Possibly the best tour I’ve been on — the only one I’d consider doing again. It’s telling that I’m not the only one thinking that. The number of people on my tour who did the same trip for a second time speaks for itself.

I started as a beginner skier on the Magic Carpet slope and within five ski days got the hang of parallel turns, managing intermediate runs.

That’s in no small part to the guides (George, Gus, Harry, Oscar and Jace), who honestly make this tour special. Not only are they all incredible on the snow, but are super patient and informative with learners.

Their role extends beyond the slopes too. They get the party started at Karaoke, lighten the mood and are great for a yarn on long Gondola rides.

They also handle everything from gear fitting through to porting your stuff to and from the slopes. They put in so much hard work behind the scenes so you can just rock up, ski and then relax in an onsen afterwards.

This is all topped off with awesome cultural performances, elaborate traditional meals and spending time in Yudanaka, a really cool regional Japanese town.

Jace has handcrafted what has to be one of the best and most effortless travel experiences I’ve had in a long time. If my circumstances align, I’ll be heading back to Yudanaka for another serve of powder.
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We are a family of 4 with two teen boys (16,18 yo). We are all essentially fresh beginners and wanted the young ones to experience a proper introduction to skiing. Jase has this covered to the hilt.

He and his team are incredibly patient, reassuring and very knowledgable with clients. We got fitted out completely with all ski gear (included in package) in a very non-rushed manner which is the first thing I appreciated and was very different from what you'd experience with other ski shops / schools. It felt very much like we were the only ones on tour with him and crew most of the time which is an absolute luxury. Even the proper method of carrying skis and walking in boots was covered at length.

Although my eldest boy started off not keen with the idea of skiing at all, Harry, Oscar and George were all extremely patient and supportive of him and he now has returned with a sense of accomplishment that he can actually ski at the end of the tour.

We stayed at the Biyu which provided a mixed Western - Japanese style room. All the in-house breakfast and dinner meals were so sumptuous and attention to detail quite amazing. Onsen (natural hot spa) post-skiing was also very enjoyable. The hotel is very clean, staff professional and very welcoming.

The daily tours to the mountains with the crew and several other guests were always well run, on time and stress-free. Early mornings in the subzero temps can be a little difficult to wake up to so early nights for those who need a little more sleep than others would be a good idea, since you'd want to enjoy the provided breakfast without rushing.

The ski lessons were wonderful, just enough theory and the crew were very gentle and patient with everyone on tour. As the days went on, everyone progressed at their own pace and it was good to see the crew cater to the individuals without any fuss and without pushing anyone outside their comfort zone.

I had a knee injury on the slopes on day 2 which was a bummer but Jase looked after me really well all the way through. I have to say that being "rescued" by the Japanese crew in a "sleigh" was the most fun ride I had in ages! Jase and his team checked in regularly just to see how my knee was progressing and supplied ski poles and also snow shoe spikes to make sure I didn't lose my footing.

The cultural component of the package consisting of a magic show, Geisha and karate / taiko drums / lion dance were very enjoyable too and a must see. They were the icing on the cake and a very nice complimentary touch to the day's skiing. Harry's impromptu saxophone performance on the bus was a pleasant surprise from a multitalented bunch!

On days where there was no in house dinner provided, Jase was able to point out good local small restaurants which were both delicious and of great value.

Thank you Jase, George, Harry, Oscar and Gus. We all had an amazing time with you lot and will highly recommend this experience to friends and family.
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What an awesome trip. We went as 2 families, just the boys, so 2 men and 5 boys. 1of the boys had never skied before. Jase and his team of guides, who during our stay, were John, George, Liam and Dan were all so helpful and accommodating it made the trip so easy from the initial kitting out of gear to the final night we left.
We had skiers through from advanced to intermediate and beginner and the groups we were put into were perfectly matched to each skill level.
The guides provided excellent tips and advice during the runs that my personal skiing level increased dramatically, as did all of the boys in the beginner groups.
The guides provided concise instruction on techniques that I had never been told before that not only made perfect sense but instantly increased my skiing aptitude.
It was essentially one on one guiding for the entire trip.
Added to that the guys know the mountains backwards and can advise what runs are best to go on or what lifts/gondolas were likely to have small queues, I personally never once bothered to open the mountain map which allowed me to just ski with no concern of ever going the wrong way or being lost on the mountains.
The guides were so beneficial to the boys that they were skiing really well by day 3 - see video of my boy who had never skied before on day 3 and the commentary on John skiing beside him.
Even the bus rides to and from the mountains were painless and good fun... and informative.

We stayed in a Ryokan in Yudanaka that provided a great Japanese experience, the town itself was a great little town with lots of restaurants and bars down many little streets. We had some wonderful meals and fun out with the group and on our own including a meal down a wrong turn in the green light area.

The cultural experiences that were interspersed within the trip were very enjoyable and on one night ended up being interactive for the boys, which I'm not sure is the usual plan but was certainly wonderful for the boys.
On our final night just our family and a few of the guides had a cultural experience in a dive bar in Nagano where Jase pulled out some musical talents that left us and the guides comprehensively impressed!

At no stage during our trip was anything to hard to accommodate or facilitate.
I would highly recommend Jase and his team at Japan Powder Culture Tours.
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The Japan Powder Culture Team are a brilliant bunch to tour with, based in a quaint, as yet unspoilt town in shooting distance of over 18 resorts it's an ideal base to combine culture (monkeys, temples, castles, onsens etc) with world class powder and some of the highest resorts in Asia. The expert team take all levels & all ages out onto the slopes wherever is best on any given day for the conditions, so you aren't confined to a single location. Highly recommended! A super fun crew ready to welcome guests of all levels.
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We signed up for Nagano Beginner Packages and it was one of the highlights of our Japan holiday.
Night before 1st ski, Jase meticulously ensured that each of us were fitted properly. Some of the gears were even brand new.
He coached us personally on day 1, Tom on day 2 & Gus on day 3. For newbies like us, you can’t get any better care & attention than with Jase & team. When on the slopes, each of them were super patient, totally “with you”, coached us according to our levels & very encouraging. They were skiing with us, watching out and giving pointers throughout the whole day – literally from start till end of each day. Can tell that they thoroughly enjoy skiing and sharing what they know. This package is one of the best ways to get started (& hooked) on skiing. BTW, the “variety” of coaches was a bonus for me cos I got extra insights & pointers.
Jase got the 4 of us a family room at Hostel Aibiya which made us feel like we were in a hotel – spacious, private bath, quiet and clean. Yoshi & Seongmi were great hosts, and always helpful with advise and tips on where to eat & what to do.
Other bonuses included the stories from Jase during the bus ride, beer stop at one of the convenience stores, visit to one of the towns, getting Jase’s teenager son to accompany my son, getting to try different slopes & going to the slopes with the best snow each day.
Jase is very responsive to all emails, despite being on the slopes the whole day - very reassuring & shows how committed he is to making sure everything is AOK. Regretfully, we could not ski more days as my knees could not take it.
Thank you very much, Jase! Hopefully we can ski with you again soon!
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Still have such great memories of our last trip before COVID in Jan 2020. What a fantastic week of excellent snow / powder, no crowds, blue sky and sunny days, great company and excellent instruction and guiding! My son and I have skiied a little before and significantly improved our confidence, skills and control over 4 days skiing with Jase, John, Tyson and George. I'm amazed at the quality of skiing and absence of crowds in the Shiga Kogen area. We also enjoyed the traditional ryokan and onsen experience in Yudanaka, a lovely little town with awesome local restaurants, as well as cultural performances and side trips to various "hidden gems" such as the Tokagushi shrine. Truly an end to end local cultural experience - Jase and the team could not have been more helpful with every aspect of our trip. Highly recommend and hope to get back as soon as we can get out of HK and back without time-wasting and expensive quarantine.
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I wanted to see what I was told was the best powder in the world and I was not disappointed. What an excellent trip in all ways. As a beginner family with my 2 adult sons and 1 girlfriend I wanted them to have the ultimate snow experience. Yudanaka was a cultural delight from the onsens to the food and everything inbetween. Shiga Kogen the best. They took to snowboarding like it was second nature with their guide George who could not have given them more attention. Tyson far too experienced for me drew the short straw and spent his time on the bunny runs with 'the mum'. I would like to have become an amazing skier but I needed to have found snow too many decades ago to count. I had a great deal of fun and that was what it was about, loads of powder, beautiful surroundings, food and family, kick starting a new sport for my sons and the best memories. As bad as I am at skiing I would do this all over again in an instant. I will be recommending Jase and his guys to anyone who wants a cultural and snow experience of Japan. Thanks to Jase and all of the guides you may see some of us again.
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