How to JAPOW!
It's finally happening! You've spent years catching glimpses of Japanese powder days on your phone, and you've decided this is your season to experience it IRL. No longer will you live vicariously through other skiers' bell-to-bell days in waist-deep snow. It's your turn! You've earned it!
But where to start? International trips are complicated enough, and that's without lugging your ski gear halfway around the world to a place where you (probably) don't speak the language. Skiing in Japan looks epic, but all of a sudden, the prospect of actually pulling up to that first lift is intimidating, which is why we decided to help you out through our own experience getting to that oh-so-sweet JAPOW.
First Step: Pick Your Destination
According to experts (The Internet), Japan is home to 450-500 ski resorts! Trying to hone in on the right mountain becomes a lot more challenging with those numbers, so we're going to assume that, like us, you're choosing between the two major areas commonly visited by skiers and snowboarders: Niseko and Hakuba. Going a step further, many travelers base their decision on the season pass they have:
Niseko = Ikon Pass
Hakuba = Epic Pass
The number of days you get at either will depend on your specific pass, so check their websites to confirm. If you do not have a season pass, fear not, lift tickets in Japan are very affordable at ~$45/day.
You'll also want to take into account the ease of getting from A to B. Niseko is located on the island of Hokkaido (to the north of the main island) and typically requires 1-2 layovers to fly into Sapporo airport from your starting point. From there, you can take a 2-3-hour direct bus or catch a train with a few transfers. Hakuba is located on Honshu (the main island), and is best accessed by flying into Tokyo. From Tokyo, you can take a high-speed train to Nagano, followed by a 1.5-hour direct bus ride to Hakuba Valley.
A few factors pointed us toward Hakuba for our trip, so that's where we'll focus for the rest of the article.
What to Bring?
OK! You've picked your mountain, booked your flights, and confirmed that your mom did in fact get you a passport when you were a kid! Now it's time to pack. Each of us brought the following for our trip:
Tramline Quad Hardside: One pair of skis, poles, helmet, goggles, ski jacket and pants, gloves, buff, base-layers, socks.
Tramline Sidecar Boot Backpack: Ski boots, mid-layer, passport, computer, book, chargers, international power converter, GoPro, warm hat, sunglasses, chapstick, general toiletries.
Small Carry-On Luggage: Comfy clothes for the lodge, clothes for going out to dinner, extra base layers and socks, bathing suit (wasn't needed #onsen). Vacuum bags are a huge help if you're trying shift more weight/clothes into your carry-on.
Our trip was 100% resort skiing, so we didn't need to bring any avy gear. If you are planning to hit the backcountry, shuffling a few items from the Quad to your carry-on will open up space for your equipment.
The Journey
With the 12-hour flight behind you, it's time to enjoy all the luxuries Japan has to offer, starting with Takkyubin. Takkyubin is Japan's luggage forwarding service used to encourage hands-free travel throughout the country. It's an incredible option in its own right, but really adds value for skiers. There are a few different companies offering this to travelers, but we went with what is probably the most well-known - Yamato (the black cat logo). No reservations are required, but the line can be quite long at the airport terminal. Fortunately, traveling with our Quads allowed us to tap them along (upright) as the line moved, rather than picking up ski bags and dragging them a few feet at a time like everyone else. Once you get to the front, simply provide the agent with your hotel address, pay the VERY reasonable fee, and move on with your life.
The biggest drawback to using this service is that it takes 1-2 days to receive your gear at your destination. This can cause a bit of anxiety if you're itching to hit the slopes, but spending the first day in Hakuba resting, eating well, and checking out a few tourist destinations wasn't a bad way to start our trip. We also slipped AirTags into our Quads (there is a dedicated pouch for them at the top of the soft-goods compartment), so that we could watch them travel across the country. We never did conclude if this increased or decreased our anxiety.
Once our gear was safely on the way to Hakuba via Yamato, it was time for us to travel across Japan "hands-free". We landed in the evening, so we spent a night in Tokyo before catching our train in the morning. JR-East is the major railway company that manages the high-speed trains from Tokyo to Nagano, and we recommend booking tickets in advance. As an American with limited access to public transportation, high-speed trains are always fun to ride, and these trains were so nice that we genuinely wished our journey was longer than 75 minutes. Once in Nagano, we hopped on our bus to complete the journey to Hakuba. There are a few options for this last leg, but Alpico or Snow Shuttle buses tend to be the cheapest and easiest. Again, book these in advance as they tend to fill up with other powder chasers. The bus companies will often split you up into groups at the Hakuba station, then bring you directly to your accommodations. Most hotels also offer pick-ups and/or transfers, so reach out to them directly for confirmation.
The Mountain
There are 10 ski resorts in the Hakuba Valley, offering diverse terrain for all levels. Hakuba.com has a helpful guide explaining what each resort offers, so we recommend reading through that since the resorts that best match your ski/snowboard goals will likely dictate where you stay. We won't go into agonizing detail about our days on the mountain, but we do want to share how we split our time.
Happo One is considered the "main" resort, due to its location, terrain, and proximity to shops, restaurants, and bars. Knowing we would have some downtime while waiting for our gear, we started our trip here. We spent the first day getting the lay of the land and sourcing tips from fellow travelers who had already been in the valley for a few days. We skied two days at Happo One, each of which ended with some of the best meals of our lives. We then transferred up to Cortina for the last three days on the mountain, which offered a quiet contrast to our time at Happo One. Again, we're not diving into the actual ski days, but we will say this: work on those ski legs BEFORE your trip! The powder is real, and you will not want to call it an early day because your quads hurt.
Once you're finished in the mountains, the trip back is easy: Bus back to Nagano, train to Tokyo, cry during your flight home because you miss the mountains already.
We hope this helps you plan that epic trip to Japan this winter. It really is a special place, and we know you will enjoy your time there as much as we did!
The Tramline Team
