ABOUT
From widely known locations to hidden secret spots, Riki and the rest of the guides (who have been skiing all around Japan for years!), will be pleased to guide you to the finest untouched snow fields in Japan!
Once you have experienced the snow-filled mountains, you can then experience the wonderful nature of Japan along with its traditional local cultures. Riki’s knowledge is second to none, all of which he has accumulated during his quest for perfect snow.
Are you interested in enriching and deepening your snow trip in Japan?
WHAT WE OFFER
SPECIAL TOURS
Experience the dynamic scenery you can only get here. Join us for an unforgettable experience.
Aizu Week Tour
Aizu District / From 300,000 yen pp / Intermediate~ / Guide Ratio 2:10
Sample Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival: Koriyama Station, Fukushima. Depart via coach to Hoshino Resorts Alts Snow Park & Resort (1hr drive)
*Coach from/to Narita or Haneda International Airport attended by guide is provided upon request
Lunch: Stop over for lunch aprox. 12:00 at a cozy restaurant. Lunch menu: local food, 1 soft drink
Afternoon: Arrival at Hoshino Resort Bandai Onsen Hotel at aprox. 13:00. You will be taken to the ski/board hire shop, for fitting of ski/board equipment at latest 2:00. Enjoy Alts Snow Park & Resort located on the south face of Mt. Bandai. 29 slopes await with deep powder snow. You will have a beautiful view over the lake Inawashiro!
After ski: Settled in your room and enjoy onsen in the hotel
Evening: Welcome drink and dinner in the restaurant at 7:00pm. Enjoy a small lecture on local Sake at the lounge and also the tasting.
Hotel: Hoshino Resort Bandai Onsen Hotel
Day 2
General Program: Enjoy Hoshino Resort Alts Bandai with guides of Riki Japow Guides. They will take you to the best conditioned slopes of the day.
Special Program: Soon after breakfast, enjoy “First Track”!
Lunch: at restaurants in the ski resort (at own cost)
After ski: Relaxed in your room and enjoy onsen in the hotel
Evening: Hearty local foods buffet dinner at 7:00pm. Enjoy a small lecture on local Sake at the lounge and also the tasting.
Hotel: Hoshino Resort Bandai Onsen Hotel
Day 3
General Program: After the baggage collect, enjoy the last day in Hoshino Resorts Alts Snow Park & Resort with guides of Riki Japow Guide.
Special Program: Enjoy chartered Cat Skiing. You are able to get up steeper and non-groomed slopes easily and enjoy powder snow runs.
*Cat skiing
Cat skiing is a kind of guided backcountry skiing. Rather than hiking or using a chair lift or helicopter, skiers and boarders are transported up the slopes in a snowcat, a grooming machine with a cabin on the back. The guides escort riders down powder runs and the cat makes it way to the bottom to pick them up and take them up to the next run.
Lunch: at restaurants in the ski resort (at own cost)
Afternoon: after skiing, heading to Ristel Inawashiro Resort aprox. 15:00. Settled in your room. Enjoy Onsen and other facilities in the hotel.
Evening: Hearty local foods buffet dinner at 7:00pm.
Hotel: Hotel Ristel Inawashiro
Day 4
General Program: Heading to Hoshino Resort Nekoma Snow Park & Resort located on the north face of Mt. Bandai offer you the country’s finest powder snow on natural-terrain, groomed and mogul runs. (1hr drive) Enjoy skiing/boarding with guides of Riki Japow Guide. They will take you to the best conditioned slopes of the day. （sited from official web site）
Lunch: at restaurants in the ski resort (at own cost)
After ski: Relaxed in your room. Enjoy Onsen and other facilities in the hotel
Evening activities: Hearty local foods buffet dinner at 7:00pm.
Evening Special Program: You can have an experience for dinner at Izakaya, Japanese pub (optional, at own cost) in Inawarashiro town
Hotel: Hotel Ristel Inawashiro
Day 5
General Program: Heading to Urabandai Grandeco Ski Resort (1hr drive). It has one gondola lift and four quad lifts all equipped with hoods which will take you up from 1,010 meters (3,314ft) to 1,590 meters (5,216ft). Snow conditions are excellent and skiing and snowboarding are possible until first of May. （sited from official web site）
Lunch: at restaurants in the ski resort (at own cost)
After ski: Enjoy natural open air onsen on the way to the hotel
Evening: Hearty local foods buffet dinner at 7:00pm. Packing for another destination.
Hotel: Hotel Ristel Inawashiro
Day 6
General Program: After the baggage collect, head to Snow Paradise Inawashiro (½ hrs drive) which has enough terrain variety. Enjoy tree skiing or off-pistes, if the condition allows, with guides of Riki Japow Guide.
Special Program: Stay at authentic Japanese Style Ryokan.
Lunch: at restaurants in the ski resort (at own cost)
After ski: heading to Higashiyama Onsen (1hr drive)
Evening: Farewell dinner. “Geisha” will show you Japanese traditional dance and music.
Enjoy traditional Kaiseki stylel dinner along with local Sake!
Hotel: Irori-no-yado Ashina(ex.) featured with only 7 luxury rooms, filled with delicious meals served around the hearth, and worry-free hospitality. The welcoming heat of our onsen is gentle to skin. Your body and mind are also healed by the gentle waters. Your skin will be moisturized and revived by the onsen waters. (sited from Higashiyama Onsen Tourism Association Official Web Site)
Day 7
General Program: After having hearty traditional Japanese breakfast and baggage collect, let’s go on for a guided tour in Aizu Wakamatsu Town. Learn samurai’s life, tragic history of their last battle, perceive the beautiful street of the town. Learn how Sake is produced at a Sake Brewery which has 160 years of history.
Lunch: at Takino. All of the dishes are cooked with fresh produce from the local Area. Also many of the dishes are served on traditional Aizu Lacquer Ware. The atmosphere of Takino is sure to give the customer a true sense of Japanese culture and tradition (sited from official web site )
Departure: head to Koriyama station via coach 4:00pm (1hr drive) Sayonara〜
JAPOW TOURS
Experience premium fresh snow heaven in Japan! We will guide you to numerous hidden spots, largely located in the northern part of mainland Japan, in the ‘HOKKAIDO’ / ‘TOHOKU’ (east north) region.
■HOKKAIDO
Step to Back Country (2hours)
Secret / 18,000 yen pp / Intermediate~ / Guide Ratio 1:6
In this program you will learn the skills you need to know before going backcountry.
How to use avalanche beacons and probes, how to read maps, etc.
Hiking & Shred (6hours)
Secret / 20,000 yen per person~ / Intermediate~ / Guide Ratio 1:6
Would you like to try challenging backcountry ski that suits your skills level? According to you level, you may even start with enjoying a picnic with a board with you.
１pax 50,000yen
２pax 70,000yen （35,000/pp）
３pax 90,000yen （30,000/pp）
４pax 10,000yen （25,000/pp）
５pax 115,000yen （23,000/pp）
６pax 120,000yen （20,000/pp）
Sunrise BC tour (4hours)
Secret / 30,000 yen pp / Intermediate~ / Guide Ratio 1:6
Let’s set off and hike up the peak to see sunrise while the mountain seen from the front of Tomamu is still dark. Then speed down the slopes together with the sunshine, and back to Tomamu where the day is just getting started, to take a jet bath. We also recommend the breakfast and a glass of morning champaign.
＊Your prior attendance of one of the Hiking & Shred is required.
Detailed information & Reservation
＊Link to Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU official website
Customised Tours
We also offer customised tours to suit your needs and preference.
GUIDE and LESSON
Escape the bustle of city life, get away from the groomed slopes and embrace the freedom of nature!
Easy to Go Powder
Aizu District / From 20,000 yen pp / Intermediate~ / Guide Ratio 1:6
Best for first time backcountry skiers. This tour is a good choice for those who are looking for a less physical tour. All of the powder slopes are located within easy reach of the chair lifts, allowing you to maximise your time on the mountain! We start early so you can enjoy the calm morning conditions, beginning the tour around the Mt. Bandai or Tomamu area.
Lesson & Guide
Aizu District / From 20,000 yen pp (Additional guests are priced at 8,000 yen pp) / Beginner~ / Guide Ratio 1:10
This is a lesson in improving techniques as well as checking your skiing level to prepare for backcountry skiing. We will ski the Alts Bandai or Nekoma or Tomamu for about 2 hours.
Customised Tours
We also offer customised tours to suit your needs and preference.
RENTALS
As an experienced, certified professional ski instructor, Riki also provides ski lessons, both on piste and on fresh snow.
Full Set – 12,000 yen per package
Strongly recommended for those who don’t want to prepare equipment by themselves. We have everything for you!
Skis, seal, ski poles, a backpack, a beacon, a probe and a shovel.
Ski Set – 8,000 yen per package
Equipment for skiing on normal slopes.
Skis, seal, and ski poles.
Backcountry Set – 5,000 yen per package
In addition to your equipment for normal skiing, these items must be added for backcountry skiing!
A backpack, a beacon, and a probe.
Customised Tours
We also offer customised tours to suit your needs and preference.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Following your quest for magnificent powder snow, continue the journey by experiencing Japanese traditions and culture.
Coming Soon
For tour agencies
Are you looking to provide your guests with ‘unique’ and ‘appealing’ experiences?
We can help! Incorporating our guiding service into your tours is easy – we can help you create custom tours that suit your customer’s needs.
Please get in touch with us for more details.
CREWS
Riki Nakajima
Riki’s first skiing experience was at an early age when he attended a ski camp. After watching the local kids skiing out of boundary slopes, he become deeply attached to the joys of skiing. Riki is the world’s first certified free style ski instructor who obtained his certificate from Whistler in 2000. At the same time, he has participated in numerous free style ski competitions. Riki has been featured in various magazines and DVDs.
He is specialised in the areas around the ‘Hokushin’ (northern Nagano) region to the southern ‘Tohoku’ (north-eastern) region.
Yu Sato
Yu has vast experience in the outdoor guide business, previously working as a heliski guide in NZ, and as a ski patrol in several parts of Japan. He has also worked at an expedition company and served as a mountaineering tour leader in Aconcagua (Argentina), Denali (Alaska), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and more. He never loses his cool even in the harshest situations! He is a force behind the scenes! Yu is certificated in Japan Mountaineering Guiding stage 1, Ski Guide Stage 2 and was awarded a SAJ Technical Prize.
He has great knowledge across Japan from the ‘Chugoku’ (westernmost) region to Hokkaido.
Satoko Tsushima
Satoko has experience in guiding throughout Japan, working as a professional tour guide since 2009 and is qualified in providing tours in Japanese, English and French. Meeting new people is one of the biggest joys of her job. Satoko enjoys backcountry skiing, telemark skiing, hot spas, Japanese folk arts and tea ceremony. One of her strengths is her attention to detail. She’s also the one keeping the JAPOW boys in line as they can get carried away having too much fun on the slopes!!
Her regions of expertise are the prefectures within the Greater Tokyo Area and the northern parts of the ‘Kanto’ (central mainland) region.