How Ryan scored his dream job whilst navigating Japan’s ski resorts by van

19 stops on the ultimate winter road trip with videographer Ryan Butterfield

Ryan Butterfield is the content creator and videographer behind the Chasing the Frozen Wave series that we’ve featured previously on this site. Over the 22/23 ski season, he and his team travelled from Nozawa Onsen up to Hokkaido, making 19 stops along the way and showing us the perks of van life in Japan – not least of which is the easy access to some of the country’s best powder skiing destinations.

We’ve been captivated by his journey and life as a content creator, which he describes as the “best job in Japan”. In the interview below, we questioned Ryan on the realities of life on the road, his custom van setup and the top moments from his season.

Ryan and the Mountain Swell team

Ski Asia: Can you give us a brief introduction to who you are and how you found yourself travelling by van through Japan’s ski resorts this season?

Ryan: I am originally from Scotland and grew up in the Austrian Alps. In 2014, I moved to Japan and quickly fell in love with the country’s stunning landscapes, unique language, and rich culture. As a board sports enthusiast, I discovered that Japan is a hidden gem for a laid back yet competitive surf scene, up-and-coming skateboarding, and endless backcountry snowboard missions.

I started Mountain Swell a few years ago as I knew I needed to pursue something I love whilst living in Japan. I always give myself projects and when one finishes another one starts. This is where my van came into play. Van life was the key to me bouncing between seasons and chasing my goals. It gives me the freedom to live and work from any resort or beach.

Currently I am living in Kumamoto but spend a lot of my time in my van in Miyazaki during summers.

Take us through the setup of your van

My van is a Toyota HiAce DX 2014 Diesel 4WD. A 4WD diesel was important to me when I was looking for a van. I bought it in October 2021 and spent a few weeks working on it. This is when I created my YouTube Channel as I wanted to document my build. I found the van online but used a car dealer friend in Kumamoto to organise all the transport and paperwork to get it sent down to Kyushu. It cost me 1.4 million yen including Shaken and my build cost about ¥400,000.

I fully insulated the inside of it and covered it with wood panels to create a traveling log cabin feel. The idea was not only to create a camper but a studio where I can edit after client shoots and a hang out spot in the car park where we can all enjoy a coffee or drinks.

“The idea was not only to create a camper but a studio where I can edit after client shoots and a hang out spot in the car park where we can all enjoy a coffee or drinks.”

What’s the biggest challenge of van life during winter in Japan?

Actually, van life in Japan is incredibly easy. Apart from the cold, my biggest problem is getting denied entry to some onsen due to tattoos. Funnily enough, out of the whole of Japan my biggest problems with onsen was all around Hokkaido. Sometimes I would go days without washing because just wasn’t allowed in and in certain areas around Hokkaido just doesn’t have that many to choose from.

We spent six weeks on the road this winter and never had too many problems with the cold, as we had great sleeping bags and a little heater when we needed.

Where have you been and what has a typical day looked like?

On this series we are creating for Youtube we started down in Nozawa Onsen as we had a client shoot for that day. This was a good meeting point for me and the rest of the team. We didn’t have too much of a plan on where we wanted to go, we just knew Hokkaido was the end target. We would check the snow forecast every day and decide where we would go from there. Keep traveling north.

We ended up in Nozawa Onsen, Yuzawa, Niigata, Joetsu Kokusei, Kandatsu, Zao Onsen, Geto Kogen, Appi Kogen, Hakkoda, Sapporo, Sapporo Teine, Furano, Kamui Ski Links, Asahikawa, Otaru, Kiroro, Niseko, Lotte Arai and Suginohara.

“We didn’t have too much of a plan on where we wanted to go, we just knew Hokkaido was the end target”

Our typical day would either involve riding or driving for the day and pretty much always an onsen. At the onsen places we would generally have a team meeting and figure out the next day’s plan. On bad weather days we would go to a family restaurant because it was really cheap and great value for food. We would edit there and send content to the brands we were working with.

What is it about Japan that inspires you as a content creator?

To me Japan has all the things that New Zealand has to offer, which is marketed towards adventure tourism but Japan is less known for. From beaches to mountains, Japan really has it all and more. I discover new things everyday and living here never has a dull moment.

“…living here never has a dull moment.”

I created Mountain Swell which is a website that offers my services as a photographer and guide that focuses on surf and snow in Japan. I really want to share this side of Japan with everyone. Van life in Japan is getting a lot more popular and it really is one of the safest and convenient countries in the world to do it. So this will be a big focus on my channel.

Has there been a standout moment or experience?

Always at the michi no eki which is Japanese for roadside station. There are always other Japanese people doing the same thing on similar adventures and it’s great to meet and talk together which is sometimes a rare occasion when living in a big city. But for sure, some of the best moments were in the snow… I mean it didn’t stop snowing the whole trip. The powder was insane. Episode 7 has one of my favourite video parts in the snow.

Plans for next season?

Chasing The Frozen Wave Season 2! Next year we will take the ferry straight to Hokkaido and concentrate on our adventures around there. More backcountry missions and more shenanigans.

Once piece of knowledge you have now that you wish you’d known at the start of the season

Everything plastic will break! We had so much stuff that it got too cold and just broke. Gas heaters don’t work in the cold! So this year when I get time I will install a diesel heater in the van so it will be toasty warm any time.

I have already started working on improvements to my van since I got home.