Winter Sports

Japan is a very mountainous country and so has plenty of opportunities for winter sports -- both for newbs and pros.

Season

The regular season starts in late December and ends in late March or early April. Peak season is early February. There is also a smaller peak over Christmas and New Year. Package tours within Honshu generally don't start until the weekend before Christmas and end some time between the March long weekend and the first weekend in April. An extended season does exist in some areas. Pre-season skiing can begin as early as late November and many resorts list May 5 as the final day of their spring skiing season. When skiing during either shoulder season, expect a reduction in the number of lanes open to the public due to snow conditions and private lane allotments. There are no summer glaciers or summer snowfields in Japan.

Many resorts hold events during the year especially at the start and end of the season for example, fireworks on the last night of the open season.

Conditions in Japan

Mountains

Many of Japan's ski and snowboarding mountains are in the central highlands (Gifu and Nagano), the Tokoku region, and Hokkaido. Though not as well known, the Kinki and Chugoku regions are also skiable.

Japanese mountains lack altitude when compared to their counterparts in Europe and the Americas and most skiable mountains in Japan are entirely within tree-line skiing or are nearly so. Japanese resorts make up for the lack of altitude by building outwards and by interlinking with adjacent resorts. The Shiga Kōgen area in Nagano-ken is considered by some to be the world's largest ski resort area because of this interlinking system.

Snow

If you talk about skiing in Japan, you will often hear the phrase, "Japanese snow is very wet." What this means is that thanks to mild winters and all the humidity causing sea water around, the microstructure of Japanese snow has a high moisture content. Think the big clumps of falling snow you would use to make a snowman. Anyone who has skied within sight of an ocean or even the North American Great Lakes will recognize this snow type. Wet snow is a mixed blessing. It comes in huge quantities and gives Japanese mountains their high powder-day count. But this form of snow also comes with a high number of rainy days and an extended slush-skiing season in the spring. The snow itself also degrades (ruts) more easily, so the nice even surfaces of groomed runs don't stay that way for long.

Weather

Japan's winter is milder than other major winter sports locations, but the occasional day at -20 Celcius with windchill is still possible. While I've never seen a resort shut down its lifts because of extreme cold, in a typical season, loosing multiple days to extreme wind conditions is normal. Frequent days with damp air, wet snow, fog, and rain are part of the characteristic weather and geography pattern that produces "Japanese snow." Generally, the further inland a resort is, the fewer wet days it will have, but also less powder snow. The weather also gets colder as you move inland and northward. It's also worth mentioning that Japanese mountains seldom have the altitude needed to move above the cloudline.

Transportation

Buses

• Leaving from Nagoya or Osaka

  The 2 major ski transport hubs for people living in Mie are Nagoya and Osaka. Most Nagoya buses depart from the area in and around the Meitetsu Bus Center. Nagoya ski buses mainly service the Chubu region. I have yet to find a bus from Naogya that will take me to a resort in the Kinki region. I have never travelled via Osaka for skiing, so I don't know much about those routes, but both Kinki and Chubu resort options are available.

• Leaving from Mie

  Some tours have buses that stop at major train stations in Mie, but expect to pay a lot for this convenience. For example, the Tsu to Nagoya round trip by bus can cost as much as the the round trip by train plus a night's hotel in Nagoya. There is also a possibility that you will not make it to your stop before last train.

• Problems with taking the bus

  The major problem with buses is that they get stuck in traffic a lot. While they do try to budget for this in their ETA, late arrivals are still very common. If you miss your last train because the bus was stuck in traffic, do not expect any compensation. Another bus complaint is that some will ask you to pay an extra luggage fee of 1000-1500 yen in order to bring your equipment with you. With some buses, this fee is only charged to snowboarders.

• Some tips for choosing your bus to minimize delays

  Based on my own experiences, buses travelling from Niigata to Nagoya arrive on time far more often than ones travelling from Nagano so if you don't care where your mountain is, Niigata might be your place. But if your heart is set on Nagano's Hakuba area, choose a bus that does its pick ups at the pensions. Tour pamphlets list all the stops on each route so you'll be able to tell. Never ever take a bus that picks up at any of the Hakuba bases if you can avoid it.

• Luggage ticket system

  Before you get on the bus, you may be given a handful of small colored luggage tickets. This is a color coding system that tells the driver which stop your luggage gets off at. You don't have to write anything on the tickets, but you do have to attatch one to each piece of luggage you bring.

Car

A possible option if you a have a group willing to share the gas, tolls, and driving duties. Many tour companies have "My Car" packages that include everything, but the transporation. I'm not sure if any resorts in Japan charge for parking, so it's best to check your resort online before you arrive.

Rail

As rule, trains do not stop anywhere near ski resorts and you will still have to switch to a bus or other form of transportation once you arrive at the closest station. Among the few exceptions are smaller man-made hills within city limits, but in most cases, these hills are not worth your time. Some hotels and pensions will pick you up from the train station when you arrive if you arrange this service with them ahead of time.

Air

There are no special allowances for ski equipment when flying domestically so you will either have to budget equipment weight into your packing limit (20kg?) or be prepared to pay a weight surcharge. Also, airlines in Japan do not allow waxes onto flights even if they are placed in checked luggage and they are likely to question you on the subject. Some hotels and pensions will pick you up from the airport if you arrange this service ahead of time. Many bus companies also offer shuttle buses between major airports and major resorts.

Lifts and Tickets

• Hours

  Lifts usually start opening from 8:00 or 8:30 and most are closed by 5:00 PM. Some places also have night skiing on a portion of their runs. Night skiing ends around 9:00 PM. Sometimes restaurants and shops on site will open earlier and close later than the lifts.

• Cost

  At most resorts, expect to pay 3000-5000 yen for an adult full day ticket. Many places also offer multi-day rates, half-day rate, and even hourly and per-run rates. Various children's and senior's tickets are also available. Rates may also be different depending on the date, day of the week, or other special promotions.

• Buying your ticket

  Tickets can be bought at the resort the day you plan to ski, but in many cases, the ticket will be cheaper and/or include additional goods or services if it is purchased in advance or from a different company. For example, purchasing a 4900 yen lift ticket at Niseko gets you one day of skiing, but the same 4900 yen ticket from a bus company includes free round trip bus service from Sapporo Station. When bought from any conbini in Hokkaido 4900 yen will get you the ticket plus a 1000 yen food voucher. Lawsons publishes a magazine sized flyer dedicated exclusively to its skiing and snowboarding related Loppi terminal deals. You can also check the internet to see what deals the resort you plan to ski at offers.

• Linked resort tickets

  Many Japanese resorts are actually close enough that it is possible to ski from one to the other without realizing it. Hakuba, for example, is actually three inter-joined resorts and purchasing one ticket gains access to all three. However, this is not always the case and it is possible to unknowningly end up at a lift where your ticket is not valid so when buying a ticket, you should always check what lifts it applies to. Many joined resorts will have shuttle buses connecting the different bases. You may need to show your ticket if you want to ride.

• Using your ticket

  At nearly all resorts the ticket must be scanned each time you board the lift and not just at base lifts. Japan does not use sticker backed or polymer hole punched tickets. Most tickets are credit card sized or smaller and made from cardstock or hard plastic. Reusable IC chips are common. Both types of tickets are made to be kept in clear pockets. Special armband cases can be purchased for about 500 yen. IC tickets do not have to be visible to be valid as long as the machine can read through your clothes. Do not keep metal objects or electronics in the same pocket/area as your IC chip. Resorts using IC tickets will require a refundable deposit of between 500-1000 yen. To get your refund, insert the ticket into the return machine or take it to the ticket counter. Deposits can be collected after the IC chip has expired.

• Lift types

  Chairlifts and gondolas account for almost all lifts. Service on them is generally excellent, but a common criticism of Japanese lifts is the lack of single's lines and reluctance of lifties to fill the lifts to capacity. If snowboarding, you may be asked to put a cover on your snowboard before bringing it into the gondola cabin. In that case covers will be provided. Grease dripping from lifts on rainy days is rare, but I have had trouble with staining from the rubber used as padding on some chairs.

Equipment and Clothing

Renting vs. Buying

• Buying

  A full range of ski and snowboard gear can be purchased within Mie. Sports Alpen is a chain store with several locations in Mie that specializes in winter sports. There is one in Tsu on Route 23 across from the Sun Valley mall (JR Takachaya Station 高茶屋). Other sporting goods stores will carry a variety of items during the winter. The largest selection of used gear and winter clothes in Mie is the Book Off in Suzuka's Bell City Mall.

  Resorts usually sell a selection of new equipment and some will even sell used. Sometimes these used items are old rental equipment, but there may also be better quality items being sold on consignment. Major resorts usually have multiple ski shops at their bases and in their associated towns.

• Renting

  Everything you could possibly need to ski or snowboard is available to rent including winter clothing. Tour packages will usually include coupons for rental discounts at specific stores and hotels will sometimes have rental shops for use by their guests. Rental rates for boots, poles, skis, and boards are affordable and many discounts exist, though rates may go up at peak times. If you are a beginner, the basic rental equipment will be good enough for you, but otherwise you may want to consider the more expensive options like carving skis, twin tips, etc. Clothing rentals can include jacket, pants, hat, mitts, helmet, mitts, and possibly other items. Price wise clothing rentals, even after deals, can cost as much or more than equipment rentals. Sizing for boots and clothing may be an issue if you are not built to Japanese proportions so you should call ahead if you think this may be a problem.

• What you should buy and what you should rent

  Unless you plan to do a lot of skiing or snowboarding and are willing to also assume the costs and hassle of tuning, you will be better off renting your skis or snowboard. Buying your own boots offers a slightly better value, especially if you have size or comfort issues with normal Japanese rental boots. With other items, you may be better off buying or making due without. In most weather, layering the winter clothing you aleardy have under a windbreaker or raincoat is a passable substitute for a winter jacket. Similarly a couple of layers under windbreaker style track pants can double for ski pants and they actually sell fleace-lined windbreaker pants in many clothing stores. Gloves, hats, and neck warmers are cheap enough that renting them just doesn't make sense.

  The 2 items everyone should buy is a helmet and goggles. Death and brain trauma are legitimate risks of skiing and snowboarding regardless of your skill level. Wearing a helmet and googles will greatly reduce those risks. You should buy a helmet instead of renting because a very serious fall can damage its shock absorbtion ability even if the helmet is not visibly damaged. Because renters don't usually report such falls, rental helmets are potentially comprimised helmets. Also helmets tend to be very sweaty and wearing one that somebody else has been exercising in, possibly without a hat or bandana, is gross. As for goggles, sunglasses do not offer the same wind shielding nor do they protect the eyes and nose as well in a fall. Low-end goggles are cheap and functional as well as being more sanitary than rental goggles. The main difference between cheap and expensive goggles is the ability to remove the lense and replace it with a different one depending on light and weather conditions. A single "good weather" lense should be enough for most people, but if you plan to ski at night or in bad light conditions, a second clear lense will be useful.

Gear Maintenance

The costs of gear maintenance is generally on par with those in North America. Sports Alpen is a chain with several locations in Mie that offers a variety of services including boot fitting, binding mounts, and tune ups. There is one in Tsu on Route 23 across from Sun Valley mall (JR Takachaya Station 高茶屋). Bigger resorts may also maintain a tune up shop with their own technicians. For those interested in self tuning, a full range of tuning supplies can be purchased within Mie at shops like Sports Alpen with the most basic items being available at just about any sporting goods store in the winter. Facilities for self-tuning your equipement may be availble at your resort or hotel, but will not include tools or waxes.

WARNING: Because of the high moisture content in typical Japanese snow, Japanese ski waxes and wax substitutes are usually high-flouro formulas and are very toxic. Use a lower temperature setting on your iron, increase ventilation, wear a mask, and wash your hands. Less toxic, straight-chain hydrocarbon waxes are available, but not all stores carry them.

Shipping

If you own your own gear, it is possible to have it shipped to your hotel before you arrive and to have it shipped home after you leave.

A List of Resorts

• Furano

  A powder heavy Hokkaido resort sometimes featured on the Snowboard World Cup circuit. It is within day trip distance of Asahikawa city (旭川市). This area holds Japan's records for coldest recorded day so dress warmly.

• Rusutsu

  A Hokkaido resort that can be done as a day trip by bus from Sapporo or Niseko. It is reputed as being a new up and coming resort with more snow and fewer people than Niseko; however, it is commonly criticized as being overly expensive.

• Niseko (ニセコ)

  Hokkaido's most famous resort.

• Hakuba (白馬)

  Hakuba was where many of the skiing events for the 1998 Nagano Olympics were held. The yearly AJET skip trip has often been held at this location.

• Happone

  This resort shared hosting duties with Hakuba at the 1998 Nagano Olypics.

• Shiga Kōgen (志賀高原)

  Considered by some to be the world's largest ski resort, the name is applied to a series of 21 interconnected resorts in Nagano-ken.

• Kanazawa (金沢)

• Meiho

• Ciao

• Gozaisho

  The only skiing location in Mie, but at only 1200m it can hardly compare with those elsewhere in Japan. Furthermore, only a small portion of the mountain can be skied and it must be accessed by an expensive gondola which is seperate from the lift ticket.