# Japan



## ckang008 (May 18, 2009)

snowvols said:


> What are the must hit resorts in Japan? I have a buddy moving out there so I am gonna go there for a week or so and ride.


Go to Niseko / Rusutsu in Hokkaido for powder snow. Nozawa Onsen also offers quite good snow.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

Ok I have found a flight into Japan. I am staying with a buddy of mine that does not ski/snowboard so I am clueless about everything thing. I have done emense amount of research and had several questions for anyone. Is there away to go from train to the mountain like a shuttle service? If there is a shuttle or cab or however I get there how much do they generally cost? Also all of the resorts I have looked at there is no tree riding or off piste it seems at all. Is that the case or am I not looking at the right places? Any good cat skiing also? How much is the train or is there a week or two week pass by chance? I can convert to USD if you dont mind just giving the yen amount. Sorry for so many questions Thanks for any help at all


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Tree riding is not encouraged at Japanese resorts but from what I understand it's not illegal to do with maybe the exception of one resort. Evidently going off of the groomed trails is just not thought of much by the Japanese skier/rider. I think that is also becoming less and less of a truth as more people from out West hit up their trees having a blast. 

As far as backcountry goes, it is a scene that is in it's infancy but looks awesome. The new Sweetgrass flick coming out this fall was filmed in Japan. It looks like they got some sweet footy. I've spoken with those guys before and they seem friendly enough. Shoot them an email and see if they'll give you some hints as to where to go for some out of bounds and inbounds spots in Japan. Check out the trailer too. They definitely found the pow.


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## ckang008 (May 18, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Tree riding is not encouraged at Japanese resorts but from what I understand it's not illegal to do with maybe the exception of one resort. Evidently going off of the groomed trails is just not though of much by the Japanese skier/rider. I think that is also becoming less and less of a truth as more people from out West hit up their trees having a blast.
> 
> As far as backcountry goes, it is a scene that is in it's infancy but looks awesome. The new Sweetgrass flick coming out this fall was filmed in Japan. It looks like they got some sweet footy. I've spoken with those guys before and they seem friendly enough. Shoot them an email and see if they'll give you some hints as to where to go for some out of bounds and inbounds spots in Japan. Check out the trailer too. They definitely found the pow.


It's quite true Japan resort discourage ppl from doing tree riding. Niseko is a good resort to do that but you need to enter specific gates to their backcountry stuff (which is epic!)


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## Method (Apr 3, 2009)

Wow those japanese don't know what they're missing!, Tree riding is the best. The Ultimate Ride: Shaun White one of his few backcountry films where he was hitting up the backcountry in japan, THey had some pretty sick footage in it.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

Thanks Ckang about Niseko. Do a bunch of resorts have gates?


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

I rode in Hakuba last season in december. snow was limited but it was still a ton of fun. dying to go to hokkaido though...theres def some sick tree runs there


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## brujito (May 11, 2008)

ckang008 said:


> It's quite true Japan resort discourage ppl from doing tree riding. Niseko is a good resort to do that but you need to enter specific gates to their backcountry stuff (which is epic!)


where are these gates you speak of?


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## ckang008 (May 18, 2009)

brujito said:


> where are these gates you speak of?


it's mapped on the trail maps. Plenty of places in Grand Hirafu and Annupuri for it. My favorite is going to the top of Grand Hirafu and board down to Hanazomon area


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## Reede (Feb 16, 2009)

I did Niseko in January, the powder there is beyond epic.

Trail map here: http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/map/08-09_nfp_trail_map_e.pdf

Niseko are one of the few resorts in Japan that allow access to off piste areas via gates and they give daily advice on avalanche danger as well, altho there are still a few regular runs that are incredibly easy to swing off into the trees for some good turns without crossing any boundaries at all (My pick is Rinkan, look it up on the trail map) Other runs like Miharashi are utter goldmines on a good snow day (I got buried in near shoulder deep powder at one point, its actually kinda scary)

The most well known gated run at Niseko is probably Strawberry fields tho, look for Hanazono Hooded Quad #1 (far right) and see at the top of the chairlift there is a little G in a diamond shaped symbol, that is the gate to strawberry fields that goes straight down through the trees to the bottom of the Hanazono area.

Look around the trail map for other gated areas. They can be a bit hard to find and if you go through a tour agency then their guides can usually give you some hints on the lesser known areas to hit.

I am trying my best to get back there again in Jan, altho there is a chance we may go to Hakuba so we can see a bit more of Japan. But for the best quality snow, Hokkaido just blows the rest out of the water. Niseko in particular.

Rusutsu is also highly regarded for its good tree runs as well, I dont think there is any real anti-tree kind of sentiment in Japan, its more to do with ducking ropes that they are very strict about.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

Thanks for the AWSOME response. That helps out so much


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## hardliner (Aug 29, 2009)

Niseko is probably the best place to visit in Japan. 

Niseko is the second snowiest resort on the globe (595 inches﻿ = 15.1 metres average) and with a mere 8% water quantity, the snow is super dry and deep and provides some of the most exhilarating powder boarding experiences anywhere in the world. The Hanazono area with its North East Aspect is renowned for its extra dry snow and receiving that little bit more than the rest as the storms from Siberia hit their first.

You can climb the Peak (1308)to experience 1,000 vertical meters of perfect deep pow all the way down to Hanazono 308 where the Japanese Good luck bells are mounted at exactly 308m.

On a clear day, this climb which takes about 15 - 20 mins is rewarded with the ultimate ride experience, where views from the Peak are truly awe-inspiring, spanning from the slopes of nearby Mt Yotei (the North Island’s answer to Mt Fuji) all the way to the ocean’s edge.

YouTube - Niseko Powder Japan snowboarding ニセコ


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## zaskar23 (Oct 4, 2009)

Was in Hakuba this last Feb and it was OK, not great by any means and yes they do not like tree runs there saw a few people get there lift passes taken! Worth it for the experience but not the snow is what I say well from what we got in Hakuba anyway, up north is way better from what I hear.


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## rlee17 (Oct 9, 2009)

Hakkoda is a must... http://www.hakkodapowder.com/.


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