Japan 2024?

A snowHead

I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to Japan with kolkie (mrs horizon) and horizon jr (the one who's not really a jr anymore, not the toddler!) This would happen almost certainly in the first two weeks of February, and I'd expect 10-11 days of skiing and

Our hope would be to ski the famed Japanese powder and see / experience something different to Europe and North/South America.

Ideally we would ski with a guide at least half of the time, unless the setup for skiing offpiste is clear, and avy danger is low (eg tree skiing - though I'm aware of the tree well danger).

I'm quite comfortable in any terrain that we're likely to encounter, my wife and son have fewer steep miles under their feet but have skied several decent lines. However, I understand terrain in Japan tends to be on the mellower side - hence our focus mostly on other kinds of dangers.

We'd like to have two bases, mostly three, so we also have a chance to chill out - unless it's really much better to move often.

I've been reading previous threads, of course, but any suggestions are very welcome!

(where to go / where to find a guide / how late to book accommodation / how flexible to be on destinations / suggestions on specific accommodations / budget / etc)

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@horizon,
one of the bases I would say In/around Furano. Easier re guides there too as a few companies are based there.

The other base - Niseko/Rusutsu (the lite one would love it)/Otaru or Kiroro?
- Niseko: busy and least Japanese due to the number of non-JPN visitors;
- Rusutsu: love the place and its separate areas, the sleeping amusement park will be fun for the little one;
- Kiroro: excellent skiing, but a bit secluded;
- Otaru, small town, lovely to stay at, easy access to a local hill and nearby resort, circa 40 min to Kiroro or Teine(?)

Re Furano are - NinjaPow, Furano Snow Tours, Hokkaido Powder Guides are some of the guide companies.

If you fancy a beer could talk over Otaru accom and food options (love this small town).

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@Mother hucker, basic observation skills - if a tree has grown up in that position over the last 20-50-100 years, there have likely not been any avalanches of any size in that time, otherwise the trees would not survive.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Had a question/idea at the back of my head that has been nagging me since long re the tour operators in JPN. Hope a useful consideration for @horizon as well - some of the advertised tours are the so called mixed tours for boarders and skiers. Does it make sense to joining such a mixed tour? My guess is if a guide boards and not everyone is on split boards then the touring element is lost, correct? Am traveling solo in JAN and joining a tour on a predefined date is not possible unfortunately. What I can find are the mixed groups for boarders and skiers. Does it make sense of joining the mixed group for a week or better book several private tour days instead?

After all it is free

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Thanks @Mike Pow! Heading to Asahikawa this coming January so the intention was either to do a round DIY trip visiting most of ski areas around Asahidake or do a guided tour in the area and then lazy skiing on my own for another week.

Flying to/from Asahikawa means starting a tour in Furano and using Furano based guides/tour companies. Ninjapow has no availability for a single soul like me, Furano Snow Tours still to confirm. Trying to assess all options for guided tour in central Hokkaido first before deciding driving to Niseko area.

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@horizon, I know you and your team are used to using the services of excellent guides on your French La Grave based trips and further afield.

So that's the reason I'm responding to your post.

I would suggest that the majority of guides in Japan are nowhere in the same league as to what you're used to, and both Ken and I have had first-hand experience of a so called experienced guide, and you have more experience as well!

If you didn't see it then I'd suggest reading this travel report of how things are not quite the same when venturing off-piste in Japan and God forbid what happens if you have an incident https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=163556 and plan guide logistics/ insurance accordingly, however, you are travelling en Famille so maybe your terrain options & decisions will maybe be more constrained?

I know this will probably open up the whole can of worms again, but I think it's best out there for those thinking about Japan, ironically we were only talking about this a couple of days ago.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Hokkaido and Tohoku regions are known for their excellent powder skiing. Niseko, Rusutsu, and Furano in Hokkaido are popular ski destinations. Akita and Aomori in Tohoku offer more secluded options.

A snowHead

@ousekjarr, I can lay testament to the fact that slides do occur in trees, as a couple of other SH's have witnessed.

We'd been skiing a big face above the tree line and had been cautious, and I suppose once in the trees I sort of turned the button off as it were, and relaxed.

Ten mins later I was hanging upside down in a tree, fortunately, at the top of the slide which carried on for 75m, and with it one of my skis which we never found even after various trips up there in the Summer.

Though in hindsight and lesson learnt, there's a reason that there are glades in the forest rolling eyes

In Japan, it's not the tree wells you did to worry about but the hidden bamboo wells, that almost resemble crevasses, as was explained to us by nigh on the only UIAGM guide that lives in Japan, as we were touring up Mont Yoti and answered a lot of "what if" questions we asked him.

A year later @KenX, toured right into the crater (I was injured) with a team of so-called guides, and then on the descent towards the end they got lost rolling eyes

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Weathercam, @Mother hucker, accepted that slides can occur where there are trees, but the presence of trees does suggest that it is a much less frequent occurrence and/or of much less intensity than those areas where the trees are "inexplicably" absent when the rest of the hillside is covered.

A loaded area above a forest will not suddenly become safe because you've found some trees below it, but a loaded area above a treeless patch is significantly more likely to be dangerous.

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Apologies for the thread drift.

@ousekjarr, below is a map of a well-known off-piste area in Serre Chevalier that many SH's have skied, and probably the OP, although now, half of it is interdit due to it being assigned an environmental / conservation area to protect the snow grouse but that's a whole other issue.

And now with the avy overlay, it was the area left of centre that got me!

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It's not simply a matter of ground cover and topography

Snow avalanches can't occur without snow

Avalanches do occur in Japan but are far more prevalent and frequent on Honshu where there is more above treeline steep terrain where the snowfall typically comes in greater quantities and densities in each snow event

On much of Hokkaido the treeline goes to the top of the mountain which acts as a windbreak limiting the wind transport of snow

Snow events are more regular, typically in the 5-20cm range, with less density

These factors combined create a more homogeneous snowpack which is more stable and less prone to avalanche

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@Mike Pow, should have made it clear I wasn't talking about Japan just trees in general.

I would also imagine Hokkaido, once winter is up and running, doesn't get the erratic temperatures, freeze melts that are synonymous, (and as you mentioned no wind), that produce weak layers, that said was feckin windy up on Yoti and in another place we toured in!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Hakuba Valley.

@ousekjarr, im not pickimg an internet arguement or anything of the sort. I just dont want folks thinking its safer to ski a slope in trees its just not true. Trees do not act as a stablising anchor unless theyre too tight to ski through.

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Hi, circling back to the original post from @horizon. I'm writing from Japan Ski Experience. If you're looking at basing yourself in 2 areas, then one of them should probably be Niseko or Rusutsu (Rusutsu providing possibly the better powder, especially if you want to avoid tracked out, but without a resort village as such), and the other Furano if you're visiting Asahidake, or Hakuba if you want big mountain terrain close to your accommodation.

You could also stay in Niseko or Rusutsu for the whole time and visit those 2 resorts, which are half an hour apart, plus Moiwa, Sapporo Teine, Sapporo Kokusai and Kiroro. As your wife and son are looking for relatively mellow off-piste, the kind you find around Niseko and Rusutsu could be perfect. It is not just the quality of powder, but its accessibility which has earned Niseko its reputation.

In terms of how late to leave it to book, simply put, the best accommodations book out first. As you get closer to the season, the more expensive options that we wouldn't have recommended earlier on may be all that is left. Having said that, sometimes it's possible to get lucky and pick up a deal if there is late availability somewhere that suits you. Avoiding Chinese New Year (mid-Feb in 2024) is best. Get in touch for some quotes and local advice from people who live in Hokkaido: https://japanskiexperience.com/get-a-quote/

Btw, we just posted an article highlighting some of the differences between skiing Niseko vs. North America and Europe: https://japanskiexperience.com/a-ski-instructors-view-niseko-compared-with-europe-and-north-america/

Help!!

Japan 2024?

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