski areas that we know we have the best chance of control over for an extended period of time to ensure that a ski utopia is maintained for years to come.  Of course we would be unwise to elaborate on how we achieve this as we do not wish to hand the goose that laid the golden egg to our competitors, however we can tell you a bit about the services and the products we provide today.

The Now

Imagine being able to come to a place where all levels of ski and snowboard abilities are catered for all under one roof. 

Beginners know they are getting the highest level of instruction by a company that has re-written the standard worldwide ski/snowboard manual to incorporate common sense approaches that will not only increase their safety on the snow, but elevate their improvement on the snow efficiently and effectively.  Intermediates no longer have to feel intimidated by learning to ski better on piste and in the powder, but learn in an environment and with people that are passionate to see you come to higher levels of skill and enjoyment on the snow. And lets not forget the advanced and experts who just want to bliss out in that wonderful JAPOW with the guarantee of the three Q’s – quietness, quality and quantity when skiing the JAPOW off piste. 

Now let’s couple this with cultural experiences that many tour companies talk about but few deliver.  Tours which include performances such as the geisha, taiko drum, shimsen guitar, lion dance and karate performances, an interactive magic/comedy show with a foreign local to the area , visits to castles, temples, shrines, historic towns and the world famous snow monkeys and a raft of hidden gems to surprise and delight you along the way - all backed up by the excellent person to person service that Japan is renowned for. 

This is what gets us out of bed in the morning at Japan Powder Culture Tours, so don’t just take our word for it, visit our guest reviews page to find out what our previous guests have to say.

What next?

Email, phone, text, Whatsapp, message or send us a smoke signal to receive an information pack that will elevate your next ski or snowboard trip from average to awesome this coming season.  The choice is yours...