What is your perfect idea of a ski trip to Japan this coming season? Well, read on we may have the perfect solution for you.

Jules Adams 48 – Advanced Skiers – New Zealand – Jan 2023

I took my 13 & 14 year old boys for first Japan ski experience Jan'24. I wanted it to be memorable to them for the fun & good vibes, powder and a little non-touristy genuine culture. Jase & his team delivered on all fronts. The guiding crew are great fun but also very good at their job including safety first, fun & good memories a close second. Jase has amazing energy running the show and legitimately wants his clients to have the best experience, he cares being naturally service oriented. He is very good at ensuring each day the skiing choice is made to maximise the day for all, which for advanced skiers like us was proven by our 5 days being fresh powder found every day despite no snow falls in between! The additional cultural shows were fantastic with genuinely impressive talent. I noticed repeat customers present in the wider groups which says something and the clients Jase has just seem good people so we enjoyed all the group. Jase is also very good at providing good information (including logistics) before hand to set a realistic expectation of what to expect and for help. Thanks Jase and team, you provided wonderful memories for myself and my boys more importantly.

Nagano powder chaser

Designed with those that have time constraints and are unable join our longer set date tours.  These tours are for the skiers or boarders who want to chase that world-famous JAPOW at a variety of resorts in Nagano. Our tours cater for two tiers of skiers and boarders, the advanced skiers and riders who wish to experience as much powder as possible and explore the “slack country” of each of the resorts, and the high intermediate skiers and riders who are open to learning how to progress their powder skills and improve their on-piste technique with some tips and training from our instructor/guides.  No trip to Japan is complete without experiencing an amazing culture and meeting the local people that make this winter wonderland unique.

Highlights

• Ski and ride some of the nicest powder without the masses

• Learn some new skills from our instructor/guides for those interested in changing old habits to elevate your ability on the sno

• No need to work out the best places to ski and ride your instructor/guide does this for you

• Rejuvenate daily in an Onsen to sooth and relax

• Visit the world-famous snow monkeys and walk through a 1300-year-old town.

• Relax and be driven from location to location from our experienced mountain drivers

• Make some new friends to share those on snow stories with over a local sake, ale or wine

• The ability to enjoy some cultural side stashes with our self-guided cultural days.

Deluxe Ryokan Yumoto

Based on Twin/Triple/Quad Share for adults in Japanese/Western style room with own bathroom and includes breakfast and dinners as specified

3-night package - 2 days skiing per person (1 dinner included)

Twin ¥199,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥189,000 pp

4-night package - 3 days skiing per person (1 dinner included)

Twin ¥249,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥239,000 pp

5-night package - 4 days skiing per person (2 dinners included)

Twin ¥299,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥289,000 pp

6-night package - 5 days skiing per person (2 dinners included)

Twin ¥349,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥339,000 pp

(Single supplement upgrade based on the twin price is ¥7000 extra per night.  Japanese accommodation holiday rates apply at Ryokan Yumoto between 29th Dec 2024 and 3rd Jan 2025 so please enquire)

 Premium Hotel Omodaka

Based on Twin/Triple/Quad Share for adults in Japanese style room with own bathroom and includes breakfast and dinners as specified

3-night package - 2 days skiing per person (1 dinner included)

Twin ¥179,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥169,000 pp

4-night package - 3 days skiing per person (1 dinner included)

Twin ¥229,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥219,000 pp

5-night package - 4 days skiing per person (2 dinners included)

Twin ¥269,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥259,000 pp

6-night package - 5 days skiing per person (2 dinners included)

Twin ¥309,000 pp – Triple/Quad ¥299,000 pp

(Single supplement upgrade based on the twin price is ¥5000 extra per night. Upgrade to deluxe western room ¥8000 per person per night. Japanese accommodation holiday rates apply at Hotel Yumoto between 29th Dec 2024 and 3rd Jan 2025 so please enquire)

 Economy Snow Monkey Guest House

(Coming soon)

Skier/boarder Ability

These tours are best suited for high intermediate 4B to advanced 5A skiers and boarders.   For longer tours check out the Nagano Ski Buffet, Nagano Snowboard Buffet, Nagano Ski and Snowboard Progression or Nagano Powder Zone.  If you are looking for a beginner package, check out the Nagano Beginner Packages

Note:  We organise our groups according to ability level and where possible we separate the disciplines with a 1:6 guide to client ratio.  You will be mixing with our 8- and 10-day tour groups.  It is essential you read our skier and boarder ability chart carefully to rate your skill set accordingly, as it is extremely important you do not overstate your ability, or you may find you are in a group where you will be waiting for others not the other way around.  If you have a group of 4 to 6 people we can tailor make a tour for you and please enquire for our family rates.

Resorts

This tour can visit a number of resorts in the Nagano prefecture.  The resorts have been hand-picked based around our three Q’s criteria – quality, quantity and quietness.  The resorts we visit are dictated by the conditions on any given day and each area has its own individual micro climate so don’t be surprised if we visit the same resort a number of times.  Transport to these mountain is either by our buses or vans and different groups are mixed together to fill the seats. 

The resorts we can access for our clients include:  Oku Shiga Kogen, Yakebitaiyama, Ichinose and Giant, Yokote and Kamoyou (all part Asia’s largest ski resort Shiga Kogen),  Madarao, Tangram, Togakushi or Nozawa Onsen,  Drive times to these resorts vary from 25 minutes to 50 minutes in good road conditions

Tour Dates 2024/2025

There are no set dates for these packages; they can start any day of the week and are available as a 3, 4, 5 or 6-night package (or a package can be tailored to suit you or your group).  For tour dates between 29th Dec 2024 to 3rd Jan 2025 please apply for tour price due to the hike in room rate at both properties for the Japanese holiday period.   

Rates and Inclusions

• Pick up and drop off at Yudanaka train station or snow shuttle drop-off point

• Accommodation in twin, triple or quad share Japanese style room (single supplement available plus the ability to upgrade to the deluxe rooms)

• Daily Breakfasts

• Dinners as specified

• Ski Guide/Instructor (max 1:6 instructor to guest ratio)

• Lift passes

• Transportation to best snow location each day

• Transport to the world-famous snow monkey park. Both accommodation properties drop you up early to the snow monkey walking track, so you have the luxury of the viewing to yourself for a period of time

• A walk through historic Shibu town which dates back 1300 years

• Free rejuvenating daily Onsens (sauna at Hotel Omodaka)

• Plus, many more hidden gems...

Add ons:

• AVI gear rental ¥3000 yen per day and includes beacon, probe, shovel and pack

• We have a full ski and snowboard rental store which includes clothing, helmet, goggles, gloves, ski boots, poles, carving skis and boards and powder skis and boards.  Ask for rate.

• Telemark lesson available for advanced skiers with full NTN telemark rental equipment

• Single supplement Ryokan Yumoto ¥7000 and Hotel Omodaka  ¥5000 per night

• Deluxe Western room upgrade Hotel Omodaka ¥8000 pp per night

Tailor make your holiday with these optional extras at an extra cost:

• An interactive evening with a third generation Geisha performance

• A magic/comedy/interactive performance

• An interactive Karate performance and Taiko Drum/Shimansen guitar/Lion dance performance

• Ability to have a rest day if you wish and you can experience one of our three self-guided cultural days as outlined below (includes activites like snow monkeys, walk through ancient Shibu Onsen town, visit to Obuse town the home of the Hokusai Gallery, Zenkoji temple and the 1998 winter Olympic Museum)

Please note: the Geisha, Magic, Karate and Taiko performances are booked for our 10-day tours through the season so may not fall on your dates so please enquire for dates of these events if you wish to book them.

Not included:

• Travel Insurance

• Flights

• Travel to and from Yudanaka

• Dinners except for those specified

• Lunches, snacks and alcohol

Accommodation

Ryokan Yumoto (Deluxe)

We are extremely privileged to being working with the oldest Ryokans in the area at over 300 years and has just passed down to the 13th generation of family ownership. Dating back to the Edo period the area of Yudanaka has a history of over 1300 years and is where the Samurai came to bath after their battles and the pilgrims, artists and priests would visit on their way to Nagano.

All our guests fall in love with Yasuyo your host instantly and her lovely presence puts that icing on the cake for your tour. The property oozes charm and although not luxuriously built using precious woods, the pure Japanese-style guest rooms are spacious, and from the windows you can see the garden next to the hot springs.

Yumoto has a total of 5 rooms. The Japanese-Western rooms have 2 beds plus 8 tatami matts. The Japanese rooms have 4.5 tatami plus 10 tatami. The larger family Japanese room has 6 tatami plus 12 tatami. Each room has a toilet and bathing is done in the traditional onsen house.  All rooms have a flat screen TV, small fridge & kettle and Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.  Your room also has a traditional Japanese wardrobe (Yakata), which is not mandatory to wear at this Ryokan, although it is definitely comfortable attire after a day on the slopes.

Night-time meals are traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine served by your own private waiter in the ryokan dining area. Breakfasts (also included) are another highlight of your experience at Yumoto and need to be experienced as words are hard to describe.

Ryokan Yumoto is close to a wide array of quality restaurants in Yudanaka and a short distance from the local Lawsons and the train station.

Yumoto has a complimentary pickup and drop-off to and from the train station and they offer a free drop off at the snow monkey park 20 minutes earlier than the other accommodation in town so that you get the luxury of arriving at the park early, so you have the place to yourself for a length of time (it is a tourist attraction so gets busy).

Hotel Omodaka (Premium)

Hotel Omodaka, located in Yudanaka Onsen , has been loved by everyone as an inn with an open-air bath overlooking the Five Mountains of Hokushin . They offer a relaxing and peaceful time filled with the atmosphere of a hot spring. Owned and operated by an amazing family who make your time there a true authentic Japanese experience.

Rooms are larger than most in Yudanaka and predominately Japanese style. All twin/triple/quad share rooms come with private ensuite/bathroom and are Japanese-style with woven tatami floors and futon beds. The single supplement rooms come with toilets only and bathing is in the onsen complex.   All rooms have a flat screen TV, small fridge & kettle.  Your room also has a traditional Japanese wardrobe (Yakata), which is not mandatory to wear at this Hotel, although it is definitely comfortable attire after a day on the slopes.

Omodaka has a deluxe western room which are double the size of the Japanese style rooms at an extra cost and can house a maximum 4 people (2 x western beds and 2 x Japanese beds).   The Hotel has an indoor Japanese bathhouse (onsen) and outdoor hot spring (rotenburo) and there is also a sauna on sight which is rare in Yudanaka. The Hotel does not have clothes washing facilities however there is a public laundry a short walk away. 

Night-time meals are traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine served by your own private waiter in the hotel dining area. Breakfast (also included) is a buffet style mix of Japanese and Western dishes.  There are massage services available, free wi-fi throughout the Hotel, a bar and separate River Cafe that serves the best burgers in Japan (for those hankering for a non-Japanese meal), drinks vending machines, table tennis room and a souvenir shop.

Omodaka has a complimentary pickup and drop-off to and from the train station and they offer a free drop off at the snow monkey park 20 minutes earlier than the other accommodation in town so that you get the luxury of arriving at the park early, so you have the place to yourself for a length of time (it is a tourist attraction so gets busy).

Snow Monkey Guest House (Economy)

Coming soon is our new economy property called Snow Monkey Guest House which will cater for our more economy focused guests set in the heart of Yudanaka after renovation and due to be open mid November 2024.  We will be taking bookings for this property later in the year once we are certain of the opening date.

Yudanaka Township and Restaurants

Yudanaka sits at 600 metres above sea level and is a central hub for many ski resorts to be visited from. The area is well known for its onsens (hot springs) and it is said that over 1300 years ago a monk who visited the area discovered the healing quality of the water and the popularity of the region grew so much that the Samurai would come to repair their bodies in the rejuvenating waters.  The other attraction to the area is the world-renowned snow monkeys who have learnt to keep themselves warm in the natural onsen water. Although the town is visited by foreigners to visit the snow monkeys you will find the town relatively free of westerners when you eat out in the evenings during the week as many just come on day journeys.  And let’s not forget the wide array of traditional eating houses in Yudanaka which serve fresh local and regional produce.  In the past few years, the restaurant scene has expanded to include a number of new eateries which have a mix of Japanese and Western food to suit every palette.  A walk through historic Shibu Onsen town (where the popular Japanese movie Spirited Away was based) is also a must with its quaint shops, temples, shrines, foot onsens and authentic architecture.

Terrain and Safety

The rules when skiing at resorts in Japan can be a lot different to what is experienced in Western resorts around the world.  At a high percentage of the resorts in Japan trail skiing is the norm and anything off the main marked trails is deemed out of bounds.  The out of bounds is not patrolled so as far as the resort is concerned skiing there is at your own risk.  The out of bounds skiing we provide is deemed what has been termed in Japan by westerners “slack country” or “side country”.  Many times, these out of bounds areas are in between two marked courses so at the bottom of the run you meet up on a marked course to take you back to the lifts, hence the term “slack country”.  Some resorts are more lenient with out of bounds skiing and others very strict.  Some will have signs that state ski at your own risk where others may not.  We consider everything that is not on a marked trail to be out of bounds so any clients who wish to experience the out of bounds need to have the appropriate avalanche equipment and be able to ski at a high enough level to manage the conditions.  We have rental avalanche equipment available for those that do not at a rate of ¥3000 yen per day (beacon, shovel, probe and pack).  Anyone who wishes to ski off the main marked trails will be given instructions on the use of their avalanche equipment and will need to sign the release of liability agreement. 

Exclusion of Liability and Assumption of Risks

Adventure sports activities involve many risks, dangers and hazards.  These risks and hazards are outlined in our release of liability, waiver of claims, assumptions of risks and indemnity agreement which all participants are required to read and sign before participating in adventure sports activities.  This agreement will affect your legal rights should you be involved in an accident.

 Self-Guided Cultural Excursions

Here are a number of options for those that either have a scheduled rest day or for those that have ascertained they need to rest to lower the probability of injury.  We have a very rich cultural area with so many options that will give you that truly authentic Japanese ski experience that we at JPC Tours know are unique to this area and in our opinion cannot be replicated at any other ski resorts around Japan.  Maps and train schedules are all provided for these cool adventures.  Please Note: these are all achievable daily excursions; however you can chop and change them to suit how much time you would like to stay at each venue.

Option 1 (Snow Monkey – Shibu Onsen – Obuse Town)

8.30am leave from Biyu to snow monkey park on complimentary shuttle.  Walk to park through national forest.  Stop at Enza café at the start of the track after viewing monkeys for a hot drink and snack.  Walk to the Sake Museum then down through Shibu Onsen town (this area is over 1300 years old and is where the Samurai used to bath to rejuvenate and where the famous Japanese movie “Spirited Away” was based) then to the worlds tallest bronze Buddhist statue. Take the 12.31pm train to Obuse that arrives at 12.53 and a short walk to Obuse Town.  Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town. Take the 17.11 train to arrive back at Yudanaka train station at 17.33.

Option 2 (Snow Monkey – Obuse Town – Zenkoji Temple in Nagano)

8.30 leave from Biyu to snow monkey park on complimentary shuttle.  Walk to park through national forest.  Stop at Enza café at the start of the track after viewing monkeys for a hot drink and snack.  Pickup at 10.20 from start of monkey park to be transported to train station to take the 10.50 train to Obuse that arrives 11.12 for a short walk to Obuse Town.  Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town and have lunch at the many quality restaurants. Take the local 13.55 train from Obuse to arrive at Nagano 14.30.  Exit the train and make way your way to ground level on the west exit of station.  Take the Zenkoji bus to the temple.  Nagano is the only temple city in Japan which means the temple was built first and the city afterwards.  Purchase a ticket in the temple to do the underground chamber tour under the temple to find the gate to eternity and make sure you look in the large mirror when you exit to be born again.  Take the walk from the Zenkoji Temple to the train station (Many cool shops and restaurants along the way) and either travel back to Yudanaka on the 18.00 express train or dine in Nagano and take the 19.40 express train. 

Option 3 (Obuse Town - Zenkoji Temple and Olympic Museum in Nagano)

Take the 8.39 train from Yudanaka to arrive at Obuse at 9.14 for a short walk to Obuse Town.  Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town.  Take the 11.12 or 11.56 express train from Obuse to arrive at Nagano either 11.36 or 12.30.  Exit the Yudanaka express train and make way to ground level on the west exit of station.  Time for lunch either at the Midori train complex or at the many street restaurants close to train station.  Take the Zenkoji bus to the temple from the west exit.  Nagano is the only temple city in Japan which means the temple was built first and the city afterwards.  Purchase a ticket in the temple to do the underground chamber tour under the temple to find the gate to eternity and also the ticket for the Zenkoji Museum which is behind the Zenkoji Temple.  Take the walk from the Zenkoji Temple to the train station (many cool shops and restaurants along the way).  Another great place to visit is the M-Wave which is where the Olympic Museum is and the long course speed skating facility which is still in operation.  An amazing building with the largest wood suspended ceiling in the world.  Would need to get a taxi from train station to this venue.  Option to take the 18.00 express train back to Yudanaka or stay for dinner in Nagano and get the 19.40 train from Nagano which arrives in Yudanaka at 20.29.   

Our authentic Japanese ski tours from the guests perspective

3, 4, 5 and 6 night fully guided tours

High Intermediate to advanced skiers and boarders

guided Tour Dates

From mid Dec 2024 to Early april 2025

Please ask for a full pdf pack which includes tour details, FAQ's, pre trip information, reviews, terms and conditions and customer information spreadsheet.

Old Faithful POW Day

From a guest perspective