Experience the best of Japan - the thrill of deep powder, the beauty of an unique culture, and the fun of a WELL OILED guided tour.

Enjoy some of the most incredible snow on planet earth, stay in a truly authentic Japanese ski village, visit mom and pop restaurants and mix with the locals, be entertained by Geisha, Taiko Drum, Shamisen Guitar, Lion Dance and Karate performances, visit the world famous Snow Monkeys, enjoy the hilarious magic show, view the amazing tree snow monsters at night, walk through ancient castles, temples and shrines, visit historic Shibu Onsen Town and one of the worlds largest bronze Buddha statues and finish your day by relaxing in natural hot pool onsens.

Much more than the usual ski holiday, our tours combine adventure, culture, quality Japanese run accommodation and local personalities to give you the complete Japanese experience.

And best of all you get to share this all with a group of like minded ski and snowboard enthusiasts and make new lifelong friends, all hosted by our instructor/guides who are just plain passionate about what they do for you, as our GUEST REVIEWS attest to. And don’t forget our hidden gems that we leave as a surprise for you on your journey with us at Japan Powder Culture Tours.

Unique in the fact that we cater for beginners through to experts so that we can make sure that group flow on the snow is maintained which is critical to get maximum turns and to improve your skiing or riding. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, advanced or expert on the snow we have you covered this coming season with a range of tours that start from 3 to 10 nights, plus we can tailor make something to suit.

So take the time to peruse our site check out the FAQ’s and CONTACT us with any questions you may have. Our tours start from the Mid Dec until end of April each year so why not come join us in our little Japanese Utopia.

Early Bird Rate for 24/25 season available

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Early Bird Rate for 24/25 season available $

Greg and Lyndell (Owners of www.powderhounds.com) – Australia – February 2023 – Nagano Powder Chasers

We initially reviewed JPCT back in 2016 and it was a very fun time, and now the additional experience is evident because JPCT has evolved into a very well oiled machine. All the logistics were well managed, and communication was tight which was enhanced by whatsapp group messages regarding plans for the day and/or evening.

It was the sort of tour that makes you wonder why people go on a Japan snow trip and just park themselves up at a westernised ski resort for the duration. They miss out on Japanese cultural experiences and miss out on skiing fresh powder run after run.

YUDANAKA
Staying in Yudanaka was fantastic as it’s a real town and the complete antithesis of a curated resort. It didn’t matter that we weren’t staying on-mountain considering that we had guides to drive us to the ski areas and look after all the planning. Ryokan Biyu was a lovely spot to stay and provided Japanese experiences including the all-important onsen. We had a multi-course Japanese dinner one night which ticked all the boxes, and breakfasts were also spot on.

SKI AREAS
The guides picked good ski areas to match the snow conditions. Days after snowfall, they found untracked lines at Shiga that only required a fossick in and a short push out, and lines at Togakushi that required no work to get in or out. And on a powder day at Shiga, Jase took us to tree lines that were untracked all day and the runs kept getting better and better each time.

GUIDING
The guiding has changed remarkably over the past 7 years. We had a couple of different guides and there was a lot of emphasis on avalanche safety, reminders about tree buddies, appropriate regrouping, and other strategies to ensure we were all accounted for. Instructions were clear and we felt like we always knew the plan.

It was advantageous that there were multiple groups, so the guides had flexibility to change the groups a little each day, depending on how people were feeling or if someone had overstated their ability level.

The tour was well suited to those who could pack a sense of humour and not take things too seriously, because Jase has a whacky and infectious sense of humour. However when he was guiding, he was all business and there was a good balance between fun and seriousness. Our other guide also had the right equilibrium.

OTHER EXPERIENCES
This tour was so much more than just skiing powder. On the way home from skiing, little excursions were included. On nights when dinner wasn’t organised such as the sushi train restaurant or the Biyu feast, the guides provided recommendations for dining in Yudanaka.
Other additions were a geisha performance and fun karaoke night – just don’t pick a song that one of the guides doesn’t like!