Nakasato Kiyotsu Snow Carnival - March 10th

The run of snow festivals has not finished yet with plenty more going on as we approach March and spring time.

Nakasato Kiyotsu hosts their Snow Carnival on Saturday March 10th and for sheer variety of events, this one is hard to beat.

The action starts early in the morning and goes into the evening with different events taking place throughout the day, so you can pick and choose the ones that interest you and spend the rest of the time enjoying the slopes.

To give you some idea of the variety of things on offer here is a rough guide to the program.

Candle holder making
Snow soccer
Tubing
Frisbee Target Practice
Food Stalls
Candle Making
Snow Treasure Hunt
Setting the candles
Lighting the candles
Torchlight parade

For some great images of the action check out the gallery.

Shuttle buses will be running from Tokamachi Station.

MTV WINTER STYLE in GALA YUZAWA - Feb 26th

It doesn't get much bigger than MTV when it comes to big names in music, and this weekend they are descending on GALA Yuzawa Resort for a music/snowboard session.

The tunes will come courtesy of DJ Taku Takahashi and the action on the slopes will come from one of Japan's top snowboard teams, SCLOVER who will be out to please the crowd - so expect some serious action on this front.

Music and the mountains are a good mix and this is sure to be a great Sunday afternoon. The action is set to kick off at 4pm so you can get a full day on the slopes then kick back and enjoy the show.

Minami Uonuma Skate Park

We're still in winter with plenty of weeks of snow left in the season. Most resorts will close sometime in April with higher ones hoping to go to Golden Week at the beginning of May, and some resorts in big snow years have been open at the start of June. It is a big snow year this year so we will have to see how long the winter fun can continue.

There is plenty to do in Snow Country come spring and we will try to keep you updated.

This one is a bit far away but the Minami Uonuma Skate Park opens May 29th with a big Opening Event.

For board riders looking to keep active skating is a great off-season alternative and it has a firm following here in Snow Country. It is an active community and you can keep up to date on the goings on their blog

Kandatsu King Freestyle - March 3 & 4

Kandatsu Kogen Ski Resort is a popular one with the locals as it is a pretty well kept secret. They put a lot of effort into their terrain park, they have a great mogul run and some of the steepest runs in Yuzawa which are great in the fresh snow. You can now become King of Kandatsu, at least for a weekend, at their freestyle weekend on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th Marchv- Kandatsu King.

Two days, two different events. There is prize money on offer and you can compete in a couple of different classes, including a beginner class if you are just starting out on your freestyle career. Spaces are limited so you need to get your application in to secure your spot.

If you are in Yuzawa that weekend, don't forget it is the Yuzawa Snow Festival on the night of Saturday 3rd.

As spring approaches there are lots of events coming up at the ski resorts. The weather gets nicer, the temperatures warmer and it is a great time to be out in the mountains, even if you are just hanging out and watching. The park is a bit softer as well so if you wanted to have a crack at those jumps...

Joetsu Kokusai Photo

Stunning photo of Joetsu Kokusai by over on snow-forecast looking down the ski resort back down to the hotel and into the valley.

Lots of people have seen the hotel and the slopes facing it but the ski area is much bigger than meets the eye. You can drop over the back and it is connected up to the Ozawa Ski area which is mainly long, cruisy runs. The two areas together make for a decent sized area with a good mix of terrain to explore. With ski in-ski out accommodation, sledging, kids' play areas, terrain parks and half pipes there really is something for the whole family.

Family Snow Walk - 4th March

We've had a few days of good weather recently in Snow Country, with blue skies and bright sunshine. It is probably too early to get excited about the arrival of spring yet and there is sure to be more snow on the way. However, as the weather gets better and the temperatures get a bit warmer it is a great time to get out and explore the mountains and there are plenty of events scheduled to help you do that.

One of these is a family snowshoe trek around Sakado in Muikamachi aimed at 3rd - 6th year elementary school students. Kitted out with snowshoes that help them stay on top of the snow they can experience a mountain adventure. Animal tracks, snowy forests and stunning views of the surrounding valley and mountains.

It's bound to be a great day out and a fantastic experience for the youngsters with the obligatory onsen to warm up after a fun-packed day.

The Slope Live Sesson at Joetsu Kokusai - Feb 18/19

The Slope series is in its 5th season this year and back at Joetsu Kokusai to put the best snowboarders through their paces.

Joetsu Kokusai has a good reputation for their terrain park and also normally have two half pipes. They put extra special effort into the park for these events and have had some big names throw down there in the past. There will be some of the top riders from Japan as well as international riders competing for the honours this weekend too.

Saturday is the Japan Open Rail Japan and Sunday is the World Challenge. Both days will be great to watch. The course is set on the main run so you can see it from the hotel, from the lift or find a choice spot on the slope to watch an amazing display as well as some big spills.