#japow

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If you've heard skiers and snowboarders talk about "JAPOW," you're not alone. Short for "Japan Powder," JAPOW refers to the famously light, dry, and deep powder snow found throughout Japan—especially in the northern island of Hokkaido.

What Makes JAPOW So Special?

The powder in Hokkaido is the result of a perfect meteorological recipe. Cold Siberian air masses travel over the relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan, generating dense moisture-laden clouds. These clouds get pushed inland by prevailing winds, releasing their snowfall across Hokkaido's mountainous terrain. The result? Deep snow that is both dry and fluffy, ideal for skiing and snowboarding.

January, often dubbed "Japanuary," is the best time to experience this snow phenomenon, with peak conditions and the highest probability of fresh snowfall. Resorts like Kiroro, Furano, and Sapporo Kokusai receive consistent dumps, sometimes daily, creating dream conditions for riders.

Snowfall Patterns by Region

Different regions in Hokkaido experience varying amounts of snow depending on their topography and proximity to moisture sources:

Niseko receives massive amounts of snow—up to 16 meters per season—with consistent powder from December through March.

Sapporo Teine and Sapporo Kokusai, located near the coast, enjoy early-season snowfall and steady accumulation.

Asahikawa's Powder Belt, including areas like Furano, Asahidake, and Kurodake, boasts exceptionally dry inland powder, perfect for more advanced or backcountry experiences.

Central Hokkaido resorts like Sahoro and Kamui Ski Links receive less snow overall, but are known for clearer skies and more reliable weather—making them ideal for families and fair-weather riders.

Here is a quick breakdown of average seasonal snowfall:

Tree Riding in Hokkaido: A Unique Experience

JAPOW isn’t the only thing drawing winter sports enthusiasts to Hokkaido. The island is home to spectacular tree runs that wind through stunning hardwood forests. Unlike densely packed coniferous forests found in other parts of the world, Hokkaido’s birch and beech woodlands are more spaced out, offering ample room for smooth glade skiing and snowboarding.

These forests, especially in resorts like Niseko, Rusutsu, and Kiroro, add a sense of magic and thrill to each ride. Their twisting branches and natural terrain features like pillows and rollers provide the perfect natural playground for intermediate and advanced riders alike.

Where to Ski in Japan: Hokkaido’s Top Picks

If you're wondering where to ski in Japan, Hokkaido stands out for its consistent snowfall, variety of terrain, and welcoming atmosphere. The best resorts in Hokkaido for powder lovers and snowboarders include:

Niseko United: Ideal for JAPOW seekers with excellent off-piste access.

Furano: Perfect for those looking for dry, inland powder and fewer crowds.

Rusutsu: Great for families and tree riding enthusiasts.

Kiroro: Known for heavy snowfall and less crowded slopes.

Sapporo Teine: Convenient access from the city, good for day trips.

Best Time to Ski in Japan

The best time to ski in Japan is between late December and early March, with January offering the most consistent powder. February also sees excellent conditions, especially in Hokkaido. March is great for spring skiing, with longer days and slightly warmer temperatures.

If Hokkaido snowboarding is on your radar, plan your trip between January and mid-February to maximize your chance of enjoying the legendary JAPOW. Be sure to book accommodations and lift passes early, as the popularity of the region continues to grow among international skiers.

Why JAPOW Should Be on Your Bucket List

From the exhilarating snow conditions to the serene beauty of tree-lined runs, JAPOW delivers a snow experience that few other places in the world can match. Whether you’re a seasoned skier or a first-time powder hunter, Hokkaido’s world-renowned resorts and diverse terrain make it a top-tier winter destination.

Some friends who ski/ snowboard said they appreciated the write up I did of our experience there a couple of years ago. Plus anyone who I see regularly knows how much I love to talk about it...sorry.

Anyway, we ventured a bit deeper into Hokkaido (the north island) this time around so I thought I’d share an update on what we found. 

The snow in Japan really is mind blowing.  Basically it’s nearly always snowing. We’ve been in the mountains for 4 weeks in total now and it’s snowed most of the time, every single day. Even when it’s sunny, (not often) it’s still snowing. We’re more sure how this is possible, but there it is. And the snow is lighter than sugar. It’s heavenly.

We went on the 27th December, and it’s definitely busier and more expensive than Feb half-term. This kind of forced us down the route of not just going back to Niseko, the mega resort, which was a good thing. 

To mitigate this situation we stayed in Otaru, 30 minutes from the big city of Sapporo. It’s a coastal town famous for glass blowing, music boxes, and the best fish in Japan. There were some big hotels that have some skiers like us staying there but it’s absolutely not a resort town. 

Around Otaru there are 8/9 mini resorts within 45 minutes drive. We went to 3 of them - mostly the ‘biggest’ Kiroro, but also Sapporo Teine and Sapporo Kokusai. Niseko is an hour and a half away. 

The drives could be pretty intense as it would always be snowing, sometimes really blizzarding hard and the road would also be caked in snow. At one point I could literally see about 5 yards ahead for 15/20 minutes and had to drive at about 20mph. 

Kiroro was our favourite of these three resorts. It gets 18 metres of snow a year. By way of comparison, Tignes gets 6. By the end of December it had already got nearly 5 metres. However, frustratingly this wasn’t enough snow for the resort to open the side country gates/ tree runs. I heard a rumour of the pernicious impact of a big Club Med hotel, focusing heavily on safety vs off piste adventures. I definitely had to play it safe as was with the kids but dropped briefly into one designated ‘tree run area’ and the snow was up to my chest. Bliss. There were basically very few people there. We got a 40cm of fresh snow overnight on New Years Day and did 7 pure powder runs in about an hour and a half literally without queuing for a lift once. On the final day there was another foot of fresh snow and we went down one long powder caked black run and saw only one other person. If the side country had been open this could have been my favourite resort ever. Will just have to go back and see…

Sapporo Kokusai was tiny but we had a great day there. Cheeky tree runs off piste that were super deep and completely untracked but the trees were a bit dense. The Japanese love a warning sign with ‘Keep Out’ in big letters. Sometimes for pretty innocent terrain. So it’s a bit hard to know which to take seriously and which not to, especially when going into the trees with children. This does mean a guide would be very helpful to quickly acclimatise.

Sapporo Teine was a bit of a disappointment. On the plus side, you get insane views of the city of Sapporo and the Sea of Japan. which you are just above. It’s also a fair bit steeper than the other resorts, which generally are flatter than your average French Alp. On the downside the sea winds had iced up some of posted and the tree runs weren’t really ready yet. Maybe just wrong day/time of year though as the terrain looked good. 

We ended up going back to Niseko three times in four days after that as the snow was absolutely banging, tree runs are just incredible and everything is so easy to access. It’s a proper resort town and way more crowded but to be honest there is still just so much good snow to go around, it barely matters. Also it does make life a little bit easier than when you’re one of the say, 5% of westerners on the hill. And there’s tons of good places to eat. 

The food in Hokkaido is amazing. Our hotel restaurant looked fairly inconspicuous but my god the fish and meat was good. And the breakfasts….most days I had 7 courses. We ate dinner there nearly every night as the kids were knackered and didn’t want to go anywhere. Which did slightly undermine the upside of being in a ‘real Japanese town’. But the snow crab sashimi and wagyu beef from the grill helped me get over that.

A post ski onsen would be perfect but annoyingly, even in the outdoor ones, you have to be naked and in my case, surrounded solely, by naked Japanese men. Call me a prude but that kind of killed my onsen vibe.

We had expected an Alpine NYE party there with fireworks etc. from stuff we’d read online but actually there was bugger all going on. The only thing to do we found was a shrine that open at 11pm. I discovered afterwards that Niseko did have a fireworks display but I didn’t mention that to the kids. 

Japan is now actually quite cheap for most things. Adult lift passes were between 35 and 50 quid a day. In the US they can now easily be 200 at Christmas. Apparently if you stay in February, you can be in a 5 star hotel in Sapporo for 50 quid a night. Though I think that is a bit of a trek from the best mountains. Once you’re there, it’s now cheaper or at least on a par to the European resorts I’ve been too. We went shopping in Uniqlo, partly out of brand loyalty, but mainly because you could buy really well made t-shirts for £7, jeans for £15 and super warm jackets for £50. Madness. I stuffed my snowboard bag with shopping. 

In 2030, they are going to open a Bullet train from Tokyo to Sapporo (via Miseko) which would be the way to do it. Getting another flight to Hokkaido (the snowier North Island) after 14 hours flying to Tokyo is a lot. And this time we had to wait hours for one.

I’d expected this trip to be much more challenging to navigate as we were definitely more off the beaten track. But armed with the words for thank you  ‘Arigato gozaimasu’, arms, and Google Translate, we got by easily. And everyone was very friendly, helpful and of course, extremely courteous!