We really enjoyed our 3 night stay at Pole Pole as part of a Gassan Ski tour. On arrival we were greeted with such warmth from the staff, and the hospitality continued throughout our stay. As there are only 7 cottages, the experience was quite boutique and personalised.

The cottage was lovely and it was great to have a table and living area and kitchen, although we didn’t use the latter much, other than to make a coffee, have a drink, and to eat the prepared breakfast. The twin beds were very comfortable, which is not something you take for granted in Japan, and there were both western and Japanese style pillows. The cottage had a coat rack but no other hooks, and being skiers with a lot of gear it wasn’t long before we turned the staircase into a bit of a drying room.

Dinner the first night started with sashimi and a few other treats which then morphed into shabu shabu with wagyu beef. The bar had a nice selection of beer, sake and whiskey. Dinner the next night was also impressive and included wagyu steak, fish, rice and other accompaniments, topped off with ice-cream and more beautiful hospitality.

One afternoon we had a soak in the onsen bath which was a relaxing after a day out backcountry touring.
See our video here