Ski Japan's backcountry with a certified local guide
Deep powder, birch glades and volcano descents — from Hokkaido to Western Japan. We help international skiers find the right area, the right season and a certified guide who speaks your language.
How it works
- Tell us your plan. Dates, area (or "not sure"), group size, ski ability and backcountry experience.
- We match you with a guide. Only certified guides with local knowledge and insurance. You get a quote by email, usually within 48 hours.
- Ski. Your guide picks the terrain for the day's snow and avalanche conditions. You just ski.
Requesting is free. You pay nothing to us — the guide's price is the price you see.
Hokkaido
Niseko ニセコ
Japan's most famous powder destination, with gate-access backcountry off Mt Annupuri and ski touring on the volcano Mt Yotei.
Asahidake 旭岳
Ropeway-accessed volcano skiing in Daisetsuzan National Park — Hokkaido's highest peak, extremely cold, dry snow and serious whiteout terrain.
Furano & Tokachidake 富良野・十勝岳
Central Hokkaido's dry powder — resort-based skiing in Furano plus classic ski touring around the active volcano Tokachidake.
Tohoku
Hakkoda 八甲田
Ropeway-accessed touring through the snow monsters of Aomori — enormous snowfall, deep tree skiing and serious navigation.
Hachimantai 八幡平
A broad volcanic plateau straddling Iwate and Akita — gentle tree touring in winter and wide-open spring skiing once the plateau road opens.
Zao 蔵王
Famous for its snow monsters, Zao combines a big resort and a historic onsen town with touring onto the Zao volcano.
Gassan 月山
A sacred mountain buried by so much snow that its ski area only opens in spring — Japan's classic destination for spring and early-summer ski touring.
Central Honshu
Tanigawadake 谷川岳
Serious alpine terrain just over an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen — heavy snow, steep faces and a formidable mountaineering reputation.
Hakuba 白馬
Big-mountain skiing in the Northern Japanese Alps — resort-accessed backcountry, alpine touring and steep couloirs above the Hakuba Valley.
Nozawa Onsen 野沢温泉
A traditional hot-spring village with a big resort on Mt Kenashi, deep beech-forest powder and sidecountry touring.
Myoko 妙高
One of the snowiest ski regions in Japan — deep tree skiing, volcano touring on Mt Myoko and quieter slopes than Hakuba and Niseko.
Tateyama 立山
High alpine spring skiing from Murodo at 2,450 m on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route — huge bowls and couloirs from mid-April into June.
Hakusan 白山
One of Japan's three holy mountains — a remote, expedition-style spring ski tour with long approaches and huge rewards.
Why go with a guide in Japan?
Japan's snowpack is famous for its depth, which is exactly what makes it tricky. Storms can load slopes fast, whiteouts are common on treeless volcanoes, and tree wells and open creeks hide under fresh snow. Avalanche bulletins only cover some areas, and much of the local knowledge is in Japanese.
A local guide knows which aspects are skiing well today, which gates are open, and which routes to avoid. That means more good turns and fewer bad surprises. Read our safety guide before you go.