Amazing team, amazing powder tour. Jase is very professional and always ready to help. See our video here

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! See our video here

During our three days of guided snowboarding trip in Japan, we had a blast, enjoying getting to know other snowboarders and skiers in the group as well as all the staff from Japan Powder Culture Tour.

I mostly rode in the intermediate group under George and he gave the right amount of tips to improve my skill set without being too much or not enough, making it enjoyable for me to have fun riding but understanding what areas I could focus to improve at the same time. Everyone in my group was also all nice people, making it even more enjoyable experience.

Despite my husband and I weren’t in the same skill level, we had a lovely half day of riding together when Jase & George went to go find a path specifically for my husband for his advanced/expert skill level. Hearing from my husband’s experience on that day, he had a blast, tailored to his expert skill level. Then on our last day, we got to ride together again, a bit more challenging than my comfort level to help me improve but nothing beyond my capability.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, including the fellow riders in the group and highly recommend the experience. For us, it was the perfect mix of doing things as a groups (while on the runs) vs having the moment to ourselves to explore (post riding and sometimes during the riding). See our video here

My family (husband and I, and our 2 boys of 14 and 18) just returned from a 5 night/4 day skiing package with Japan Powder Culture Tours. We had a great time! Jace's staff is knowledgeable and accommodating to all skiers, finding deep powder for the good skiers and working on skills for the rest (ie. me). They got us to the best snow each day and kept it lively and fun with stops for crumpets and tea, ramen, and even a moment to pay respects to the snow god when we needed fresh.

Ryokan Biyunoyado was wonderful as well. We stayed in 2 Japanese-style doubles: beautiful tatami mat floors, very comfortable futons, delicious meals, and nearly 24 hour access to the onsens. Too bad I didn't spend as much time in the pools as I did on the slopes. My legs are still recovering! For our last morning, the hotel drove us to the Snow Monkey park and 90 minutes later picked us up and delivered us and our luggage to the train station for our return to Tokyo. Perfect! See our video here

My wife and I had 3 amazing days snowboarding In Nagano with Jase and the gang. This was our 4th time riding in Japan, but first time using a guide. We decided to turn it over to the pros at Japan Powder Culture Tours to make the trip as stress free and powder packed as possible.

Jase and his team really have their operation dialed in to make the most of a Japanese shred trip. Starting from our base in Yudanaka, you get a true cultural experience, not the overly commercialized or western experiences you might find in Niseko or Hakuba. The Ryokan Biyu was a delightful traditional hotel and Onsen that I’d highly recommend.

Once on the mountain, Riders are broken up by skill level, and the guides work to help folks progress quickly to maximize pow opportunities. In the advanced group, Even 2-3 days after a storm, we were getting consistent pow laps and stashes that I never would have discovered had I not been with a guide. On top of all the “secret” stashes that you’ll discover, The team of guides really worked hard to make terrain accessible to me on a snowboard by creating run outs in flat spots, giving me a tow in areas, and helping call out crucial terrain navigation.

We were traveling around other areas before our snowboard trip and decided to rent snowboards. We lucked out at the rental counter and got boards that worked well, but if you are particular about your gear, I’d recommend bringing your own board.

Two weeks after our trip, my mind is still taking pow laps through the forests of Nagano, if you are on the fence…do it! See our video here

JPCT Review
Absolutely recommended!!
-Powder hounds find it everyday!
-Breakfast included every day
-Lunch at hidden gems every day
-Dinner recommendations and or reservations every day
-Temples walk throughs
-Shrines visits
-Village walk through Shibu Onsen town
-Ride to Snow monkey onsen
-Bus ride to and from mountain everyday full of stories, history and music
-All inclusive Gear and set up
-Gear transport on and off mountain everyday
-Entertainment most evenings
-Karaoke
-Follow on tour and bookings
-On and off pist Guided runs
-On and Off pist powder seekers
-Communication and chat groups
-Photos and videos
-Biyu staff addressed by name on second day
-Clean neat tidy and presentable location See our video here

Amazing week I had with Japan Powder Culture Tours, there was just so much action!
I joined Jase for the Powder Chaser Tour at the end of December and got extremely lucky with the snow conditions. Jase, John and George are amazing skiers and are ready to give you some tips anytime to improve your skiing. Besides, they know the (big) area very well and will take you out of the beaten tracks to enjoy the JaPOW!
The team has a unique product, offering a number of different options especially some cultural events and visits. His flexibility to provide a start and end date that suited my travels was one of the main attractions when booking. Whilst I joined the Powder Chaser Tour with more of the advanced skiers, I witnessed Jase and his crew taking out beginners in small groups and they showed amazing improvement with such focused tuition.
The town of Yudanaka had a plethora of restaurants and whilst not ski in/ski out, I’m glad I chose the option of such a lovely town, with dining options galore and comfortable bus ride. I stayed in the Aibiya lodge and encourage anyone thinking of booking to do the same. The location is great and many onsen are accessible at a walking distance. In a nutshell, skiing and accommodation were both great, and the tour was a lot of fun! See our video here

In early January 2020 my family of three including son, 20 years and daughter, 17 years enjoyed a brilliant and very special return trip of 5 nights/4 skiing days with Jase and his incredible team (gidday John, Fraser and Tyson) at Shiga Kogen / Japan Powder Culture Tours. We first enjoyed this trip with Jase in December 2017 so expectations ran high for a repeat of the perfect conditions and incredible cultural experience we enjoyed the first time around - and we were not disappointed. A highlight of both trips is the attention Jase and team gives to each of us in development of our skiing abilities. I’m a beginner and on both trips to Shiga Kogen the conditions were so great, I actually didn’t mind at all falling into the soft powder snow. Meanwhile my kids, both at intermediate level, greatly advanced in their abilities under the excellent tutelage of the team all of whom ably rotate through all skill levels and provide excellent skills development. The team go all out to make sure we always have the best conditions to ski, and have an enormous body of knowledge about where to go on any one day in search of bountiful powder and perfect conditions. On both trips we have found the accommodation at Hotel Biyu to be excellent, from the incredible culinary delights through to the magnificent on-site onsen, all of which provide an amazing and authentic Japanese cultural experience. Jase added a lot into the mix on each of the tours we’ve done making us feel at ease and most of all having a huge amount of fun and relaxation - the tour is truly great value in this regard without any worries at all from ski passes, to gear and equipment right through to restaurant recommendations and even karaoke. A very special delight for us is visiting the snow monkeys. Another highlight of our second trip was returning to favourite restaurants which we had been pining for since 2017 all of which were recommended by Jase. The tours are very special and I would highly recommend to any family or group of friends to enjoy the delights of Shiga Kogen, Yudanaka and Japan with Japan Powder Culture Tours. We will certainly be back and are making plans for next season on a third tour and extending to a bigger group by introducing some family friends to their first time skiing in Japan. I can’t wait to see what Jase and team will have in store for us next time. See our video here

This was my first trip to Japan that was not for business and the best decision our group made was signing on with Jase and his team. They covered all the details that would have made the trip difficult had we been on our own: hotel, meals, transportation to the ski area, etc. In addition, our guides led us around a very large and potentially confusing ski area and showed us where to experience great powder off the groomed runs where I would not have ventured on my own. I got my first face shot in powder on one of those runs.
The Japan culture portion of the trip was also a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the one man show one night at the hotel that featured a former world champion Karate expert doing a demo, who also played the traditional 3 string Japanese guitar, beat the large drum, and did a lion’s dance with tremendous agility.
We also made a stop at a Buddhist Temple on the way back from the ski area one afternoon and everyone repeated a Japanese prayer for more powder. It snowed the next three and a half days.
On the day we departed we made the trek to the Snow Monkey preserve which was well worth the hike on a very slick trail. My favorite was a monkey sitting in a snow- covered tree above the trail who would shake the tree to dump snow on hikers passing underneath.
You never know quite what to expect from a trip like this, but I can honestly say it exceeded all my expectations and I will be back.
Tim Propeck, Advanced Skier, USA See our video here

As Japan was having such a bad season and i was hearing stories about I was really worried that there wouldn't be any snow or that it would be really poor quality. Jase assured me there was powder to be had when arrived on my first night and he was right. On day 1 we were riding knee deep powder even though it hadn't snowed in over a week. This is because they know the terrain so well and are able to take you off piste and they know where the powder stashes are! They also have access to highest lifts in Japan so while it was raining on other places it was snowing in Shiga Kogen!!!

When it did snow on the second night thew third day was just amazing. It snowed about 40cm's and to my amazement there were still no lift lines and hardly anyone on the mountain. We were still doing powder runs at 2.30 in afternoon on marked runs. no going off piste!!!! Never have I seen fresh powder remain un-tracked for that long!

The Ryokan was awesome and worth the extra $$. Breakfasts and dinners as part of the package were amazing. The best part was having an onsen in the hotel, its truly is amazing after a long day on the mountain.

Certainly recommend and would will return in the future.

Well done JPCT!!! See our video here