Our tour with JPCT in February 2024 was an experience we will never forget. Despite the less than stellar snow conditions (all of western Canada was suffering the same misfortune) during the beginning of the trip Jace and his amazing crew gave us an experience we will never forget, filled with laughter and just generally an all-around amazing time. The skiing at Shigakogen and the stay in Yudanaka still has us talking months later of giving up life here and moving there full time.
The nightly onsens helped lull us into a deep slumber after a day of amazing skiing and excellent food.
Jace even threw a learn to telemark day when conditions weren’t great. His coaching and charisma really added to the learning experience and we have discussed getting our own gear to telemark ski at home as a new challenge.
The guides, George, Oscar, Dan, Gus and Harry had such great attitudes and were a pleasure to follow around the resorts with their vast knowledge of the terrain. We enjoyed many laughs with these guys and had some great conversations.
Liz and I consider our trip to Japan with JPCT a trip of a lifetime.
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I traveled to Japan with 5 friends from Lincoln, NH. 5 of us are seniors ranging from 62 to 72 and my friend’s son who is 38. Jase had plenty of guides to handle all our needs, terrific group who knew where to go and when. Jase had everything pretty much planned each day, just a well oiled plan from day to day. If Jase had pick up or drop off at a certain time you could expect that to happen, no wavering. He also would send George a guide of JPC to the hotel 5 minutes early to assure everyone was ready.
The first Inn we stayed at was the Yumoto Inn, Japanese orientated. On site was Onsen which was great after a busy day skiing and riding. Each morning they had the most wonderful Japanese style breakfast to start the day. The nights we had dinner there were also Japanese style dinners and they were 5 star.
After 6 days at Yumoto and skiing Shiga Kogen area we moved on to the Tenjin Lodge to ski Tenjindaira area, just 2.5 hours drives with a couple of interesting stops. Smaller vertical but a little steeper with lots of off piste skiing but again terrific power and much to interest you.
Tenjin Lodge was much more eastern style with about 40 guest max. Our group loved staying there, all the guest were very passionate about skiing and riding. Lot of people from all over the world there for the powder. The food was eastern style but very very good farmhouse food.
I could go on and on about this adventure but the bottom line we had a great time and recommend to any passionate skier or rider. Pretty much everything was 5 star or close, Skiing, entertainment, guides, travel, promptness, food, hotels and ski areas.
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I'll make this short and sweet. It's 7 days after leaving Japan, and I am now fully functional. Not for any other reason than Jase and the boys finding us the freshness for 9 days. Mind you, we only had snowfall for 2 of the 9 days... The rest, bluebird. Their operation is efficient, absolutely hilarious, and the guides (and Jase) are world class. They care about skiing, laughing and having fun... Which is what our wide range of demographics that booked was looking for. We partook in the Legendary Roadie. I wish I knew how much fun it would be because I would have booked my wife (who stayed at home in the US) a proper holiday whilst I was away. Life is fine now, but the shit eating grin from perpetual POW persists. Honestly, if we went to Japan and did not have guides, we would have had 2 days of POW. Thankfully, we were exhausted each day because the boys found us the goods even when we thought it was going to be an off day. Untracked goods... All sorts of stars to you and the boys. Thanks for your hospitality, and so glad we got to enjoy the raw side of JaPOW vs the commercialized north island. Thank you for the time of our lives.
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An amazing experience with an amazing group!
Super grateful to everyone on the trip!

Jase and the team were all amazing! especially the Guides Naru and Rafal who were very knowledgable and helpful, and always took us to the best runs with amazing snow even when much of the mountain got baked by the sun.

Extra grateful to Jase as well for helping me plan my itinerary outside the tour for the other time I spent in Japan - The suggestions of where to stay in Hokkaido and alternative places to visit outside of Tokyo (in my case Shimoda on the Isu Peninsula) were unforgettable!
On top of this, the cultural experiences were a great time =]

I could not have asked for a better trip with a better group of people to ski with and guides!

*Also extra grateful to Naru!
I had lost my ski in the deep powder, and even though we could not find it, he got me rentals very quickly for the rest of the tour and at a great price ! - now just recently I got an email saying that they were able to find the ski after more searching as the snow came down later in March =D
They were super thoughtful and caring & even after the ski was lost for over 2 weeks, they took the time to keep an eye out and help me get it back! <3

+ Another bit of thanks to the additional places we stayed at:
- The owners of Lodge Aibiya are super sweet and thoughtful hosts who are super welcoming and always wear a wonderful smile!
- The Team at Tenjin Lodge is great with great wisdom for the mountains and delicious food ;)

For others going, only thing I might suggest is choosing the dates a little less close to March - the warm weather and big sun hit pretty quickly (at least this year)
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I went on the tour solo and was a bit apprehensive beforehand but that quickly changed as I met Jase, his team and all other people in the group. Everybody was keen to get along and Jase made sure there was plenty of opportunity for the group dynamic to grow. Also, there were a handful of other people who were on the tour solo which was great to see. We all felt like good friends by the end.
This year was one of the worst in terms of snowfall and temperatures for Japan in many years, but we still had enough powder days to keep me very happy with the tour. While the snow god was kind to us, it was also a testament to Jase and his team finding us untouched powder for days after a dump. I have no doubt that without these guides I would have never found any of the amazing spots they showed us. There is a reason why Jase calls Shiga Kogen "Old Faithful", the highest altitude ski resort in Japan is why we were able to have powder days.
Towards the end of the tour I had an accident on the slopes and injured my leg badly enough to need to cut the tour short and fly home. Jase and co were very professional in getting me off the mountain and to hospital. What I was really grateful for was the care they provided in the following days. They got me checked in to a hotel for 3 nights to give me time to sort out my insurance and flights home and they were checking in on me multiple times a day to make sure I had food and that everything was okay. Without their help it would have made the ordeal extremely difficult. Thank you all!
I will definitely be back.
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If you want the best powder, best guides, most laughs and a true Japanese cultural experience, then Japan Powder culture tours (JPCT) is the best operation in Japan.
I was fortunate enough to do the legendary Roadie tour with Jason, plus some other little adventures into some new prefectures in Japan. Jason is so good at what he does, we call him the Snowlord. The pricing is amazing for all that you get in the tours but most importantly, you are getting expert local knowledge and access to the best powder japan has to offer. I could not recommend JPCT highly enough and I will be a customer of theirs for life.

I have done several tours and just keep coming back!
Imagine waking up after a great sleep in your amazing Ryokan, having a morning Onsen that has inside and outside options, then enjoying your choice of Japanese or western breakfast, while your guides are scoping the weather and picking the best mountain to venture to for the day.
Your boards/ski’s are loaded onto the bus and then its off to the mountain with great music and laughs on the way. The focus is on finding the best powder and having fun! Riders are allocated into intermediate, beginner or advanced so you are always riding with similar ability people. If your legs are spent, you can just drop down a group in the afternoon and take it easy. There is some amazing off piste riding and Jason and his team are Masters at finding untracked powder, even after many days without snow. Riding through fresh powder in the Japanese forests is an ethereal experience. The guides are amazing. Everyone stays together, it is very safe and caters to all abilities of riders.
When the day is done, it is back to the Ryokan for another amazing Onsen and then onto the nights activities. There are many group cultural nights where we will do Geisha nights, Japanese drums, karate displays and go to great local restaurants in the area.
I attended the tour the first time as a solo rider and have made some amazing lifelong friends, and we all now catchup with JPCT and enjoy the amazing Powder Jason and his team find us.
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I’m not one to write reviews but every so often a product is so good it deserves to shared with other like minded people. I have been lucky enough to share such an experience with Jason and his crew at JPCT. Twice actually..

Beyond his ability to always find snow days even after it snowed, it’s the lengths he and his team go to off mountain that makes him the best operator in Japan. The activities and ammenities provided are top class. The Ryokan Biyu is amazing and its onsen truly become a way of life. Activities like the lion dance help build a great group dynamic, not to mention the obligatory karaoke session. Despite being a solo traveller, I have made amazing friendships that last well after the snow melts.

And then there’s Tenjin. This place is nuts!! Best snow of my life but be warned, it’s not for the keyboard warrior. It’s the real deal so be honest with your ability.

I cannot recommend his tours highly enough!! If the snow lord ever starts tours in the Southern Hemisphere I’ll be sure to book those as well.
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I’ve been on this tour twice now and despite mother nature not being on our side, Jason and the crew managed to get us some sick lines in powder that nobody knew about. Thing is we can do nothing about mother nature, and had we not been on the tour this year we probably would of had the most awful time looking for snow but we got the goods. This of course is all down to the knowledge and the experience of Jason and his crew despite mother nature not being on our side. Jason and the crew managed to get us some sick lines in powder that nobody knew about.

There is simply no better way to experience Japan and doing this tour you will get to experience not only the best snow but the best time. Jason runs a tight ship and I laugh this year as I did last with my crew on the no dickhead‘s policy... lol .... though this is always quite funny to hear it’s actually such a great part of the trip because even the rowdiest bunch will be tamed in the interest of safety and enjoyment for the rest of the group and other groups which also are on the tour.

The bus is full every night taking us to various places and even on our nights off we will teamed up. The atmosphere was great and everybody seems to join in. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough.

I’ve been snowboarding all over the world for the last 25 years-ish. I’ve been with other companies and they were okay but there is nothing better than a tour like this and with the type of guys hosting .....

The other thing more than anything else is the share value for money. The accommodations are spot-on, lift passes included, and all your transportation... insane !!!!!!! ENJOY !!!!

And thanks again to Jason ..... when you get on the bus tell Jason Carlo sent you and there will be a gift waiting 👍🏼
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This is the second consecutive year with Jason and his team. We recently finished the Ultimate Roadie with the addition of a new area Aizu. What an epic adventure!

First I'd have to say how well organized these tours are. The JPCT team is extremely good at what they do. From avalanche safety gear and training to finding the best snow and terrain every run of the day. There is no other resort area in the world I've snowboarded where the last run of the day is the best run of the day other than in Japan. What is also great is the group size usually maxing out at six guests per guide and all with similar experience levels. This makes for plenty of runs per day. On average I tracked us doing 5000 vertical meters (16000+ feet) and our best day we rode just over 7000 vertical meters (23000 feet)!!! This is much more than I have ever seen cat boarding.

Not only does the JPCT team provide the best possible snow conditions, terrain and lack of crowds but the accommodations and cultural evenings are also an awesome experience. From soaking up the onsen after a great day of riding to sushi train to karate night to geisha games the crew will keep you well entertained! The food at both the hotel and in town at local restaurants is amazing. If you experience a down day or have a rest day you must check out the snow monkeys it really is worth the visit, just make sure you go early before the crowds show up.

To sum it up not only does Jason and the crew provide the best powder riding experience but with the great accommodation, variety of food, cultural events and value for $$$ it's really a no brainer. If you have been looking for a guided pow riding trip to Japan I suggest you give this one some serious thought. I also suggest you check out the "Week With JPCT" video on the website. It should give you a good idea what to expect.

To Jason, Gus, Tyson, and George thank you for another amazing adventure!!!
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My son and I went on the first 'Legendary Roadie' that Jason had run and it was very good. There were six of us plus one guide in the van which is a bit of a challenge if the vehicle is not quite big enough! We started with three days in the Shiga Kogen valley staying at Hostel Aibiya in Yudanaka. Yoshi & Seongmi were terrific hosts and the hostel is great with plentiful continental breakfast and great local eggs! We joined in with others for these three days which was fine. No great quantities of new snow but although I had been there before, my son had not so we covered a fair bit of terrain. Highlights include a visit to the highest lift accessed point in Japan. Jason and his other guides have an excellent, detailed knowledge of all the resorts and the many runs on offer. Yudanaka is a wonderful local town about 20 min bus ride from the Shiga resorts and only 45 min by local train from Nagano. We then travelled to Tenjin for three nights which is a great out of the way place/resort with awesome terrain and low numbers of skiers/boarders. I had heard a lot about Tenjin and was not disappointed. The side/back country is very easily accessed and provides challenging terrain. Jason teamed up with local guide Kieran from Tenjin Lodge to provide experienced local knowledge which I believe is the way to go. We skied/rode at Tenjin for two days and Okutone for one day which is close by. the Tenjin lodge is more than adequate but the best part was a visit to nearby Minakami village for local dinners and also there is a great onsen complex nearby. Van trips are great but one of the important considerations is having the group compatible with each other and Jason was quite particular in trying to achieve this. We managed a half day ski at Madarao on the way back to Yudanaka. this was not officially part of the trip but since they had had new snow and was on the way we fitted it in. I have been to Japan five times in total and been on "Roadie' trips before, and I would say that this trip was up there in terms of overall quality. Jason has been running trips of various types in Japan for quite a while now and this showed in the overall quality of/inclusions in, the overall package. Thrown in also were things like a Karaoke evening, trips to Sushi train restaurants, visit to Snow Monkey Park and the like.
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