Sledging at Centleisure-Maiko

Maiko is one of those resorts that doesn't seem to get lots of mentions but if you talk to anyone who has been there you tend to hear nothing but praise.

It is definitely aimed at families and has a great range of terrain that is ideal for beginners and intermediates, with long, cruisy runs. They work hard at providing interesting features for the younger ones with plenty of sculpted wave runs and some little jumps to get the little ones interested. There is also a decent terrain park there for those looking for a challenge.

They also have a sledging run (with sledges available to rent) that spans the length of an entire lift and is a big hit with the youngsters. They offer banana boat rides if you are looking for something different to do.

It can be a bit of a confusing resort on your first visit as it has two areas linked by a connecting horizontal lift. From the top of the gondola side you can see the top lift of Iwappara resort just a few hundred meters away. Many people have wondered why it isn't linked to create one of the region's larger areas. Apparently the land between the two lifts is owned by a third resort who do not like the idea of Maiko and Iwappara joining forces.

If you haven't been you should definitely put this one on the list. Great runs, ski-in, ski-out accommodation and very child friendly.

Tenjin Banked Slalom - 3&4 March 2012

The FIS Freestyle World Cup in Naeba won't be the only exciting racing going on  in Snow Country this winter. The Tenjin Banked Slalom event will be another one that attracts some big names and will be a thrilling one to watch.

Groups of boarders are set off at the same time and battle down a meandering course (that is usually one of the off piste runs at Tenjin) that has been carefully sculpted down one of the gullies. It is fast-paced and super-competitive with plenty of spills. Check out their gallery page for some videos of the event.

There is also an after party at Canyons Alpine Lodge so you can party with the riders who go equally hard at night.

FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in Naeba 2012

One of the biggest events to hit Snow Country this winter will be the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in Naeba on Saturday February 18th and Sunday February 19th. Some of the world's best mogul skiers, including some impressive homegrown talent will be battling it out for rankings and medals.

Saturday is the Men's Moguls and Sunday sees the Men's and Women's Dual Moguls, both of which will be great spectacles. It is not often you get to see such high class athletes strut their stuff and it is always impressive.

If you are up for the weekend there is also the after party held at the ever popular Asagai Resthouse which is proving to be the place to be seen this year.

Minami Uonuma Snow Festival - Feb 11 & 12

February is a busy time in Snow Country. It is mid-winter and there are plenty of festivals and events to keep you amused. We've covered the Tokamachi Snow Festival. It is the biggest in the area but there are plenty more around, with almost every town in the region having some kind of snow festival at some point in the winter.

Saturday February 11th and Sunday February 12th it is the turn of Muikamachi to hold their Snow Festival which has been running for over 60 years.

It takes place this year on the road down from Muikamachi Station and will feature all the staples of a Snow Country Festival - great local foods, snow sculptures, fireworks and music. Saturday it runs from midday to 9pm and on Sunday from 10 - 3.

If you are in the area it will make for a great trip to get a taste of local culture.

International Snowball Fight in Koide - Feb 12 2012

Yukigassen is the Japanese word for an organised snowball fight and there is a giant one in Koide every year. This is the 24th International Snowball Competition in Koide and with all the snow this year it promises to be a good one.

These snowball fights happen all over the country with most towns in snowy parts having their own association. It is a "capture the flag" type battle with teams of 5. The court is marked out and has barriers to hide behind as you try to snipe off the opposition, with judges calling the hits. The snowballs are made in giant presses and left in strategic places on the court. There are some English rules here.

It's great fun to play and frenetic & fast-paced to watch so promises to be a great weekend. It takes place in the impressively named Snow Coliseum.

Bumper year for snow

The snow this year has been phenomenal. It looked as if it would be a late start to the season but then come mid-December the snow started to fall and pretty much didn't stop. Blue skies have been few and far between and the heavy snowfalls have hit the news as record amounts fall. It is easy to see why this area earned the name "Snow Country" and the mind boggles at what life must have been like back in the day with out all our modern conveniences. Even with giant snowplough, snow blowers and heat mats daily life can be a bit of a struggle in a big snow winter.

Cold drink anyone? If you can get to the vending machine...

Kamakura - Japanese Igloos

Living in the snow you soon learn how to make yourself a shelter of some kind and the kamakura is the Japanese version of the igloo.

Many of the festivals you go to will feature kamakura in one way or another and some of them are dedicated solely to these constructions. With a hollowed out inside, once you get a fire going they can get quite cosy, especially as you are sitting in there enjoying some warming winter soup or some hot sake.

Naeba Ski Resort currently have a Kamakura Festival in progress until the end of the month. You can have a crack at making your own or just spend some time chilling out (literally) in one of these shelters.

Tokamachi Snow Festival - 17-19 Feb 2012

Snow Festivals are amazing sights and most people have heard of the one up in Sapporo every year. Less well known but equally impressive is the Tokamachi Snow Festival which is in its 63 year this year. It runs from Friday 17th February to Sunday 19th February, kicking off early evening/late afternoon on most days. It is an amazing spectacle and of all many winter festivals in Snow Country this is one you do not want to miss. It is definitely one of the top Snow Festivals in the whole of Japan.

The main stage itself, home to the Saturday night Snow Carnival is an amazing work of art that is designed to impressive. For a taste of what to expect, you can see some of the stages from past festivals here.

There is loads going on with plenty of festival food, more incredible snow sculptures and a variety of other events.

It's been a bumper year for snow so the artists have plenty of raw material to work with so we are expecting big things for this winter's Tokamachi Snow Festival.

Hopefully we will see you there.

Busy Weekend in Yuzawa - Candle Live & Snowsplash

Yuzawa seems to be the place to be this Saturday.

The 2012 Snowsplash parties kick off in Naeba

And it is Candle Live in Yuzawa itself.

There is no reason that you can't be at both.

Sledge Racing

A few days ago we mentioned the great sledging facilities at Joetsu Kokusai and it seems that they are taking full advantage of it this season. For those of you who fancy yourselves as world class sledgers, there is now the opportunity to be able to put that to the test with the Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai Sledge Race Series. Both ski resorts have great kids play parks and also dedicated sledge areas so you can head there for a bit of practice before the big day.

The race series has a few different options. An individual time trial if you just want to race the clock, a dual race for head to head challenges and then a group race for several people to do battle at the same time.

The sledge race takes place twice a month - once in Iwappara and once in Joetsu Kokusai - so check out the Sledge Race website for the full schedule and get yourself registered for some high thrills sledge action.

Pick Your Own Strawberries

That typical summer fruit, the strawberry has had a bit of a career change in Japan. Due to the strong demand for strawberries for Christmas cakes and the clever marketing of Strawberry Day on 15th January (the words for one-five spell strawberry in Japanese) strawberries are a winter fruit and are grown under glass.

Pick your own fruit farms are quite big over here and in Yuzawa you can enjoy fresh strawberries right off the plant. Open from now until sometime in June the Strawberry farm is right next to the river. You can pick the choicest fruit to take away with you or for the real glutton, go for the 30 minute each as much as you can deal. Armed with a pair of scissors and a pot of condensed milk head through the greenhouse and satisfy your strawberry craving.

Yuzawa Heaven's Door

Yuzawa has a flash new website dedicated entirely to their winter season.

It is the definitive guide to what is going on in and around Yuzawa this winter. It is only in Japanese but you can get a good idea of what is coming up.

There is a great resort guide, an event calendar, onsen guide and some recommendations on where to grab lunch when you are out on the hill. There is also a really useful guide for beginners or families who are heading to the snow for the first time, with suggestions on the best places to head.

Super Sledging at Joetsu Kokusai

One of the most fun things you can do on snow is sledging. Mix kids and snow and the two things you are likely to get every time are snowballs and sledging. Sliding down the white stuff seems to be built into us. Joetsu Kokusai, already known for their fantastic summer kids play park, have turned their attention to winter this year and opened a new sledging area that is billed as one of the best in Japan.

They have a dedicated sledging area that is the perfect pitch for some fast sledging and also a selection of different sledges and toboggans so you can experiment to find your perfect ride.

The sledging area or "SoriLand" boasts 500 metres of run - more than enough for even the most adventurous sledger. You are not likely to tire of SoriLand but if the little ones do fancy something different there is also a kids' play land to enjoy.

Airboarding in Minakami

There seems to be a constant quest to find new, exhilarating ways to hurl yourself down a mountain. If you have tried all the others and still find yourself thirsting after more thrills then airboarding could be for you.

Inflatable body boards with runners underneath that give you the ability to steer become your new best friend as you hurtle down the slopes of one of Minakami's resorts under the watchful eye of your Kappa Club guide.

Things start of easily as you try some gentle slopes, learning how to get control of your airboard. As your confidence and ability pick up so do the speed and steepness. Airboarding is real white knuckle stuff - you find yourself clinging on as you try to coax your board to bend to your will. All too often it seems to have a mind of its own but you will have a big grin fixed to your face the entire time.

This may not be a sport for life but a get a group together and you will have an awesome day out inches off the snow.

Candle Live, Yuzawa - 21 Jan

Candle Live is back for 2012 on 21st January. It is one of the highlights of the winter in Yuzawa and well worth checking out.

Rocking the theme of White Circus this year it kicks off at 1830 in the Chuo Park next to the Culture Center. This is a new venue for the event, moving from its past home on the ski slopes in the town itself.

You can expect a candle lit winter wonderland, live music, drinks and delicious snacks. It's always a great night and the view of thousands of candles flickering in the snow is breathtaking.

Snow Country In Outdoor Japan Magazine

Anyone who has spent time in Japan has probably enjoyed leafing through Outdoor Japan Magazine.

It's the indispensable guide for Japan for those who get their kicks in the outdoors, written by a bunch of seasoned adventurers. They are celebrating a bit of an anniversary this year having reached 10 years of being online and 5 years in print.

Their 2012 winter edition is now out so pick up a copy and head straight to page 33 for a great introduction piece on everything that Snow Country has to offer. If you are not able to hit up the print version you can check it out here.

Enjoy.

BIG Snow

This winter has been a bumper one for snow lovers. There was almost none of the white stuff around mid December with a few resorts showing only grass as their opening day approached. But come December 18th the snow started to fall and it hasn't really let up since then.

This area is called Snow Country for a reason but this winter is really hammering home the point. Everywhere is being blanketed in snow and it is all local residents can do to keep it clear. No sooner have they cleared one section than it is filled up with snow again.

It is a year of big snow comparable to the big one of 2005/6 and it has been hitting the news here in Japan.

House of Light - Tokamachi

It is not often that you get the opportunity to stay in a work of art but the House of Light in Tokamachi offers just that. It is part of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and is a stunning accommodation option in the heart of Snow Country.

It was designed by artist James Turrel as a guest house for meditation and combines the concept of light with a traditional Japanese building. It conducts a great view over the valley below and also onto some other works of art that are part of the festival in the gardens below.

The main room has a roof that slides out to let the natural light in and has different lighting effects depending on the light outside. Other rooms also make use of different lighting most notable the baths with their underwater fibre optic lights

It's a really intimate place to stay ideally suited to a small group and is sure to impress. It is also possible to visit this work of art just to have a look around.

(The Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale 2012 runs from July 29th to 17th September.)

Ski Resort Marketing Ideas

Japan has masses of ski resorts and Snow Country has its fair share. No matter which area you find yourself in, you are likely to have a choice of several different places to ski. Each resort has its own particular draws but many are keen to set themselves apart from the crowd and pull your business. Most years you can look around and find a few interesting marketing ideas...

Itsukamachi Ski Resort and NASPA Ski Garden are ski only resorts so anyone terrified of snowboarders will certainly enjoy these.

Okutone Snow Park offer free lift tickets to children 12 and under.

Probably our favorite though is from Minakami Kogen.

Their "Around 20" campaign offers free lift tickets to ladies aged 18-24. Whether this brings in lots of business or not is known to the resort but they get full points for trying.

Cross Country Ski Festival in Itsukamachi - 25 Feb

Not everyone skis or snowboards but that doesn't mean that you can't head out into the snow and enjoy the beauty of Snow Country. Cross country skiing is one of those sports that can be enjoyed by anyone. At its simplest it is not much different from walking. If you fancy giving it a shot and surrounding yourself with some like minded people, then the Cross Country Ski Festival in Itsukamachi on 25th February could be one for you.

Itsukamachi Ski Resort is one of the few resorts in the area that doesn't allow snowboarding and it is also one of the best places in the area to cross country ski. Their yearly Cross Country Ski Festival (this is the 23rd time it has been held) has a bunch of different events for all categories and ability levels. It is also part of the weekend long Ski Carnival so there will be lots going on in and around the resort on that weekend.

Ishiuchi Maruyama RIDEON Yonex Cup

Ishiuchi Maruyama has a pretty strong reputation among the winter freestyle community. It has one of the best terrain parks in the whole region as well as two half pipes. During the season it plays host to a bunch of different events and the Ishiuchi Maruyama RideOn series is soon to get under way.

There are three events over the course of the season kicking off on January 15th with a big air. There is also a slopestyle at the end of January and a halfpipe event at the end of March.

There are different categories if you fancy entering or just head along to Ishiuchi Maruyama if you want to kick back and watch some impressive performances. There are some great local riders around and there is also likely to be a strong showing from further afield.

Snow Splash in Naeba - Jan 21st 2012

A few more details leaking out about the Snow Splash Event in Naeba on January 21st. The date is fast approaching and it promises to be a great party to be held at the Asagai Guest House.

These annual parties combine live music, DJs, performance artists and a whole bunch of revellers who have spent all day going large out on the slopes. If you are one of those people who likes a health dose of apres with their ski then you will not want to miss out on this.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year.

The first day of the year was a stunning one in Snow Country with the sun fighting its way through the early cloud. Conditions in all resorts are perfect right now with cold temperatures and great snow conditions. We've had  about a week of non-stop snow and this winter is shaping up to be a classic.

Get up to Snow Country and enjoy the snow!

Have a happy 2012.