This is the 3rd time we’ve been on a JPCT trip and undoubtedly it won’t be the last. The Nagano ski buffet is aptly named because we definitely got our fill of powder and feasted on a range of Japanese food, along with a smorgasbord of other experiences.

Whilst we do a lot of self-guiding around Japan, it was incredibly nice to have someone look after all the logistics and planning, and share powder stashes and other experiences so that we could get the most out of the area.

GUIDING
Jase and his team go above and beyond and they put 120% effort in. Even when we felt a little tired, it was easy to dig deep to try to match their fervour. Our trip was well into the season, yet they still had the energy to put lots of passion into enhancing the guest experience.

We had Naru as a guide one day who is a local telemarker. He knew the ski areas incredibly well, and added some nice Japanese insights and tips along the way. Jase guided us the rest of the time and did a great job. His quirky sense of humour was on fire and it was appropriate that he always flipped from being Mr fun guy to being incredibly serious when guiding to ensure safety aspects were covered. The guides and instructors worked well together in harmony and kept their communication tight. They also communicated well with the group via face to face announcements and WhatsApp messaging.

On one particular day, the strength of their guiding really came to the fore. It was a very stormy day and most lifts at Shiga were on wind hold. The guides started us in one zone where there were a couple of lifts running, then got us back in the bus to drive to somewhere further up the mountain where a couple of lifts had opened up, and later drove us back down. Lots of Shiga and Yudanaka folks didn’t even get out skiing that day due to the storm, yet we scored some phenomenal powder skiing thanks to the guides’ great familiarity with the ski areas, their ability to monitor lift operations and logistics, and having transport on hand.

SKIING
As you’d expect, we had a mix of snow experiences and it wasn’t all phenomenal deep powder and there was a little bit of scratching around on dust on crust as well. The stormy day was like heli skiing on-piste (see insta video) and the subsequent day was a powder buffet with fresh line after line. Hopefully the vimeo video sums up that we had a fab time! 

GROUP
Whilst there were lots of people on the bus to get to a ski area, it didn’t feel like a big group tour because not everyone was at the same hotel, and we divided up into small groups at the ski hill and for dinner.
The guides often switched people between groups if they were finding tight trees too challenging or the like. This highlighted that having a decent sized group with critical mass was a good thing because it enabled the guides to easily match people’s ability levels, speed and objectives, which is something we haven’t seen on very small group tours. We met some really great people on the tour that were kindred spirits.

YUDANAKA
We enjoyed staying in Yudanaka because it’s a real town and not one of those destination resorts where it feels like you could be in North America or Australia and not Japan. It was nice to wander around Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen and explore its temples, eateries and other nooks. The guides provided restaurant recommendations, and on nights when there wasn’t an organised dinner, there was the option of a bus drop service off to various restaurants. Whilst the hotel wasn’t in the absolute thick of Yudanaka restaurants, it was a pretty easy walk home.

HOTEL
We stayed at Hotel Omodaka which was very nice. It’s largely not a fancy ryokan, but you don’t expect luxury considering the price of the tour, and it’s good that people can stay in a tatami room to get the full Japanese experience. That being said, we stayed in a deluxe upgraded western/Japanese combo room that had 2 incredibly comfortable large twin beds plus a really large tatami area for sitting. There was also a luxe bathroom with an oversized shower and a bath.

The breakfast room was nice in that it had the Japanese aesthetics with tatami flooring and shoji screens, but it had high tables and chairs, so we didn’t need to get limbered up first thing in the morning to sit on the floor. Breakfast was adequate without being amazing. It was mostly Japanese type fare with miso soup, rice, frankfurters, omelette pieces, dim sims, pickles and a bit of salad. There were also rolls for toasting with jam to feel a fraction westernised, and of course the obligatory juice and coffee.

Dinner at the hotel one night was a highlight and we got our full Japanese experience by wearing our yukata and jacket, and sitting on the tatami floor. The meal wasn’t a super extravagant kaiseki meal that you’d find in a high end ryokan, but it certainly was a lovely feast and included lots of food items and a great chance to sample lots of different Japanese fare.

The onsen was also remarkable. The indoor onsen was good for a quick soak because it was mighty hot, whilst the outdoor onsen bath was the preferred option. One fine morning, the views from the onsen balcony were superb, looking across to Mt Myoko and other surrounding mountains.

OTHER EXPERIENCES
An evening was organised at Geisha Bar for karaoke, and it was plenty of fun even though none of us were particularly amazing at singing!

Sushi train night in Nakano was another organised activity, and even though the processes have changed since Covid, it was still fun to order lots of different plates and get them delivered by train to the table.

We also enjoyed some time in the historic town of Obuse and sampled sake, chestnut oyaki, and visited the Hokusai art museum and the Gansho-in temple with its Hokusai phoenix painting on the ceiling, which wasn’t quite in the same league as the Sistine Chapel but enjoyable nonetheless.

Overall we had a great time, and would recommend this trip to anyone who wants a buffet of food, powder and an experience far away from the curated resorts. You’ll be a good fit for the trip if you don’t take life too seriously, have a good sense of humour, a sense of adventure, and don’t need to party hard. The vibe was to ski hard, enjoy an onsen, have dinner and retire for the evening. Perfect!
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It is a little hard to describe our ski trip with Japan Powder Culture Tours. The combination of great skiing, guilding and culture was incredible. We were a group of six ranging from very expert to intermediate and Jase+crew were able to give each of us a great experience. I think the best way to describe it is to say "we will be back".
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Part of me wants to be truthful and say that Jace and his crew have created an amazing experience incorporating skiing, culture and laughter. And the food!! And the people!!!

I have been to Japan to ski several times since 1990, and can't recommend this trip enough! I have opinions about the north island and the mainland. I will do both, but will be bringing more folks this way!

And then I want to also lie and say it is crappy and not to come. So I can bring my friends and keep this all for myself.
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I (female solo traveller, 27 years old) attended a 10 day tour with JPCT in February 2022. I had a mixed experience, with some great skiing and meeting some nice people, but with several bad experiences meaning I would never return or recommend JPCT to my friends.

Good:
-I stayed at Abiya, the cheaper of the two accommodation options, with a private room and shared bathrooms. Abiya was really lovely, run by Yoshi and Seong-mi who went above and beyond to make me feel welcome and help me whenever needed.
-The snow was great. I skied all but one of the tour days and we skied everyday at Shiga Kogen, which felt like a very authentic Japanese ski resort.
-When Jase (Jase/Jason, the guy who runs JPCT) was leading/’guiding’ my group, he ensured that ability levels were well-grouped, even if that meant there were fewer people in our top group. However this was not the case when other employees were leading our group, so I did spend several days in a more mixed ability group, having to wait for slower members.

Bad:
-I rented ski equipment from Jase, and the whole experience was not good. Firstly, I was not trusted to advise my own din setting, despite being a very experienced skier, and was put on a much lower din than I normally ski. I was also on significantly longer skis than I’d ever previously skied. When I questioned this, I was gaslit by Jase, saying ‘you put down that you’re an advanced skier, these are skis for an advanced skier, are you not advanced?’ in a tone that I found upsetting. What he should have said was ‘typically in deep powder in Japan, you want a longer ski that you’re used to in North American and Europe. Why don’t you try this for a day and see how you get on, and if you want something shorter we can change them’. It turned out the skis were a good size for me, so he wasn’t wrong with the length but I felt that the way that this was questioned was unpleasant. Thankfully my group leader when we were out skiing did also adjust my din for me, back to my usual setting. However this was not the end of the drama. About 4 days in, the binding on one of my skis had come very very loose of the ski. This was only noticed by another client in my group, and not Jase, and Jase then advised me to ski gently down the piste to the bottom of the resort where we’d fix it. I (perhaps naively) followed these instructions and towards the bottom of the piste the entire binding came off from the ski. Fortunately I was travelling slowly and was unhurt, but this could have been much, much worse. After this happened I was again gaslit by Jase, claiming I’d ‘broken’ his skis. I felt extremely unsafe and immediately went to Yoshi at Abiya, who kindly helped me purchase my own skis in Nagano through his contacts there.
-There was quite a misogynistic vibe. ‘Story time’ on the bus and ski lifts with group leaders / ‘guides’ often telling stories that did not make me feel comfortable.
-I was given the impression from the website that there were distinct ‘tours’ at distinct dates that groups booked on to. This turned out not to be the case, as I didn’t meet anyone else booked onto my ‘tour’ with the same dates. There were several different tours with different descriptions that were all lumped together over the same dates, so I ended up skiing with people who had signed up for the ‘grey snowmad’ (55+) tour. Basically everyone books onto different tours with different dates and everyone is just lumped together, all going on a big bus to the same location for the day, almost always Shiga Kogen. The upside of this is the ability to have many groups, meaning similar abilities can be most accurately grouped together. But I was expecting everyone to start and finish on the same day, whereas in reality people were coming and going throughout the trip. Not a massive problem, just not the impression I got from the website. This also means the evening entertainment is also very ad hoc and fairly last minute - often you don’t find out what is going on that evening until that afternoon and the majority of evenings were just sorting yourself out for food.
- Use of avalanche safety equipment was required, but for those that hadn’t used it before, very minimal training was provided.
- At points the tour didn’t feel completely respectful of Japan and their customs. For example in Shiga Kogen you were not supposed to go into the sidecountry (judging by the shouting we often received from local instructors), but this was always ignored. And often the phrase ‘don’t take out a native’ was used which I found rather offensive. Additionally, while wearing face masks was very strongly encouraged indoors in Japan at the time, there was no effort by group leaders / ‘guides’ to follow suit and be respectful.
-Finally, I have mentioned ‘guides’ throughout this review. These are the employees of Jase who were advertised as ‘guides’ on the website. However the majority possessed no guiding qualifications or professional guiding experience and I was not aware that any of them had been trained in avalanche safety. In Europe a ‘guide’ is a qualified mountain guide, but the term ‘guide’ in Japan seems to have no such protected status, and as such anyone can proclaim themselves a ‘guide’. Something to be aware of for all skiing outfits in Japan.

All in all, I did have a good time. But there were several things that tainted the trip for me and I would definitely not return again or recommend JPCT to a friend.
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I spent 13 days on skis with Jase and his team New Year 2020. This is my second trip with Japan Powder Culture Tours and I can recommend this tour be it to beginners or experts.
Japan Powder Culture Tours is truly a boutique tour where Jase and his team tailors the guests’ day on skis/snowboard according to their individual ability and experience. I always skied with other guests that were at my own level, and we were always led by Jase and his team of guides that set safety first.
But what makes Jase and his crew really stand-out is the level of engagement with the guests both on and outside the slope.
If you are an advanced skier, Jase and his team will make sure to find challenges wherever the snow conditions and powder is the best. And if you are novice skier you will also be in the best hands. I have never been on a tour where beginners, advanced or even experts are so cared for and have access to full days of instructions (or tips for improvement) from guides that are also trained ski instructors!
For me, I will definitely be back next year.
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The best thing about the Nagano ski buffet is the direct access we had to authentic Japanese culture in a ski resort. Where we stayed in the small town of Yudanaka - in lodgings that were clean, modern, friendy and run by Japanese local people, was simply beautiful. I couldn't have asked for better. I'd skied Niseko and Nozawa a number of years ago and was seeking that sense of exhilaration and freshness that you get when you feel you are truly away from your own culture. Through the ski buffet we were given this in spades. We (my daughter and I) met lovely like-minded people from around the world to ski with in our group. Over a few days we became friends and had a lot of those laughs that are generated through familiar banter. This was all encouraged by our organiser Jase and the guides, who gave fabulous tips on making the most of the small town, after spending a full day on the slopes. Handmade sushi in tiny restaurants, no problem. Homemade plum wine - easy. Onsens - gorgeous. The skiing tuition was sensational. Value for money having an all-day ski guide /instructor for the entire tour, remarkable. The groups were small and run on good timing; it was all very enjoyable, and easy. I have nothing but lovely memories, and much more beauty than I had anticipated. For me, the icing was the cake and the big birthday Kareoke song organised by Jase, for my daughter's 15th birthday. It was kind and personal, and I guess, a metaphor for the whole trip. Thoroughly recommended :-)
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Jase and his team at Japan Powder Culture Tours were absolutely amazing hosts for our group of 12 advanced/expert skiers for 9 days (8 days of skiing)! We were promised powder snow and were not disappointed at all. Even after 3 - 4 days Jase, Gus, Tom, John and Tyson were able to sniff out private powder stashes for us! The last day the powder was hip deep in places and was amazing. A number of our group brought sons in the 20 year range, many who are amazing skiers and the guides were very strong skiers and showed the lads an amazing time. Jase was cautious on offering ski advise but asked for permission from the tip to give out ski tips if he had any suggestions for experiance. The cultural experiance was also unbelievable with Geisha nights and Lion dances and drumming and entertainment and Jases "hidden gems" which were surprises along the way (which I will not divulge here but were lots of fun), honestly there was not a lot of idle time and all was done very profesionally! The hotel Ryokan Biyu was very good, clean and very professional staff. The Onsens (natural hot springs) in that hotel were marvelous and most of our group enjoyed them daily after skiing, fantastic! The snow monkey park near by was also a highlight which we very much enjoyed on our only day off from skiing. Jase was on top of our every need including arranging private massages for our tired muscles and checking in every day regarding dinner preferences and then booking the restuarant for us and either joining us or walking us to the restaurant to make sure we arrived there and also to assist on ordering. Jases new ski bus was fantastic and we felt pampered with his great music and many fantastic Stories (true Story!). If you want to experiance an amazing ski trip and cultural experiance, I don't think to may companies could match what this company does. Every one of his team are professionals, amazing skiers/boarders and look after your every whim. I will recommend this company to a number of friends who are considering a ski trip to Japan next year. There were numerous couples on this trip apart from our group plus a few families and all seemed to be having a great time. The guides are all certifed instructors so if you want to improve your technique. they can help you. Will take my wife back in the next year or two to share this amazing experiance with her. Thanks Jase, Tom, Gus, John and Tyson for an unbelievably great experiance, which I know my sons will remember for a lifetime!
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I have been home a couple of weeks now and this trip is still fresh in my mind. Jason Caulton and his team of high energy and highly skilled band of skier/snowboarders blew me away. they provided an experience second to none. They not only knew the mountains, the people and the culture but provided this experience at a level of 10 on a daily basis. I went to Japan with no expectations other than enjoy the skiing and my friends and left with something more towards a life changing experience. The impact this trip had on me will leave me thinking about it the rest of my life. in addition to that Jason was able to take my skiing ability to another level. The evenings at dinner were quite eventful and who can ever forget Karaoke night with way too many Chu Hi's. Hugging it out with a great Japanese Group and singing let it be. Oh my !! if you can get the chance and book this trip, DO IT NOW !!!!
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We had a blast! The skiing was incredible. Jase led us on some great runs which we would never have found on our own. The entire trip was well organized and we had no problems. We were kept busy, skied, watched shows, ate good food, and sang Karaoke. Our last day of skiing was just like the pictures on his website. Tonnes of powder.
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The number one reason is you will have a truly unique experience. I enjoyed every minute of the whole trip. The views, the powder, the food, the Onsens, the culture events, the drives, the amazing guides and the snow monkeys are all memories I will cherish from this trip, this adventure.
Nagano Ski Buffet combines a ski adventure that will leave you begging for more.
Jason Caulton has spent years perfecting the art of a seamless ski vacation in Japan. He knows the area back to front and is determined to make sure you get the best snow the area has to offer each day. He takes everyone’s skiing skills into account and assigns you to a group with an experienced guide that will gladly coach you and push you to ski harder then you have ever skied before. The guide’s personalities and fun banter is the extra plus that helps give you the complete Japanese Ski experience. The guide’s did an excellent job making everyone experience the true wonders of Japan, both on and off the mountain.
I came on this trip with very simple goals, to ski hard and fast, steep and deep. In reality I have come away with much more; good friends, local knowledge, new backcountry skills, and maybe most importantly some new perspectives on life. They really did everything possible to make this the trip of a lifetime.
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