An insider’s guide to planning a ski trip to Japan – and saving money

If you want to save, planning and booking the individual parts of your winter trip to Japan online is the best move. It involves a little more effort, but when you know how to do it, it’s just like booking any other trip online. Japan used to be tricky because of the language barrier and payment difficulties, but those problems don’t exist anymore.

A Year Ahead

When and where will you go?

The season runs from October to May in some places, but the best snow is from late December to early March. Christmas, the two weeks around Chinese New Year, and some Japanese holidays are more expensive and get booked up earlier.

For the best snow, both in terms of snow cover and fresh snowfall, the last week of January and the first week of February seem to be the sweet spot for guaranteed conditions. Most years, any time in Jan or Feb will be fine, but on a bad year, the snow cover can be too little in January for off-piste, and it can sometimes get a little warmer in late Feb – but these are once-in-five-year weather events. It’s normal to snow pretty much every one or two days from Christmas to March.

That said, if you are a beginner or an intermediate or do not intend to go in the trees or hunt for powder, peak winter in Japan is best avoided altogether if you want to ski for less. It can be harsh, windy, and bitterly cold, and you may not see the sky all week. The best conditions by far are in the spring, when you can ski in the sunshine on perfectly groomed pistes. You can also avoid the price hikes, queues and competition for restaurant tables.

Snow Forecast is an excellent resource if you want to check out the historical snowfall for specific resorts. The historical snowfall records are accessible on the page for each resort.

Historical snowfall records for Niseko Grand Hirafu. Image:snow-forecast.com

You can see that in Niseko, you’re good from mid-December to early March for a solid five powder days per week. If you compare this to Akakura Onsen, one of the popular Myoko Kogen resorts, you would be better off sticking to that two-week period across January and February for around 3.5 powder days per week.

Historical snowfall records for Akakura Onsen. Image:snow-forecast.com

Generally, December is riskier as there may not be enough base. This is fine for beginners, but off-piste and tree runs might not be possible. There could be some rain at lower elevations, particularly in Honshu, the main island. January is guaranteed snow and cold weather, but the cold may be too much for some people. If deep powder is your priority, February is the perfect balance of snow, lower winds, little chance of rain, and you may get the odd day of sunshine. March is starting to get warmer, with more chance of sun. It can get slushy in the afternoons, but this is much rarer in Japan than the US or Europe. In April, you can only find reliable conditions in Hokkaido and high-altitude resorts. As you can see above, you are on safer ground in Hokkaido and the further north you go in Honshu.

How to choose a resort

It’s tempting to flock to Niseko or Hakuba in Jan or Feb like everyone else, but you might be better off going somewhere different or going in spring instead, depending on your needs. Powderhounds is a great website for information, although keep in mind that the website is for powder chasers, so some of the small resorts might not rate highly, but they can be perfect for beginners. I can’t stress enough how much fun it is visiting the smaller or less well-known resorts in Japan like Geto Kogen, the resorts near Morioka (you don’t have to stick to one resort), Nozawa Onsen or off-the-beaten-track resorts in Hokkaido like Kamui Ski Links or Tomamu.

There’s a lot of variation in size and facilities, so you should ask yourself some questions before picking a resort:

• Do you want true ski-in, ski-out accommodation? Be careful, as many hotels are listed as such, but some are a few km walk from the slopes, or count Nordic ski trails.
• Do you want to stay in a town with nightlife, or are you happy in a resort hotel that’s completely dead after dinner? Many resorts are deserted in the evening.
• Are you happy staying in a capsule/backpacking hotel? This is a great way to ski on a budget, and many capsules, like the skiers’ beds at Geto Kogen, offer a great experience.
• Are you willing to drive or get the bus to a resort 30-40 minutes away?
• Are you happy with 5-10 runs and mellow terrain, or do you need a large mega resort with miles of pistes and steep runs?
• Are you looking to go off-piste and ride in the trees?

Once you’ve answered these questions and decided on the non-negotiables, choosing a resort or area will be much easier.

“I can’t stress enough how much fun it is visiting the smaller or less well-known resorts in Japan like Geto Kogen.” Image: getokogen.com

Do you need lessons?

Whether or not you want lessons is one of the biggest factors you should consider before booking your trip. English group lessons are surprisingly rare and expensive. If you can afford one of the big luxury chains like Club Med, then English lessons are included (along with everything else you could possibly need) but again, the prices are not for everyone’s wallet.

Hokkaido, being more westernised, is generally better in terms of the availability of lessons in English or Chinese Mandarin. The standard offering in Honshu (where available) seems to be private group lessons where you pay for an instructor and it’s the same price whether it’s an individual or a group of four. Of course, this probably isn’t much use if your group is of mixed ability and it is always expensive.

You don’t need to book lessons a year ahead, but you do need to make sure they are available at your chosen resort and that you are okay with the prices.

The best options I’ve found are Kiroro and Kamui Ski Links in Hokkaido. The Kiroro kids club has kids group lessons for ¥10,000 per day (4 hours) and they say their Japanese tutors will use basic English to teach foreign kids. Their adult lessons in English are private group lessons, though, and cost ¥70,000 for 1-4 people per day. At Kamui all kids’ lessons are in English, costing ¥13,000 per day. Adults pay ¥50,000 for a group of four, also conducted in English.

At Appi Kogen English, full-day, 4-hour group lessons start at 20,000 per day for adults and 18,000 for kids. You can pay a little more to have your kids taken care of for lunch, too. There’s a 10% discount for booking online.

Myoko Snowsports, winners of the Ski Asia Awards for snowsports schools for five of the last six years, offers English kids lessons starting at ¥16,000 per day and 2.5-hour adult group lessons at the same cost. They also have discounts for multiple days.

English lessons are also available from snowsports schools in Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, Okushiga Kogen in Honshu and Furano, Niseko, and Tomamu in Hokkaido. Rhythm Japan offers a five-day kids package for ¥115,000.

Lessons can be the biggest factor when planning a trip to Japan. If you don’t speak Japanese, you’ll need to make sure lessons in your language are available. If you’re in a group, all at a similar level, booking a group private lesson is more economical. In my opinion, private one-on-one lessons are much better than group lessons if you can afford it. You’ll progress so much quicker when you have the undivided attention of a tutor.

Lessons will get booked up early at popular resorts, particularly during the holidays. If you leave it to the last minute, you’ll be stuck. Book the lessons as soon as your flights and accommodation are sorted, as many businesses offer free cancellation.

If you’re in a group of complete beginners, it’s also worth considering a couple of days lessons at the budget-friendly F Village in Sapporo before heading to the mountains.

A year to Six Months Ahead

International Flights

A year to six months ahead is good for flights. In my experience, prices trend upwards and booking early is nearly always cheaper. Google Flights is great for planning and seeing the different routes and price trends. It will even tell you to wait if prices are currently high and they are expected to fall. Its features – like choosing the number of stops and flight times – are very handy. Once I’ve found my flight, I book directly on the airline’s website. If you don’t do this and there’s a problem, you end up dealing with the agent rather than the airline, which can be hell.

Three to Four Months Ahead

Internal Flights

For internal flights, it’s best to wait until three to four months before as many of the low-cost airlines don’t release their flights until then. If you’re flying into Tokyo and connecting directly to New Chitose, it’s best to book both flights with the same carrier and within in the same booking if you can. Then, if there is bad weather or a delay, you have a much better chance of being looked after. If you’re switching carriers, leave a good three-hour buffer. Sometimes storms can delay planes into Tokyo in winter months.

One of the reasons it’s best to plan your destination first is that there are some international flights to Hokkaido that are more convenient than flying into Tokyo. Of course, if it’s your first trip to Japan, you may want to visit Tokyo for a few days first. If not, there are direct flights to New Chitose in Hokkaido from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Taipei and Singapore. For travellers coming from Australia or the US, changing in these cities can be an option rather than Tokyo.

If you’re worried about waiting and not getting flights, Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo is the second busiest flight route in the world. Flights are frequent and very cheap, and there’s always the train as a backup option.

Also note that some routes, like Tokyo Narita to Sapporo, don’t seem to run in the evening, while late flights are available from Tokyo Haneda airport.

An excellent feature of some carriers’ booking systems, such as JAL and Airdo, is the ability to reserve a flight, then pay a few days later or let the booking expire free of charge. Others, like Peach, charge a small fee. This allows you to plan multiple flights without worry.

Trains

Trains used to be the most economical option for a Honshu ski trip in Japan, as you could buy passes that were only available to tourists, which allowed you to choose your days of unlimited travel within a set period, such as ten days or two weeks. These passes have been replaced by new versions that give you unlimited travel on consecutive days for a shorter period of five or six days.

You can get the train from Tokyo to Hokkaido, but it’s a very long way and takes at least 8 hours.

Now the passes don’t really make sense unless you are moving around a lot in a short period that’s served well by trains. For example, if you’re just going from Narita airport to Tokyo, then to Nagano, then back again, the cost is 21,540 yen, but the cheapest pass covering that area, the JR East Nagano, Niigata pass, is 27,000 yen and only lasts for 5 days. Generally speaking, unless you’re making three or more Shinkansen (bullet train) trips in a five or six-day period, you’re better off without the pass.

“unless you’re making three or more Shinkansen (bullet train) trips in a five or six-day period, you’re better off without the pass.”

Also, note that sometimes there can be a long wait to pick up your pre-purchased pass in Japan, so if you’re on a tight schedule to get to your destination or to make a certain train after your flight, it might be better not to get the pass.

If you’re in a group of four or five people, make sure you weigh up the costs of renting a vehicle vs. multiple train tickets. This year, I reserved a Nissan Serena 7-seater 4WD from Nissan Rent a Car for ¥11,200 per day. Additional insurance, fuel, and tolls are extra, but it’s significantly less than train tickets for five people.

You must also consider your arrival flight time and the last train time to your destination. If you’re landing in the afternoon, as many international flights to Japan do, and your final train is in the early evening, it can be a mad rush to get through immigration and navigate Tokyo’s train stations to make your train with all your gear. The Nagano resorts are served well with late-running trains, but if you’re heading north to Fukushima or Iwate, the last train can sometimes depart in the late afternoon.

There are also new rules on some trains that state you must book the rear seats in a carriage if you’re travelling with skis or snowboards.

If you’re picking up a car at the airport, there’s no rush or stress. Of course, everyone has to balance what’s right for them, including emissions generated by a car (electric and hybrid vehicles are available).

If you decide to get the train and you’re bringing skis or snowboards, a wheeled bag like the Dakine Low Roller or Ski Roller attaches to your suitcase handle and makes everything much easier.

Dakine ski and snowboard bags attach to your suitcase handle. Image: dakine.com

Ueno is a good base to explore Tokyo and to transfer to the Shinkansen, rather than Tokyo station if you’re heading north.

Book well in advance if travelling on the eve of a Japanese holiday. Outside of holidays, it’s usually possible to buy your tickets on the day of travel, but if you are connecting with a flight, it’s safer to book ahead.

Car Hire

Most people will tell you not to hire a vehicle in Japan as the train network is fantastic, car hire is expensive and it’s difficult to park and find your way – and snowy roads are very dangerous. Most of this is partly true, but for the reasons I’ve outlined above, and if you’re confident driving on snow, it’s an option worth considering, and it can be cheaper in a group.

All the different car companies release their vehicles at different times, so it can be difficult to compare prices. Almost all, however, offer free cancellation, and with some, you don’t have to pay a deposit, so book something as soon as you can, then cancel when you find something better.

It’s best to book on the English version of the Japanese site where possible. If you book on the equivalent website in your own country, you don’t always get options such as winter tyres, 4WD, ski racks, or toll road payment cards—or the ability to pay for extra insurance or decline insurance.

Comparing Japan’s major car hire websites

During the winter months, snowy locations offer studless winter tyres as standard. This means you don’t have to worry about snow chains. Check with individual rental companies if you’re not sure, as the times vary based on location. If picking up in Tokyo, winter tyres aren’t usually included, and you’ll have to pay extra. If it’s not an option, email them after you’ve made your booking and they can usually add it on for a charge.

Sometimes aggregator platforms like ToCoo seem cheaper, but once you add additional drivers and options, they can get more expensive. For example, Nissan allows you to add additional drivers for free, and all it took was an email to get my Nissan Serena upgraded to 4WD for free.

If you’re getting the train to then pick up a vehicle, look out for pickup locations with “Ekimae” in the name. This means “in front of the station”, so you can walk easily to your pickup (this works for hotel names too).

If you’re nervous about the drive, it helps to walk through the route on Google Maps Street View to familiarise yourself. If you live in an area where the roads get icy in winter and are a confident driver, you’ll likely be fine driving in Japan. However, road conditions can quickly change, and whiteouts, blizzards, and strong winds can come out of nowhere. Japanese drivers are generally courteous and drive safely, but accidents in the mountains do happen, even for locals. If you’re worried, start slowly by booking a car for a day or two on a ski trip to drive to a nearby resort. (Book a 4WD SUV, not a 600cc Kei car.)

The largest vehicles you can hire on a normal licence is a 7/8 seater people carrier. If you’re bringing your own skis or snowboards, then four adults will fit comfortably with all their gear by folding down the seats on one side of the back two rows and stacking up the luggage. I have done five adults in a seven-seater with equipment, but it was a massive sqeeze and not comfortable for the person in the back row. Two adults and three kids plus luggage (without any skis or snowboards) would probably be a maximum. Ski racks are available from some car hire companies (Samurai), but I’m reluctant to use them as it takes a lot of time to load up, and then you are constantly worried about the safety of your gear. It can also affect the handling in windy conditions. Also, there are a lot of car parks where a people carrier with a roof rack doesn’t fit under the maximum height. You can only rent a nine-seater van if you have a D stamp on your licence.

To drive in Japan, you need an International Driver’s Permit, which you must apply for in your country ahead of time. There seem to be many scam websites for these permits, so make sure you’ve found the official one in your country.

Parking is easy in Japan outside of the big cities. Even in places like Morioka and Sapporo, there are many car parks, and most hotels have parking. Sometimes it’s free, but it often costs ¥1,000 to park overnight. I’ve never had a situation where I couldn’t find parking. Most of the ski resorts have ridiculously big car parks that rarely get anywhere near capacity, but parking spaces are limited for some because the base is in a town. For example, Alts Bandai and Niseko Grand Hirafu can be difficult. This is rare, though.

People will tell you that you don’t need to drive in Japan, but most go to the resorts that are easy to access on public transport. By driving, you get to go to the deserted, hard-to-reach hidden gem resorts. The first few times you go to Japan, get the train and go to the famous resorts, but then if you want to explore and go on an adventure, I think a vehicle is the best way to do it.

Hire car insurance can be confusing in Japan, and translations aren’t always great. I like to get the minimum option of insurance and then buy additional coverage from a separate company. With Worldwide Insure, a one-year global policy costs £125 for unlimited rentals, and you can also get single-trip coverage.

For choosing the best vehicle, Tabirai has an excellent resource for viewing car interiors and specs.

The interior of a Honda Stepwagon. Image: Tabirai

Allow enough time to get through customs, pick up your car and drive to your first destination in daylight. Or, if you’re arriving late, stay overnight at the airport, or stay the first night in a motorway adjacent business hotel and leave the last part of the drive for the next day. When driving from Tokyo to the mountains, I usually make a plan to stop at a cheap hotel as close as I can to the resort so I’m not driving up the mountain at night. This also means you can visit a smaller resort on the way to your main destination. It may be wise to spend the first day in Tokyo or Sapporo to do some shopping for equipment and get over your jetlag rather than drive straight out to your resort.

Hotels

I use Google Maps to find hotels. It’s a great way to see the location, compare the price, and see the cancellation timeframe all in one view.

Searching for hotels on Google Maps desktop.

Tripadvisor is also good for reviews and price comparison. I then tend to book on Booking.com because it usually has the lowest price and better cancellation terms (but not always). Trip.com has some hotels that aren’t on the other sites. Agoda and Expedia can be cheaper sometimes. Personally, I like to keep everything under one account so I can manage cancellations.

I recommend always booking with free cancellation. You never know what can happen with a skiing trip. Also, booking a high-altitude alternative destination in Japan is usually a good idea, just in case the weather is not good. Another trick, if you’re not sure about dates, is to book consecutive one-night stays at the same hotel and then cancel the nights you don’t need. I’ve never had a problem staying in the same room when doing this.

You should try not to abuse free cancellation. For big chain hotels, it’s fine to cancel last minute. The room you cancel will probably be snapped up straight away, and for double the price you paid three months before, so it isn’t an issue. Just try not to cancel short notice on small hotels.

Even before you’ve booked your flights, it makes sense to check out hotels and prices and even book somewhere provisionally. Hotels are the most competitive part of the booking so you should have at least one cancellable hotel booked as soon as you’ve booked your flights. Some accommodation is available to book 14 months in advance and many Chinese tourists and Japanese book their ski trips a year in advance. Some hotels don’t release their rooms until six months or three months in advance but these are usually not resort-based hotels, so it’s worth booking a provisional and then seeing what’s on offer later. Leaving accommodation until six months before will severely limit your choices if you’re going to a popular resort, and you’ll likely be overpaying for a poor-quality hotel.

When choosing a room, pay particular attention to room and bed size. Some hotels count a wide single as a double, while many only provide futon beds. Also, look out for shared bathrooms if that’s something you want to avoid.

One trick for paying very little for good accommodation is to hire a vehicle. This gives you the freedom to stay 20-45 minutes away from a selection of ski resorts, stay in a new, high-quality business hotel with larger rooms and better facilities, and also gives you access to cheaper, better quality restaurants and other nightlife options in villages, towns and cities. Most ski resorts have very limited options, require booking, and can be expensive. You can get excellent hotels for ¥6,000 a night, just a short drive from major ski resorts in places like Morioka, Otaru or Asahikawa. Even if you aren’t driving and you’re on a budget, getting the bus is often possible. Staying in Kitakami and getting the bus to Geto Kogen is a great example of this.

Hotels are priced based on demand, so booking early can save huge amounts, with ¥10,000 per night rooms going for ¥40,000 just a few months later.

Book early

The mantra for Japan is to book early. If you think you’re not ready to book, don’t worry – almost everything can be booked with free cancellation.

Make provisional bookings as early as possible. Many Japanese – and tourists in Asia – plan a year ahead, so if price is important to you, plan as far ahead as possible. If you wait until six months before, accommodation will be very limited and expensive in the popular destinations.

Good luck, and please comment below if you have any questions about booking a trip to Japan.