Skiing Japan Powder – Snow That You’d Find On Mars

You’ve seen the videos. The impossibly deep snow flowing around pro skiers. Slicing through the New England-style trees with lanes as wide as a semi-truck. Is it really that deep? Or perhaps you’ve questioned if Japan is similar to North American ski resorts where you often hear people saying, “We should have been here last week.” As a born skeptic, I couldn’t quite believe that a place like this existed, a place so consistently and profoundly deep in snow. However, in 2023, we had the opportunity to experience skiing Japan powder. The answer we found? All those incredible stories are absolutely true!

Why It’s So Mysterious

Anyone that’s attempted to research skiing Japan and experiencing it will quickly notice something unique. The annual numbers don’t match the actual snowfall. Speaking to the long-time residents, those numbers aren’t that important for Japan ski areas. All you know is if it’s snowing and a rough estimate of how much more snow is expected. If anything, they UNDER REPORT how much it snowed overnight or any information on how MUCH it snowed period. It’s refreshing. It emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and not getting caught up in whether it snowed six inches or sixty. After all, you’re here to ski, so why not relish every minute of it?

What I Consider A Powder Day

Living in Tahoe, surrounded by the Sierra Snow Hype train, it takes a lot to impress me and declare it a legitimate “powder day.” Over nearly three decades, I can pinpoint my top 10 days on snow, and interestingly, only one is in Tahoe. Like Goldilocks, it has to be just right. First off, it can’t be a powder frenzy. A crowded scene ruins the experience. Secondly, no Sierra cement or Cascade concrete. It has to be soft and dry. Third, it needs to be bottomless or close to it. I want to surf the mountain, not carve it. Lastly, and undoubtedly the most challenging criterion, it needs to last bell to bell, or at least until the afternoon. This isn’t just a powder run. It’s a powder day!

Aomori Spring – My First Taste Of The “Good Stuff”

I’ve had great days, but right off the bullet train on our first day on skis, it was at another level. It wasn’t just about skiing Japan powder, affectionately nicknamed “Japow”, but the anticipation the night before. As we arrived, the snow started falling straight out of the heavens and didn’t let up. Big, thick flakes descended from the sky, creating a mesmerizing scene that continued into the next morning.

Snow That Would Be On Mars

I’ve sampled the Powder Highway goodness. Imbibed on the classic Champagne snow in Colorado. Feasted on the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” But what I encountered on this particular day was truly otherworldly. The type of snow I rode was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. With each turn, a massive plume of snow erupted behind me, reminiscent of a howitzer shell narrowly missing its mark. The snow hung in the air, floating for seconds before delicately twinkling back down to the ground, almost like a scene from Mars rather than Earth. It was deep powder—bottomless, yet if you maintained your speed, the snow had enough buoyancy to let you effortlessly float on its surface.

The Glorious Birch Trees

Another distinguishing factor of Japan’s ski resorts is the tree skiing. Slicing through the trees feels less like skiing and more like a spiritual journey. The twisted branches and lichen-covered bark, set against the backdrop of a cold, foggy snowfall, create an eerie atmosphere that seems more like a dream than reality. In many mountainous regions worldwide, glade skiing involves navigating through different species of evergreens. Even in the Northeast, deciduous trees are either tightly spaced or managed by the ski area. However, in Japan the birch trees are naturally, perfectly spaced. According to locals, this unique arrangement is due to the presence of bamboo glades in between the trees, which are flattened to the ground from the snowfall.

Our Own Private Ski Area

Lap after lap, our crew devoured the snow like Pac-Man, yet the snow showed no signs of surrender. It effortlessly filled in our tracks as quickly as we carved them. Despite being within bounds, the sensation was akin to having our own private ski area. The chairs on the lifts both behind and in front of us sat empty, and the only faces we encountered on the mountain were those of our close-knit group of friends.

Was It The Best Or Just Losing Our Virginity to Japow?

Throughout our trip, we enjoyed incredible days of Japan powder skiing, but none quite matched the awe of our first day. Remarkably, out of the ten days we skied, only one was snow-free. Was it truly the best day of the trip? Perhaps. Or maybe it was the novelty of our first encounter with the legendary Japanese powder snow.

Japan’s Magic Sauce To Create Its Magical Snow

Having experienced it firsthand, I was determined to uncover the WHY behind this phenomenon. As a self-proclaimed chinophile, I needed answers. The magical potion, it turns out, is a combination of several factors. To start, the Sea of Japan to the west is a WARM ocean, with temperatures often exceeding 70 degrees in the summer. As fall shifts to winter, the cold arctic air descends into Russia, particularly Siberia to the northwest of Japan. When this cold wind blows from Siberia over the warm Sea of Japan waters, it picks up moisture from the ocean and collides with the mountains along the west coast of Japan. The result is a perfect storm of some of the coldest air on the planet, warm moisture from the Sea of Japan, and lift created when the wind meets Japan’s mountains. And voila, JAPOW! The closest comparison I’ve experienced would be lake effect in the Upper Peninsula, but here it’s a unique “Sea Effect.”

Come For The Snow Stay For The Culture

During our trip to Japan, we made A LOT of mistakes that we genuinely wish someone had warned us about before embarking on our journey. As a deep snow fanatic, the idea of extending our trip without skiing for a few extra days felt sacrilegious to me. In hindsight, I regret not taking the time to slow down and fully immerse myself in all the incredible experiences Japan has to offer. That’s why we’ve compiled an article titled “10 Things I Wish I Knew Ahead Of Skiing In Japan” to assist fellow first-timers in learning from our experience.

Backcountry

I know a lot of folks out there want to chase the good stuff out of bounds. However, be aware that certain ski areas not only frown upon off-piste skiing but also consider it illegal, and they may charge you for crossing ropes. If you choose to venture out on your own, make sure to familiarize yourself with the boundary policies of the ski area. And if you’re interested in trying some backcountry skiing, we can’t stress this enough: hire a guide. Even better, opt for a local guide who calls Japan home. We opted for Japan Ski Tours and their 10-day Tohoku trip which included a few days of backcountry as well.