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Japan Ski & Travel Guide

Niseko, Rusutsu & Japow Adventures

This Japan Ski Travel Guide is built for independent adventurers chasing deep turns, real snow, and real experiences. I focus on Hokkaido — home to legendary resorts like Niseko and Rusutsu — where Japow lives up to the hype.

Whether you’re planning your first ski trip to Japan or returning for another powder fix, you’ll find honest advice, resort comparisons, gear tips, and original ski-inspired apparel — all created from firsthand experience on the slopes.

Hokkaido Ski Adventures

Japan’s north island is where skiing and snowboarding dreams come true. I’ve skied Niseko and Rusutsu back-to-back, and I’m publishing detailed guides that cut through the noise to help you plan the trip that’s right for you.

Japow Apparel Collection

Can’t find cool ski gear that actually reps your favorite Japanese resorts? I couldn’t either — so I designed my own.

While skiing Niseko and Rusutsu, I noticed a serious lack of stylish, resort-specific apparel. What little I found came with a premium price tag. So I built the Japow Apparel Collection: affordable shirts and hoodies inspired by Hokkaido powder culture, designed for skiers who want to take a little Japow stoke home with them.

Explore the collection below — with new designs dropping soon.

Skier taking a selfie at the base of Niseko on a heavy powder day in Hokkaido, Japan. Dressed in a white ski jacket, mirrored goggles, and a beanie with a Colorado Saram patch, they are covered in fresh snow as skiers and gondolas fade into the snowy background.
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Essential Japan Travel Info

Time in Japan: JST

16 Hours Ahead of MST

Denver: Saturday, 3:00 pm

Tokyo: Sunday, 7:00 am

16 Hours Ahead of MST

Denver: Saturday, 3:00 pm

Tokyo: Sunday, 7:00 am

Japanese Currency:

Yen ¥ (JPY)

USD $1.00 = ¥ 152.5

* Subject to fluctuation

Things to Know in Japan:

Capital: Tokyo

Primary Int’l Airports: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) in Tokyo – New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Sapporo for Hokkaido

Spoken Language: Japanese

Written Languages:

  1. Hiragana (ひらがな): Used for native or naturalized Japanese words and grammatical elements. Example: こんにちは (konnichiwa).
  2. Katakana (カタカナ): Used for foreign words, loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis. Example: レストラン (restaurant).
  3. Kanji (漢字): Adopted Chinese characters with intrinsic meanings. Example: 日本 (Japan).

Population: 122.6 million

    Tokyo: 9.5 million

    Yokohama: 3.69 million

    Osaka: 2.67 million

    Nagoya: 2.27 million

    Sapporo: 1.91 million

Capital: Tokyo

Primary Int'l Airports: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) in Tokyo - New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Sapporo for Hokkaido

Spoken Language: Japanese

Written Languages:

  1. Hiragana (ひらがな): Used for native or naturalized Japanese words and grammatical elements. Example: こんにちは (konnichiwa).
  2. Katakana (カタカナ): Used for foreign words, loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis. Example: レストラン (restaurant).
  3. Kanji (漢字): Adopted Chinese characters with intrinsic meanings. Example: 日本 (Japan).

Population: 122.6 million

Tokyo: 9.5 million

Yokohama: 3.69 million

Osaka: 2.67 million

Nagoya: 2.27 million

Sapporo: 1.91 million

    Panoramic View of Dotonbori, Osaka, at Night.
    Stock photo of Mount Fuji, Japan
    Colorado Inspired International Travel
    Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, lit. 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion'), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. 'Deer Garden Temple'), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.