The Tohoku Powder Tour

RESORT & SIDE-COUNTRY / GUIDED & HOSTED (for 9 days)

This tour focuses on the Tohoku region of Japan - the vast tract of land north of Tokyo on Honshu Island, the main island. This is Japan's least-visited region and also, bizarrely, it's snowiest! You are heading north towards Hokkaido Island, and the constant proximity of the western sea assures heavy snowfall as the storms blow in from Siberia. And there are so many un-discovered ski resorts up here, off the radar of the international skiers and largely dependant on local trade, meaning fresh track opportunities are plentiful. This is Japan's new frontier and this group tour gets you to mountains we otherwise struggle to access on our tailor-made tours - the logistics proving prohibitive unless you have your own transport and guides.

After flying to Tokyo and spending a day or two sightseeing (and getting your body-clock into local sync), you then jump on a bullet-train north to Yamagata where the group is ready to assemble. Your first day on the slopes will be in amongst the snow monsters at one of our favourite resorts in all Japan, Zao Onsen - characterful, authentic and quirky. You stay in a wonderful, traditional ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) with real onsen baths. After your first days skiing, you head down to Yamagata town where we you’ll enjoy a lovely kaiseki dinner accompanied by a private Maiko (geisha) performance.

You then head deeper in to the north and settle in to Morioka city, your base for the next five nights. From here you head off on day trips to nearby low-key resorts such as Appi Kogen, Geto Onsen, Hachimantai, Tazawako and Shizukuishi. Local conditions will determine the day-by-day - but each resort is fully worth your full attention, all with no other foreigners on the slopes. And Moriaka itself is a simply wonderful base - lively, vibey, provincial and real. 

The last three nights are spent even further north - as north as you can get on Honshu Island - where you either ski (or ride) in Aomori Springs or head to the incredible Hakkoda ropeway and its limitless backcountry. With two guides, two vans and a road that rings the mountain, you have the option of going wide and blasting fresh deep pow down to the road before pressing repeat!

Finally - you say goodbye to the group and fly from Aomori Airport to Kyoto, for three nights / two days sightseeing (at leisure) in Japan's ancient capital. Then, and only then, do you fly home to the UK after your skiing and cultural odyssey.