“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)

Guided Ski and Snowboard Tours Designed for You

Japan Powder Culture Tours have put together a range of fully instructed beginner ski and snowboard tours and daily lesson packages to experience the 18 resorts that make up Shiga Kogen.  Depending on conditions there is also the possibility to visit other resorts such as Madarao, Nozawa Onsen and Togakushi. 

Let’s face it, learning a new sport can sometimes be a daunting process without the right knowledge and experienced people to assist.  One option is to go to a totally Westernised resort in Japan which will generally work on the numbers game with large size beginner’s classes with many people on the slopes which increase the chances of injury. 

Another option is to come with us and experience resorts where westerners are almost non-existent, with small intimate beginner classes, and English speaking instructors that turn your learning into a lifetime passion.  Contact us today and we will take your next holiday from average to awesome!

Why Learn with Us?

It goes without saying that our qualified instructors are experience and passionate about their trade, that is the minimum you would expect from a ski school.  So what is our point of difference?  What we have learnt over the years is that there are some very important aspects of ski tuition which are not covered in the traditional ski instructor’s manual. 

The following are just some of the common sense approaches we use which will generally not be found at a traditional ski school.

• Generally what happens in a rental shop is you tell the staff your foot size, height and weight and they hand you some gear, and it is left up to the client to fit the gear. We take this one step further as we know how important it is to your skiing and safety to have the correct fitting equipment. We will measure your foot, fit your boots, tighten them up to make sure there are no pressure points, mount your boots on skis and ensure they are set to a safe level.

• Once on the snow we teach you how to walk in all types of terrain and different conditions in your boots. We also teach how to correctly carry your equipment to minimise effort and increase balance.

• We know everyone learns at a different pace and know the importance of mastering a certain movement before moving on. The quicker learners get given different task however our goal is to bring everyone up to the group’s level, so the slower learners are given just as much attention. We do not leave any soldiers behind.

• The usual teaching model is to talk about a movement, demonstrate the movement, get the client to try the movement then the next step is to follow the instructor. Unless the instructor has eyes in the back of the head, how can the fix an incorrect form? Instead we teach from the back moving through the group one on one and reinforcing movements through repeating the information until it becomes second nature to the client, repetition being the mother of skill.

• Where traditional ski schools only give you one piece of the pie so they have some leverage to get you to come back and spend some more money with them to get the next piece of the pie, we take it to the next level and give our guests the whole pie. We believe it is essential that our guests understand the five main movements (the whole pie) in skiing and snowboarding. Once this understanding is achieved we can then isolate each movement (piece of the pie) to gain a more fluid progression from beginner to intermediate.

• Another important aspect is teaching our clients how to read the different terrain, pitch of the terrain and the condition of the snow so they have the tools to make good decisions when negotiating their way safely down the mountain.

Here are just a few of the common sense approaches we use to accelerate our clients learning in a safe and enjoyable environment.

The team from powderhounds edit

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